Everyone knows that Red Matter isn't the problem. Of course, we all grieve at the loss of the planet Vulcan. The billions of individuals senselessly executed by the time-traveling Romulan Nero is a tragedy from which the Federation will likely never recover, and no words can take the pain away from the thousands of off-world Vulcans who now have no home to which they can return. But now is not the time to engage in knee-jerk, politically-tainted talk about new... Read more
Kylie just posted Google’s “Zeitgeist” year-in-review video, and I was intrigued. Obviously, its content is loosely based on what people searched for on Google during 2012, and yes, it has a hopeful and inspirational bent, as one would expect, but I was struck by how, well, realistic it was about what actually went down this year. Look: http://youtu.be/xY_MUB8adEQ Storms, disaster, protests, conflict, suffering, war, it was all there interspersed with the achievements, milestones, and derring-do. Usually these kinds of things... Read more
Yes, they cared about this a hundred years ago, too. From the New York Times, December 12, 1912: For those who delight in that sort of amusement to-day is a day to celebrate by writing a great many letters and dating them, each and every one, 12–12–12. The sequence of the twelves makes positively a one-day stand and no more. Those who put off their writing after to-day will never again while they live have this opportunity! When again a... Read more
It has been said, quite fairly, that I am an Apple fanboy. I have preferred to think of myself as more of an enthusiast, a devotee, and when I plant my tongue firmly in-cheek, I declare myself forever beholden and grateful to (and submissive to the infallible will of) The Steve, peace be upon him. But however you describe me, it's fine. I do have a great affection for the Apple brand and evangelize many of its products (indeed, I... Read more
Me and my boy Toby, three years old, in the car on our way to daycare this morning: Toby: Daddy, what does Mitt Romney look like? Me: Well, he’s tall, has a big head, gray hair neatly combed, he always wears a suit, and he’s white. Toby: That’s why he is mad. Read more
I’m not sure if this was a “secret,” if I intentionally haven’t written about this because it was too personal, or what. Well. The thing is, since I was beaten to a bloody pulp by a couple of thugs outside my home Metro stop back in DC over two years ago, I’d been in therapy to deal with the psychological aftermath. I was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and depression, and I underwent two years of treatment using a therapy... Read more
So this guy seems like he was in a hurry to shuffle off this mortal coil: Whereas these folks seem like they took their sweet time: I bet this guy knew exactly where he was headed: But as the man says, only the good die… I know. But they made me titter. Read more
Michael Tomasky at the Daily Beast: The presidency was once described by some historians as a prize, won in one election by this team, in another by that team. The metaphor suggests that elections are discrete and separate from one another and that the stakes aren’t much greater than those encountered on a game show. But that’s not the case anymore. Prize is the wrong metaphor for how we ought to see the presidency today. Now, we ought to see... Read more
Charlie Crist, former Republican, former Florida governor, former victim of Marco Rubio's dreaminess, has entered his latest metamorphic stage, formally registering as a Democrat — at a White House Christmas party no less! I have mixed feelings about this kind of thing. And since this is my blog, I'll elaborate on them in painful detail. That's what the Internet is for. Feeling 1: Schadenfreude. Crist had already declared himself an independent not too long ago, after the wingnut arm of... Read more
The Bloomberg Businessweek interview with Apple CEO Tim Cook is a fascinating read. From a communication professional’s standpoint, it’s an astounding feat of being on-message. There is certainly a lot of exegesis to be done from this article (and I will do some here), but on the whole, it’s just about the exemplar of how to talk in depth and in detail about an organization without giving anything away or revealing anything you don’t want revealed. Tech journos and Apple... Read more
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