Brian Knappenberger’s documentary, The Internet’s Own Boy, did for Aaron Swartz what Asif Kapadia’s Amy did for Amy Winehouse, remind us what a terrible loss both of them were. If your under the age of 40, I would expect you to know the name Amy Winehouse. However, unless you’re a hacker or media nerd, I wouldn’t … Continue reading The Internet’s Own Boy
The holidays are upon us (whatever you celebrate, even if you celebrate the war on Christmas…have you noticed that this war on Christmas keeps coming earlier and earlier each year…waiting for the War on Christmas in July). With the season comes a slew of hackneyed colloquialisms. Now if you work in an office setting a … Continue reading The Office A**hole
A few months ago the folks at Metropolitan Magazine reached out to me after I had submitted a sample of my writing. I had forgotten about it but it turns out they liked it. After a few pitches to Executive Editor Amber Snider they finally bit into a couple, Meet the New Boss: New Media and … Continue reading Two New Articles Posted
Greetings from the city of lost angels…and souls. So I watched the last hour of the Republican debate the other night. Trying to find it on the hotel television was as complicated as trying to understand the success of the Kardashian family. I eventually ended up streaming it on the Fox News website. Incidently, big … Continue reading Are Republicans Flagrantly Sexist?
Do you know how I know this? Because I’m broke. I realize it’s trite to be prattling on about income disparity and the 1% versus the 99%. Incidentally, a more than viable term that has somehow sadly devolved into a punchline. As trite as it may be, it is still relevant. And no matter how … Continue reading I am the Middle Class
No no, I don’t mean the United States of America. I mean the United States of Advertising (Bill Hicks). As a card-carrying member of the Democratic Party I wanted to watch the first debate last night on CNN. Now, I should point out, I don’t have television. I HAVE a television fer chrissakes, I am … Continue reading USA! USA! USA!
One of my favorite rock and roll bands is Manic Street Preachers. If you are reading this the odds are you’ve either heard of them or don’t really care. Despite recording for a huge multi-national (Sony) they don’t have distribution here in the states anymore. Makes being a Manics fan a little more challenging. Anyway, … Continue reading Manic Street Preachers
For the past seven years, I’ve lived in Brooklyn. New York. Before moving to Williamsburg, the worldwide epicenter of hip, I lived in Billyburg’s kissing cousin, Greenpoint. Both have been subjected to an aggressive gentrification agenda. One of the most aggressive in recent years. With gentrification comes hipsters. A lot of hipsters. Revelation 9:3-10 “Then … Continue reading Williamsburg, Brooklyn Has Jumped the Shark
nerk noun A technologically focused individual who can not help but make other people feel inferior in their lack of technological experience or prowess. “Our helpdesk rep, Nathan, is a real nerk.” synonyms: jerk, asshole, dick, dummy, prick Thanks to the proliferation of technology, we are currently living in real life version of Revenge of … Continue reading Nerk
There is a great SNL Celebrity Jeopardy sketch where a category is “Pen Is Mightier” and Darrell Hammond’s Sean Connery keeps pronouncing it “Penis Mightier”. (Here’s a link to the audio and some sort of World of Warcraft like animation) And you know what? It’s true. The pen IS mightier (the jury is out on the … Continue reading The PenIs Mightier
I just read Bob Lefsetz’s post about the recent passing of Gary Richrath. Who’s Gary Richrath? He was an early member and lead guitarist of REO Speedwagon during their heyday and he passed away on Sunday September 13 (no cause given). He was 65. I can’t explain why it hit me the way it did. … Continue reading Guilty Pleasures
This was originally published in October of 2013 in wait(er) Magazine but as the subject is heating up again, I thought it was worth revisiting. The current federal hourly rate for tipped employees stands at $2.13. Yep, you read that correctly. In fact, it’s been stuck at $2.13 since 1991. You can pick your jaw … Continue reading The Other NRA – redux
Many moons ago, I was in film school. I went to the School of Visual Arts. About four years ago, I discovered a 16mm film I shot, Hells Ugly Sister, and had that digitally transferred and I put it together as best I could based on my original idea. This summer my 8mm first year … Continue reading Shake Your Love
It’s no secret that we got way too much email these days. And if you work in an office environment, odds are it’s worse. You’re probably on way too many distribution lists (or DL’s to us in the trade) and they jam up your in box, unless your IT team has given you unlimited inbox … Continue reading Reply All Idiotry
…but I can still have a skull tattoo. New tattoo courtesy of Karen Glass (karenglasstattoo.com). Behold the cosmic skull.
The tragedy in Virginia yesterday is shinning a light on two hot topic subjects. The media and gun control. Both complicated issues and tangentially linked. While I don’t much care for guns and agree, in principle, with second amendment advocates, I do feel it may be time to have a very frank discussion about gun control … Continue reading We do we suck as a species?
Donald Trump is leading the Republican polls (ahead of a GOP dynasty). Hillary is being pilloried about e-mails (seriously, how does anyone NOT know the only way to erase a hard drive is to burn it?) and Bernie Sanders, a Socialist from Vermont is gaining ground (I got nothing); you’d think this presidential election cycle couldn’t … Continue reading Oh! Say, can you see?
“I think we should banish expectations and re-instate wonder.“* Consider it re-instated. Season three of the Sundance Channel’s show “Rectify” wrapped up last night with a few tears from the actors (and this viewer) and an uncharacteristic hint of optimism. For the past month I’ve tried to muscle up words to describe how good the … Continue reading Rectify – The best show you aren’t watching.
Wake the kids, phone the neighbors, its returning. No really, it’s coming back.
I’m writing from a place of sadness. A kind of empty sadness unlike any other I have ever known. I lost my mother recently. Well, it’s not like I misplaced her, she passed away. And wrestling with my emotions surrounding it is, on the best day, odd. On the worst? Painful. These days are the … Continue reading We Suffer Alone
(or how I came to eat dinner on the lanai of a Florida home in the summer, alone.) HEY YOU! We must talk, POST-HASTE! You asked me to explain to you why I dislike you so much. Of course, you asked seconds before you slammed the sliding glass door robbing me of the chance to … Continue reading Open Letter To A Narcissist
“We all pay for life with death, so everything in between should be free.” – Bill Hicks I am the youngest of my mothers four children; born breach during what is often considered the most tumultuous year in modern history (the year of unraveling). I grew from a collicky baby into a petulant child then … Continue reading A Mothers Disappointment?
It’s true…and not in some sort of existential “we’re all dying a little more each day” kind of way. As I type this out my mother is in hospice. You see, a couple of weeks ago my mother suffered a heart attack and a “series of strokes” (no less than six according to the neurologist) … Continue reading My Mother Is Dying
Outside of certain environments neoliberalism is a word you don’t hear very often, but I suspect that is going to change in the very near future. With that in mind, I thought I would take a moment to shed a little light on what the word means. Oh, I know right out of the gate you are … Continue reading On Neoliberalism
The animus that exists between traditional media and new media (linear media and digital media) befuddles me. I understand it as much as I do the longstanding battle between the Hatfield and McCoy’s…let’s hope this media battle isn’t as long. But why the hate? Is it ego? Hubris? Lunacy? All three? I find it hard … Continue reading Modern Day Hatfields and McCoys? Media.
Courtesy of Bob Lefsetz 1. Karma exists. It may not be instant like in that John Lennon song, but it happens. May take a long time, might not be easily seen, may not be visible to anybody but you, the one who was scathed, but it’s real. 2. Niceness triumphs. Although no one can be … Continue reading Life Rules by Bob Lefsetz
The good news is that I’ve made Gold Status in the Hilton Rewards Program. I’m not entirely sure what that means, but according to Hilton it’s something to be celebrated. The bad news is that my mother has suffered a “serious heart attack” (as opposed to the mild ones?!). She’s got a respirator down her … Continue reading Good News/Bad News
Typically, I hate this shit. I don’t think a sitting president should do talk shows, but I LOVE the fact that Marc Maron is interviewing a sitting president. It’s that type of stuff that makes me LOVE this country. For real. POTUS on WTF. Check it out. It’s worth it, especially after last weeks crap.
Even though I’ve called the east coast my home for well over half my life, I am a Midwestern boy through and through. One of the many traits we Midwesterners carry with us is a solid work ethic. It’s certainly something I’ve carried with me through the years and it’s definitely something I look for … Continue reading Soul Asylum – What Gives?
Comcast still doesn’t give a f*ck. They’re still the largest Telecommunications lobbying force in D.C. to the tune of almost $17 million dollars in 2014 lobbying for Telecommunications…by way of comparison, they spent $100,000 lobbying for television. Guess which category the Internet falls under? Control the media, control the message. This is happening now and you … Continue reading (sigh) They’re at it again.
I shouldn’t be, but I am. I’m ashamed to be an American. I shouldn’t be, but I am. The BBC just broke the story about a church shooting in South Carolina. The story is still unfolding but it appears to be, surprise surprise, racially motivated. What the fuck is happening? I’m not a church going … Continue reading I’m ashamed to be white.
In gymnastics, it’s called stick the landing – v. phr. – to finish an athletic, gymnastic, or other sports performance with an ideal pose or stance, especially after a jump or leap. In media, let’s call it stick the narrative – v. phr. – to adhere to a particular message or thought despite contrary evidence; … Continue reading Stick the Narrative
Williamsburg problem. American problem.
Live hard. Die young. Leave a good-looking corpse. I guess that wasn’t in the cards for me. Or for David Letterman. Thank God. In the event you have been in a coma or entirely avoiding any media for the past few weeks, tonight David Letterman says good-bye. And things being such as they are, I … Continue reading I Guess I’m Old Now
I just flew in from Detroit…and boy is my heart tired. Detroit is in rough, rough shape and yet to me it still is the quintessential American city. The whole package, the good, the bad and the ugly. The good: it was built on the backs of the melting pot of Americans. At one time, … Continue reading Another Damn Story About Detroit
