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things to read

Back in school

Classes started back today. This is one of my favorite days, the syllabus day. I can just prattle on and on … but you have to find the right mix of that on the first day.

You have, precisely, a six-and-a-half minute margin of error there.

But things went smoothly. There was only one question after class, and just a few during. That means that everything has been explained perfectly in a triumphant victory for reason and straightforwardness. Or you’ve been tuned out. You can never tell.

One of my jokes didn’t get laughed at. But the rest got good giggles, so if you factor in the questions to chuckles ratio the day worked out well.

There were also two meetings. Important information was imparted. Tasks were distributed. Notes were taken. They were good meetings.

At dinner I stepped out of my comfort zone. I went to Jason’s Deli, which is perfectly normal. But! I read the menu, and with the nice lady who always sees me and makes small talk like we’re old friends waiting patiently, I ordered something else.

I’ve probably been going to one Jason’s Deli or another for five or six yeas. This is only the second time that I’ve deviated from my usual.

Usually when I go somewhere new I go with the menu item named after the place. That dish can’t be bad, right? So tonight I extended that idea a bit because Jason’s has a sandwich named after the founder’s dad. Pure winner, right?

Great sandwich. I may go back again tomorrow.

Things to read: Inside Advance’s Post-Standard newspaper as it transforms this week to digital first:

There hasn’t been the same level of outcry in Syracuse, but Rogers acknowledges that the cutbacks will take a toll. “There has not been outrage,” he said. “There’s been disappointment. There’s sadness. It’s the hardest for people who are not [digitally] connected. There are a lot of people … who are really going to miss the seven-day newspaper. I’m going to miss it.”

But while the dramatic reorganization may seem like a gamble, it’s the prospect of not doing anything that genuinely worries him. “To do nothing, that’s suicide,” he said, citing the industry trends. “Is this a risk? The risk is to not do anything. Have we found the right solution? I think we have. Time will tell. But I know that by doing what we’re doing, we’re going to be so much better off than if we hadn’t done anything.”

His optimism isn’t shared by everyone involved with the paper.

The three Newhouse papers in Alabama made the switch last fall, you might recall. They are growing into the new model right about on pace. There have been stumbles. There are critics, but there are a lot of positives.

Anytime you see a newspaper in the middle of a transformation you see quotes like this:

The new model doesn’t have a place for columnist Dick Case, 77, a Syracuse fixture for over 53 years who received word that his services would no longer be needed at the paper. “I think that all of us understood that the nature of the newspaper was going to change,” he said, “but I don’t think anybody had any idea of when that would happen. And it happened sooner rather than later.”

I love the idea of staffers who’ve worked at newspapers for decades. They have so much institutional history and community memory. They’re a gem to talk to and learn from. They are often vital and funny and crusty people with a lot to tell us all. But this quote just makes no since. Sooner rather than later? After all of these years, after your sister papers made this move, this caught you by surprise?

(Update: Case’s last column is here. He’s been doing this my entire life. He’s talented and will be missed by many. He’s going to volunteer at the historical society. And if you need to, you can reach him at his wife’s email. That’ explains that.)

CEOs Using social media: Statistics, facts and figures:

Four out of five employees (81 percent) believe that CEOs who engage on social media are better equipped to lead companies in the modern world, and 82 percent of customers are more likely to trust a company whose CEO and leadership team are active on these channels.

There’s one of those famously long Internet infographics there, too.

Now recording: Knight funds an app for collecting oral histories:

Knight News Challenge winner TKOH wants to create a solution for oral storytelling that would work for kids, grandparents, audiophiles — or, yes, journalists. As envisioned, it would be a lightweight app for mobile devices that makes the setup and recording of stories simpler. TKOH, a design studio based in New York, plans to use its $330,000 award from Knight Foundation to build out its prototype of the app and begin testing it in rural communities in New Mexico.

“It’s a need we all have,” Kacie Kinzer, of TKOH, tells me. “There’s someone we know, a friend, a family member, who has incredible stories that must be kept in some way.

[…]

The app, tentatively called Thread, would be a kind of all-in one app, pairing audio and video, giving the user a choice of how they want to record a story. Once the story is captured, the file would be archived in a non-proprietary format and made available on the web. With the money from Knight, the team at TKOH will complete the prototype of the app and build a web platform that would act as a repository for stories and enable sharing on other networks, Kinzer told me.

One more method never hurts.

What it feels like to be photographed in a moment of grief:

“I sat there in a moment of devastation with my hands in prayer pose asking for peace and healing in the hearts of men,” she recalls. “I was having such a strong moment and my heart was open, and I started to cry.”

Her mood changed abruptly, she says, when “all of a sudden I hear ‘clickclickclickclickclick’ all over the place. And there are people in the bushes, all around me, and they are photographing me, and now I’m pissed. I felt like a zoo animal.”

What particularly troubles her, she says, is “no one came up to me and said ‘Hi, I’m from this paper and I took your photograph.’ No one introduced themselves. I felt violated. And yes, it was a lovely photograph, but there is a sense of privacy in a moment like that, and they didn’t ask.”

Every journo should read pieces like that about every year or so. There’s a lot to learn in circumstances like this, too.

Friday / links / Samford / things to read / YouTube Cover Theater — Comments Off
25
Jan 13

The return of the YouTube Covers

I think I spent pretty much the entire (non-cycling portion of my) day planning out classes. The exotic life I lead sometimes, I tell ya.

The best part about it is that it becomes a multi-directional puzzle. What can I do on what day for logistical purposes? What part of DEF needs to wait until ABC has been concluded? After a while it all starts to fit together nicely.

The frustrating part is that I know, I just know, there will be something I’ll miss or forget or write up incorrectly. I won’t catch it until after the class starts. C’est la vie.

Classes start back on Monday, hence so much time on it all this week. I’m on a quest to make a wonderful experience for the students. Hopefully it gets a little bit better every time I teach this particular class. I think I’ve removed most of the busy work and refined the most confusing parts. Now I just have to add in some more extra material. There can never be enough work, he thinks to himself.

And now the correspondent will share two stories bearing no resemblance to one another.

First, Alabama Department Homeland Security confirms ‘cyber-intrusion’ of state computers:

The Alabama Department of Homeland Security confirmed there has been a hacking attack on state computers but declined to describe the scope or severity of the intrusion.

A spokeswoman said the incident was still under criminal investigation.

“The Alabama Department of Homeland Security acknowledges that there has been a cyber-intrusion of state government IT infrastructure. It is currently under criminal investigation and at this point there will be no additional comments,” according to a statement issued by the department.

It is not immediately known which agencies were involved or if any state records were compromised.

First, isn’t this what the state Department of Homeland Security — and aren’t you glad they put that office into motion? — is supposed to prevent? Their public mandate is “Working to prepare for, prevent and respond to terrorist activity within the state.” So maybe not. It is unclear if these were terrorists. But the meaning of that word has become fluid in the modern age. You know know what else isn’t clear? The way the reporter wrote the story, “It is not immediately known” suggests that maybe the state officials don’t know what was compromised. Of course it means “the state officials aren’t tell us who got hit,” but still. Maybe it is their job to protect against all threats, foreign, domestic, terrorist and baud modem. Maybe it isn’t their job. Maybe they should just unplug all of the computers when they go home at night.

I’d write more about the state Department of Homeland Security but, as of this writing, their site seems to be down. Vexing.

Meanwhile, in Wisconsin, there’s a sheriff many people would vote for: Wis. sheriff urges citizens to get gun training. Part of Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke Jr.’s new radio campaign:

“I need you in the game,” he says.

“With officers laid off and furloughed, simply calling 911 and waiting is no longer your best option,” he adds. “You can beg for mercy from a violent criminal, hide under the bed, or you can fight back. … Consider taking a certified safety course in handling a firearm so you can defend yourself until we get there.”

The ad has generated sharp criticism from other area officials and anti-violence advocates. The president of the Milwaukee Deputy Sheriffs’ Association, Roy Felber, said it sounds like a call to vigilantism.

“That doesn’t sound too smart,” Felber said. “People have the right to defend themselves, but they don’t have the right to take the law into their own hands.”

I’m not exactly sure about the straw Felber is standing on. If you conflate protecting your family and vigilantism, there’s not really much point in even locking your doors, right? Here’s the sheriff’s actual ad:

I’m sure he’ll be a hit on Fox News before the weekend is over.

You know, it is Friday. We haven’t done this in a while. Here, then, is the impromptu return of YouTube Cover Theater, the segment where we discover the amazing talent of people sitting in their homes with an instrument, a camera and an Internet connection. This week’s covers will feature the great Same Cooke.

My favorite part of this one is where she gets a little frustrated with the bridge. And also the light and sound in the room. Also, the cover is pretty great:

Some guy laid all of that tile in this kitchen and never guessed it would be seen online more than 70,000 times. But you get a good sense of why:

I always thought this song worked better as a harmony. The ragged parts in this version help it, too. A lot of fun for what is, presumably their first try at it:

(I don’t think it was the first time they tried it, but it is a nice idea.)

Sam Cooke, himself:

Still brilliant pop tunes, 50 years later.

journalism / links / music / Samford / things to read / video / Wednesday — Comments Off
23
Jan 13

Voices of the past

I am not sure where today went. I’m going to blame the emails, literally hunders of them, that I wrote today. Also there was reading materia. Reading my material and then reading for a class I’m teaching. Somehow the day disappeared.

So, here, have some interesting links.

As ESPN Debated, Manti Te’o Story Slipped Away:

Some inside the network argued that its reporters — who had initially been put onto the story by Tom Condon, Te’o’s agent — had enough material to justify publishing an article. Others were less sure and pushed to get an interview with Te’o, something that might happen as soon as the next day. For them, it was a question of journalistic standards. They did not want to be wrong.

Bless those hearts full of integrity. What’s that ESPN? Yet another bizarre update in the bizarre story? OK:

A source close to Te’o gave ESPN’s Jeremy Schaap documents that the source says are Te’o’s AT&T phone records from May 11 to Sept. 12, the date that the woman was supposed to have died. The logs are not originals, but spreadsheets sent via emails, and could not be independently verified.

They re-wrote it, but I recorded the original passage on Twitter. The earlier version said “Their veracity couldn’t be independently confirmed, but the source insisted they are genuine.”

The source insisted. In a story about hoaxes. Journalistic standards.

Jobs: Recession, Tech kill middle-class jobs:

Five years after the start of the Great Recession, the toll is terrifyingly clear: Millions of middle-class jobs have been lost in developed countries the world over.

And the situation is even worse than it appears.

Most of the jobs will never return, and millions more are likely to vanish as well, say experts who study the labor market.

On the other hand, Lowe’s is hiring 54,000 and 9,000 permanently. And union membership is down in Alabama.

Finally, A 1951 home recording from Hazel Street. Kim and Herb are celebrating 25 years, and all of their friends recorded a message on a Wilcox-Gay Recordio.

That’s via James Lileks. And since he didn’t, I’ll wonder why it is that this recording fascinates in ways 60 years from now that nothing we produce on Instagram or Pinterest or anywhere else won’t in 2075.

Here’s Bill Wagner, a coal man, who — think about this — was about to hear his recorded voice for the first time ever.

Here’s a raucous group sing:

Here’s evidence that teenaged girls have giggled for generations. This song is from 1935, the first country song by a female artist, Patsy Montana to sell more than one million units. So maybe this was recorded by amateurs now lost to history in the 40s or 50s.

Here Albert is recording a message in California for friends or family back home in the midwest during World War II:

Those were all thrift store finds. This one is a family heirloom:

There are at least several dozen of these on YouTube. I could listen to them all day.

That is not where my day went.

iPhone / journalism / links / photo / things to read / Wednesday — Comments Off
5
Dec 12

That which cannot be argued with

Someone sent me a message, identifying me as a “science nut.” Well, no, but OK. Watch this video, they said, tell me what you think. I watched 32 seconds of it. The logos and graphics did not comport with anything that made sense.

I do not, I said, put any stock in this video.

But au contraire, the person that sent me this video disagreed, as you might imagine. This person put a great deal into it. “There are 14 peer reports and over 27 self funded university studies published.”

There were not. There are 12. Most conducted by the the company marketing the product. Ten of those were performed in a circumstance that don’t actually produce any results, but reads like a fishing expedition. Two human tests have been done. One of them makes no sense, the other disagrees with the company’s marketing.

You often here, in commercials shilling shady products, impressive lines like “double blind” and “independent study.” Sounds impressive at least, and moved the person that wrote me.

The note concluded thusly: “Can’t argue with science.”

Oh, well, then. I had no idea.

Here’s this week’s Crimson. There are a few errors, there are always a few, but generally it is a very sharp effort. Given that finals are looming, I’m proud of all of their hard work.

The story that goes with that lead art is here. You can, of course, go here for the rest.

Charter will pull their people from social media. I’ve found it is best not to try to make sense of anything Charter does. It is also best not to try to make sense of anything Charter doesn’t do. It is best to just not consider Charter.

This is the place where nihilism and solipsism (ahem) intersect. Such Cartesian dualism has no place in dealing with such highly intellectual types like those answering the phones at Charter.

The New York Post photograph? Should have never been published. David Carr minces few words on it. Gawker asked Pulitzer-winning photogs for their takes on the issue.

Lots of great stuff there, including:

Professor John Freeman from the University of Florida: In my classes, I always teach that photographers should help first and take pictures second. In the contest of “a photo vs. a life,” the life should always win. But what if the Post photographer couldn’t help the man on the tracks?
Professor Roy S. Gutterman from Syracuse University: Once a reporter or photographer lends a hand to someone, that journalist ceases being a journalist and becomes part of the story. There’s no way to maintain the independence as a journalist and participate in a news event at the same time.
Professor John Kaplan from the University of Florida: The blame in this controversy lies directly with the New York Post for publishing such a callous, crude and truly tasteless headline while at the same time wrongly splashing the tragedy on the front page.

An interactive global cancer map:

Cancer is often considered a disease of affluence, but about 70% of cancer deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries. Explore this interactive map to learn about some cancers that disproportionately affect poorer countries.

Very nicely done project. Helpful, too.

Remember, you can’t argue with science.

journalism / links / Monday / things to read — Comments Off
3
Dec 12

A difference in need

Much as you don’t want anyone to have to go, but I do love to hear the success stories from people’s encounters with modern medicine.

This young lady, for example, lost four fingers in a car crash. Now she has a working hand again. Three decades ago this was only television and a sound effect, but she may still be playing softball:

Two weeks ago, Higdon received a $112,000 myoelectric prosthetic hand that will enable her to do many of the things she did before.

She’s already learned how to pick up a cup and pick up a softball – a sport near and dear to her heart, and she’s eager to learn how to do more.

Higdon and her mother said they’re thankful for the opportunity she’s been given by the generosity of the Inner Wheel USA Foundation, a Rotary affiliate that has picked up most of the tab for the advanced prosthetic hand.

“My insurance paid next to nothing on this,” said Higdon’s mother, Judie Cummings.

Naturally there is video:

Speaking of hospitals, a new law shows you which ones to watch out for:

The law also honors the memory of Denton’s son, Mike, who died at age 42 from an infection acquired after knee surgery in 2002.

Mike Denton never really healed after that surgery, his father said; he would eventually spend seven weeks at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital before he died.

“It was a traumatic experience, to say the least,” Denton said from his home recently. “At least we got to be with him that long. They never could turn it around.”

The experience moved Denton to sponsor legislation to require Alabama’s hospitals to collect and report healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). The Alabama Department of Public Health is responsible for analyzing the data and making the results available to the public.

“It ought to give the public information that they should know about the track record of infectious diseases in the facilities,” Denton said.

First they came for the money and electronics. And then they came for the copper. And now … I try to attach some larger meaning, some economic indicator, to stories like these

Missouri Farm Bureau president Blake Hurst says thieves are actually targeting those big bundles of hay that are left out in fields prior to being harvested, hauling them off and selling the valuable commodity.

“Of course, no one brands their hay so if you hook onto it with your tractor or your pickup and make it out the gate, then it’s impossible to prove where the hay came from,” Hurst said.

With winter approaching and grass dying out, the price for fresh hay to feed livestock is on the rise, and Hurst says that makes unguarded bales a tempting target.

Of course, without hay being branded in some way, it is also only a matter of time until someone commits hay fraud.

You might have noticed the story of the New York police officer Lawrence DePrimo giving shoes to the homeless man. Well, turns out that Jeffrey Hillman isn’t homeless. (Don’t worry. He didn’t build that.)

Also, he’s shoeless again. All weather shoes get in the way of panhandling, you know:

Mr. Hillman, 54, was by turns aggrieved, grateful and taken aback by all the attention that had come his way — even as he struggled to figure out what to do about it.

“I was put on YouTube, I was put on everything without permission. What do I get?” he said. “This went around the world, and I want a piece of the pie.”

God bless America.