Corrupt Tree/RTP f/8 @ 1/160 sec

f_4_t and I hit the second NC Science Blogging conference at Sigma Xi in RTP on Jan. 19. Divided into three breakout sessions, ample social/networking time and then two whole conference sessions.

I've posted a photoset from the day and an earlier lab tour at the EPA.

Khoi Vinh on trying to hold onto (or worse, recapture) "the cool:"

Any time a media outlet publicly declares its intention to reach a younger demographic, chances are good that the results will make me cringe.

He's talking about NPR's Bryant Park Project, and how surprising it is that it doesn't include "jargon, zany sound effects or comedic narrative." He could be talking about newspapers, television or movies. I've read or seen too many horrible examples of 40-something suburban writing about 20-something urban trends.

Mostly, what (most) everyone comes up with is dumbing things down for a "younger" audience, adding a laugh track and calling it done. How insulting.

I don't really keep-up with podcasts, or lately, my RSS feeds and friends list, but when I have taken the time to catch up on a couple of podcasts, I find two music-related podcasts compelling tonics to the general pap of modern music:

NPR's All Songs Considered.

Bob Boilen directs All Things Considered. As part of the show, he's responsible for the bumps between stories NPR calls "Musical Interludes." He's also the host of the podcast/streaming only NPR show, All Songs Considered. The show has two sides. First, a generally weekly podcast that Boilen curates more than anything. In roughly half-an-hour, he'll run through six or seven songs, talk about what an artist is doing and why he's putting it in the show.

The wife of the CEO of 8020 Publishing responds to Flickr's unofficial JPG Magazine group and points out that a fair amount of context has gone missing. True.

You have heard Derek’s version of how things happened, and it was detailed. And very well written, because Derek is a talented writer. But it was not a years worth of details. That would be a very long post. Conversations that happened did not make it into Derek’s version, and some that did are skewed. Some key facts are omitted. (Such as why Paul took the CEO title. Derek got to be on the board, while Paul did not. In a small company, titles don’t mean as much, it’s really just a title. I feel like Derek left this detail out to make it look more sinister. Which feels dishonest to me.) Some things are closer to the truth if you reverse them. I know this because some of these conversations happened in my living room, or over the phone while I was nearby. Our old apartment wasn’t very big, so I was there for a lot of conversations.

Suck it from Lord Jakeington

One of Flickr's newest groups is ideletedmyjpgaccount. It contains threads such as "How did you discover JPG mag?." and a stream of screenshots of JPG Magazine cancellations and account closures. I myself can't bring myself to do it yet. I guess I'm holding out hope 8020 Publishing will say something more than what they've said. There's slightly more on Flickr from the CEO, but not much. A lot of folks are reading it as spin. I think I can charitably call it tone deaf.

I'm sad now, and here's why. Flickr looks like it's going through some crap, too.

• Wall Street Journal retools with smaller width, reduces news hole by 10 percent, but execs hope it will convey more information, faster. [via Romenesko]
• Gannet going "hyper-local" in Fort Myers, Florida with "mojos."
• Yahoo, Reuters will showcase user submitted photos of news events [via Romenesko]

Mikki Krimmel, a friend from AIDS/Lifecycle 5 and Revver's director of community is speaking tomorrow night in SF as part of the Creative Commons Salon. Sounds like a great event.

Copynight, SparkCon, meet CC Salon.

Side note: Revver replies to "GooTube" by asking, "what about the artist?" Is it self-interested? Of course. The question's still valid.

Chuck Palahniuk is answering fan letters, not email, this month. Some lucky writers will get a package back. New collection of short stories too, Haunted.

• Jay Rosen, answers questions about NewAssignment.net.
• Bloggers face an increase in libel suits.

Rosen is speaking at the N&O today in about 30 minutes, also about NewAssignment.Net. Should be interesting.

Derek Powazek notes interaction between the geeks and suits in a hijacked discussion on darknets [1] thusly: SXSW to MPAA: STFU. [Via]

Jay Rosen suggests that the best thing for the 12 Knight Ridder papers McClatchy [2] is looking to sell is to stop lamenting the uncertainty and embrace it as a chance to guide the outcome. Choice quote, "What are the bosses going to do, get mad and sell you?" Worthwhile comments such as, "(I'm suggesting) we let journalism be about journalism. Not printing." [Via]

Slick AppleScript-enabled Getting Things Done outlining for OmniOutliner users. WTF is Getting Things Done?

1. Wikipedia seems to have entries for "darknets" separate from Dark internet.
2. Disclosure

One of the busier weeks at work in a while. The fact that I've had to return home to monitor a server paging for high CPU load doesn't please me, particularly since it took me from an in-progress birthday.

At least there was scotch and dancing before I had to leave.

Is it wrong for the Red Cross to be running an PSA on WKNC that talks about volunteering for disaster relief, donating blood and other good works and be using Aimee Mann's "Wise Up" [1] for the background audio?

1. For those unfamiliar, it's the song in Magnolia that all of the characters end up lip-synching.

Things I don't want to happen in the course of my life or pursuit of my art:

• Have Mike Wallace try to interview me for 60 minutes.
• Have Oprah find out I've lied to her. Don't betray Oprah. There's video of what happens [1]: One, Two, Three, Four, Five.

1. Salon requires a (free) site pass.

I really have no idea where to start with the report that the military is paying Iraqi journalists to print coverage favorable to American interests.

There's a "fundamental problem of credibility", according to a Pentagon advisory panel, and this is how the problem is addressed?

From today's White House press briefing, a classic:

Q Does the White House have a credibility problem?

MR. McCLELLAN: Ed, these are all questions that you're bringing up in the context of an investigation that is ongoing --

Q I'm not asking about that.

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, it's clear that this is coming up in the context of news --

Q We could talk about WMDs, a whole range of issues.

MR. McCLELLAN: -- in the context of news reports. And I appreciate those questions. And I think you're trying to get at the specific news reports and wanting me to comment on those specific news reports and --

Q But they're news reports that have been confirmed by Karl Rove's attorney, Scott.

MR. McCLELLAN: John, you can keep jumping in, but I'm going to try to keep going to other people in this room, as well. And we can have constructive dialogue here, I think, but that's not the way to do it.

Q It's not my job to have a constructive dialogue, Scott. Sorry.

Via the NYTimes article.

• Some famous musician from Chicago says, "I'm getting the band back together!"
• Heather Champ and Derek Powazek started a photo quarterly via Lulu. I like the concept.
• Bruce Schneier suggests talking to strangers would have helped a lost Boy Scout be found sooner. via Rebecca Blood

"You shameless militarist, your ridiculous clamour for "human rights" is nothing but a shrill cry!"

Found via Buzztracker.