Midwestern Boy

It’s February.  It’s cold and snowy.  You really don’t want to be outside, and have no plans for this weekend.  If only there was something fun to do.

Those were my thoughts last night when I noticed a film I wanted to see – Beer Wars – was available on Netflix streaming service.  While chatting with a friend who is attending the True/False film festival this weekend, I decided that since I was unemployed I would have my own film festival from the comfort of my couch.  I could get a two-week free membership from Netflix and stream some films I wanted to see. Thus the Dean Underground Film Festival was born.

It wasn’t until today I recognized I didn’t need to be the only participant.
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One of my goals for 2010 is to read more.  Since receiving my masters, I can count the number of books I have read for pleasure on two hands.  This year I want to get back in the reading habit…partially as a way to break some of the other bad habits I’ve developed.

I am off to a good start so far.  It’s the midway point of January, and I have already completed three books.  My goal is to read 24 – or two per month.  I plan to post every book I read on the list below.
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As I began writing my first REAL New Years goals in about a decade, I came across a number of cool creative ideas for 2010.  Smashing Magazine was promoting their “Design Something Every Day!” challenge.  A couple friends decided to attempt Project365 photo-a-day on Flickr.  Plus there were my own personal goals to do more writing and web design in the new year.

Rather than focus on one of these challenges, I figured why not combine a bit of them all?  Therein lies my challenge for the new year.
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Yesterday morning I saw a graph showing the sharp employment decline in the newspaper industry.

By late afternoon I was part of the statistic.

Working in new media I assumed my job was safer than most.  With the changing nomenclature of the industry, journalists with a technological background are in high demand.  When the company decided to eliminate the entire multimedia team yesterday, I was a bit stunned.  Still, I worked for one of the few remaining newspapers that treats technology and the web as a  nuisance rather than embracing the potential.

That is why today I begin my life as an unemployed journalist.   Read more…

When I was a child, I begged and pleaded with my parents for a puppy – like most children do.  Eventually my parents gave in, with the condition that the dog was my responsibility.  Like any child, I quickly agreed.  How hard could taking care of a dog be?

Within the first two weeks, the puppy had stumbled upon some lose within reach.  I came in to see him swallow the shiny objects from off the end table.  When I informed my parents, they informed me I would need to make sure the change came back out from my dog.

To say this would be a shitty chore would be both an understatement and a really bad pun.
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GeekKon.  For three years it has delighted Madisonites and Midwesterners who enjoy gaming, anime, sci-fi, art and video games.  This year the event reached maturity – moving away from the Humanities building on the UW campus to the Sheraton.

While the event was growing up, those attending were getting younger.

I last attended GeekKon its first year.  Maybe it was because it was held on campus, but a large section of the crowd was at least college age.  This year the demographic skewed younger.  When I entered the hotel, most of the faces that greeted me looked barely old enough to drive a car.  Parents hung out and occasionally joined their children in costume.
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My lust for interactive pixel-crafted stories began at an early age.  Sunday mornings – before church of course – were spent preventing alien ships from touching down, no matter how fast they moved as their fleet was destroyed.  My Commodore 128 taught me about text-based games and to always carry some form of light when entering a dark area.  While other children saved their money for a Nintendo, my cash went towards the superior 16-bit graphics of the Sega Genesis.  Beating Sonic the Hedgehog made the investment worthwhile.   My first year of college I spent more time sacking the quarterback in Super Tecmo Bowl than attending class.

While in college I quickly realized the cost of games when they are first released, as my parents no longer subsidized my obsession.  Sure, I enjoyed being the first person to beat Streets of Rage, but I learned that if I waited six months, the price would drop in half.  Being a poor college kid, that was like an extra two months of ramen noodles and a case of Schlitz.
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Taste of Home. Unless you are a cooking fanatic, you might not be familiar with the brand. Still, this popular magazine has an audience of over 3 million readers and produces a slew of cookbooks each year.

The Taste of Home cooking school arrived in Beloit on Tuesday for a show, and I had the opportunity to play photographer for a day. It didn’t take me long to realize it has been years since I handled a digital (or even regular) SLR camera. I decided to use the strategy ‘if you can’t shoot good photos, shoot lots of photos.’ I was actually quite pleased with how most of the images turned out, and received my first print photo credit in BDN yesterday.

Here is a Soundslide gallery of the better shots. Read more…

I love live music.  Whether it be heading into a dark bar or catching it outside on a beautiful summer day, a good concert can’t be beat.  What’s better than a free concert featuring national acts?  Not much that I can think of, unless they provide free drinks as well.  While the second part might only be a dream, here are two opportunities locally to enjoy free music.
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Tomorrow the film “Whip it” opens in theaters across the state and country. This indy film has received quite a buzz over the past couple weeks. Not so much because it is directorial debut of Drew Barrymore. Also not due to my favorite actress Ellen Page being the star of the film.

Maybe it is because it is about roller derby and coincides with a recent resurgence in the sport.

Maybe…

Around the state, derby girls are hosting premier parties for the film. Three of the cities I have called home – Beloit, Madison and Milwaukee – have derby girls at local theaters supporting the flick. Want to check it out with some real live derby girls? Well, here are the details.

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Origionally published on BDN Blogs.

The Internet changes everything. Newspapers and other media companies are learning they can provide informations to consumers in new and interesting ways. Some are slow to grasp the potential of the web, while others lead the way.

James Lileks, columnist for the Minneapolis – St. Paul Star Tribune gets it.

Last week a colleague sent me a link to a video Lileks did called “More tales from the scary front lines of flu defense.” Go watch it now, it is quite brilliant. The video is funny, cleaver and informative. More importantly – it was done by a newspaper.
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After a week of speculation, General Motors filed for Bankruptcy this morning. The American automaker was $172.8 billion in debt with roughly $82 billion in assets.

The Guardian posted a list of the top 50 creditors, which included one Wisconsin Corporation.

At number 12 on the list is Johnson Controls Inc. of Glendale. According to the report, GM owes Johnson controls nearly $33 million.

This is just one of many Wisconsin companies that GM owes money to, but the biggest by far. As more details of the bankruptcy emerge, we will undoubtedly hear more stories of local corporations affected.

So A couple weeks ago I received the following from a friend via Facebook.  Unlike most of the crap on there, this actually interested me:

What: It’s as easy as 1-2-3

1. Copy & paste this note and tag friends you want to participate.
2. Create a 24-hour digital photo journal documenting an average weekday in your life. Share your photos through a FB album.
3. Enjoy getting to know your friends as you look through their pictures.

When: Monday, May 11 – Thursday, May 14

Why: This annual event is intended to help you really get to know your friends through an intimate peek into their “Normal Everyday Lives.” We challenge you to find beauty in the color of your office stapler or the pattern of chaos at your kitchen table after having lunch with your toddler.

It’s an exercise in taking notice of and appreciating the many small things that make up our lives through the eyes of creative photography.
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The Economy is improving.  woot told me so.

Okay, it really didn’t in words, but more in the actions of the users.  For those unfamiliar with the site, woot is a website that sells one item-per-day.  When the inventory of that item is gone for they day, you wait until the next to see what they offer.  About once every two monts, they hold woot-offs – where there are multiple items per day and once the inventory for one is gone, they pop up another.

Simple, right?

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