I’m writing this at the end of a long day, in the middle of a short week, which feels like a long week. But I have a reasonable lecture prepared for tomorrow. The news crew has finished their paper for tomorrow’s edition. I’ve worked on running projects and I ran from working projects.
Wait. That’s not right. I worked on ongoing projects. Later, I went for a run. It was not a fun run. I’ve had one or two of those (I do not know what is happening) but this one wasn’t one of them.
I enjoyed the end of a lovely sunset, however:
And because I was looking that direction I saw this sign … I wonder how many people honked.
Someone approved that sign:
Things to read … because they were approved too.
This was 160 years ago, Samford Recalls “The Midnight Fire”:
On the night of Oct. 15, 1854, the young college’s only building – which housed students, classrooms, laboratories, equipment, books – was destroyed by fire. All the young college’s property was lost, and one student died as a result of injuries sustained in the fire. Located at the time in Marion, Alabama, the college was not quite 13 years old and could have been devastated by the fire.
But, it was a story of heroism during the fire that has carried forward in the university’s history and folklore. Harry, the college janitor and a slave belonging to President Henry Talbird, was among the first to awaken after the fire was discovered. According to accounts of the tragic night, when told to escape while he could, Harry replied, “Not till I wake up the boys.”
He went door to door through the building on his “errand of mercy,” according to reports of the time. When he reached the last room on the upper floor, he was faced with flames where he could not reach the stairs. He jumped from the hall window and was fatally injured.
Put these two together:
HBO to launch standalone streaming service in 2015
CBS follows on HBO’s heels with launch of web-only streaming service
You notice there’s first a premium cable station and a broadcast going the same way. The dominos are at the very least moving. I can’t decide if this puts ABC’s ESPN properties in the sweet spot or puts them behind the eight ball. I’m leaning toward the side that suggests that gives ESPN all the power in the remaining deals.
I suppose I should find this interesting, but mostly I’m not sure why an advertiser and creative think I should give feedback to an ad: If You’d Like To Interact With The Future Of Audio Ads, Please Say “Proceed”.
White House pool reporters test own news distribution system:
White House journalists are creating an alternative system for distributing their media “pool” reports in response to the Obama administration’s involvement in approving and disapproving certain content in official reports.
[…]
Reporters have complained that the Obama White House exploits its role as distributor to demand changes in pool reports and that the press office has delayed or refused to distribute some reports until they are amended to officials’ satisfaction.
But now, some journalists are sharing their White House reporting using Google Groups — the digital service that allows registered users to receive and send information within a closed circle. In an early test of the supplemental system, journalists shared pool information about President Obama’s trip to Chicago this month. The system has been used for “advisories,” such as where the pool is assembling, when another pool report will be issued or whether a correction is in the works.
Because training demonstrates it is more of an evolution than a revolution? The smartphone revolution and why training matters
From the Department of Who Knew? Publishers want out of Apple’s Newsstand jail:
Apple was supposed to save publishers, but these days, it seems like publishers need to be saved from Apple.
Three years ago, Apple introduced Newsstand, a feature that gave iOS users a dedicated home for their digital magazines and newspapers. The app, designed to look like an actual physical newsstand, was good news, too, for publishers, which finally had a way to better stand out from other non-magazine apps.
But three years later, publishers say that Newsstand is holding them back and, in some cases, actively hurting them.
Three years ago, keen observers saw that coming.
This defies excerpting, but it is well said if you haven’t compiled this general sentiment in the last 10 years ago, The bad news about the bad news
And, finally, today’s This Kid Is Cooler Than We Are story, Montevallo first-grader raising money to help Children’s of Alabama cancer patients:
After one of her peers at Montevallo Elementary died of cancer over the summer, first-grader Kayla SanRoman remembers the sight of the many yellow ribbons hanging in the school’s hallways.
At just 6 years old, Kayla knew she wanted to help somehow.
On a piece of white paper, she created a flyer that included a picture she drew of a stick figure with a frown and the words, “Donate muneye for cancer. We hope you can donate to childes hoseital.”
[…]
Kayla has raised $105 as of Wednesday in an effort to get as much as she can by the end of the month to help children with cancer at Children’s of Alabama in Birmingham.
“I’m trying to get a lot of money so I can donate there so they can probably maybe help them,” Kayla said.
The kids are better than alright, no?
Finally, I shot this today. Just put my photo in the windowsill and waited for something to happen. Nothing happened:
