Jesus, 2008 so far has turned out to be crazy as hell. Between the start-up, a new job and a new beau, I feel like a year’s already passed even though we’re just in February. Way too much time has passed and way to many things have happened, so I will probably end up doing a blogcast on it soon. Yes, you heard that right…a blogcast.
Actually, as I’m typing this, I’m sitting in the back of an auditorium at Kennesaw State University for SoCon ‘08, an annual social media conference. This is my second time here, and I hope it’s a lot less entreprenueur-oriented than it was last year (last year, there was mainly a bunch of talk about angel investors and the like).
For those of you who don’t know — or don’t want to wait until the podcast — I’m back at Big Company, Inc. This is a positive thing in many ways. It’s a better commute, the hours are more flexible, and a lot of things have changed since the last time I was here, so I can leverage some opportunities better (mainly programming and logistics behind the Black Weblog Awards).
Has anyone else been following this crazy ass political season? Obama, Clinton, Huckabee, McCain…I am intensely interested and invested in how this year’s political climate has changed in this country. Obama really seems to be the Democratic wunderkind, but Hillary’s not going down without a fight, and certainly isn’t afraid to take it there. McCain reminds me of a turtle. Huckabee, while charismatic, just doesn’t do it for me. And his wife kinda looks like she could be his sister. I mean, he is from Arkansas….
I’m still starting to come around back to blogging. Once I do the blogcast, I think that’ll be a huge stepping stone to getting back to regular updates and such. Just bear with me, y’all.
[tags]blogcast, socon08, work, politics, super tuesday [/tags]
You know what the bad part is about being a team player? You have to work with a team. Or in my case, you have to work with a bunch of middle-aged maladjusted Masters candidates who don’t want to do a bit of work and shoulder you with the burden. Of my four person group, one got called out for plagiarism and got pissy and dropped the class, another went on vacation and decided not to contact us, and the third got stuck in an ice storm. Luckily, the project is over, and my sanity is slowly returning.
About three weeks ago, I landed a permanent gig that pays more money than my old job, is closer to home, is permanent and has full benefits starting the first day. The position has greater responsibility, and I’m expanding my skill set. However…I dunno. I’m still on the fence about how I feel about it. Things got off to a really rocky start (no computer, no chair and no phone), and they’re only recently starting to turn around. I’m trying to remain optimistic and stuff, which I’ll admit hasn’t been the easiest thing. (Of course, all of this going on around the holidays isn’t helping me.)
Speaking of things I’m still on the fence about…there’s SXSW. This year, I submitted two proposals, and one of them got picked up as a Core Conversation. And I decided not to do it. Why? For starters, the group whom I was going to represent never got back to me favorably in terms of information I requested, and secondly, why would I want to “work” my first year at SXSW? (The third reason is ‘Would I get the time off work?’) I haven’t bought my registration badge yet, but I should come to a decision in January as to whether or not I will go to SXSW. Right now, I’m not sure.
Even with all the new “Web 2.0″ type communication methods, a lot of people still manage to suffer from relationship laziness. And it’s rather frustrating. More on that later.
Anyone on Xbox 360? Add me; my gamertag is tech1130. I don’t have any FPS games except Mass Effect, so all you fraggers out there will have to hold off. I’ve got plenty of XBLA games though. Send me a message though before you add me. Right now, I’ve mostly got my peeps from GayGamer.net added.
Speaking of video games, whenever I have a free moment these days, I’m playing the following titles:
Marvel Ultimate Alliance (360)
Mass Effect (360)
Super Mario Galaxy (Wii)
Wordjong (DS)
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (DS)
My French Coach (DS)
My Word Coach (DS)
After this class, I will have the last two weeks of the year free (thank God). However…Death Phoenix, Ma’dea and Uncle Buddy will be visiting to give me what they’ve dubbed “a religious intervention” when she found out I meditate from time to time, dabble in Buddhism, and don’t consider myself a Christian or go to church. Like I need that bullshit right about now.
So one of the latest projects I’m working with, the Blogging While Brown Conference, is going forward in full swing. You can find out more information on the website and on the blog. Early registration ends on November 1, so to get in at the discounted rate of $100, register today!
Thunderbird handles spam well. Perhaps too well though; I checked my spam folder for this e-mail address and saw a whole bunch of private Twitter messages and freelance leads there. I need to set up some better filters, methinks.
Well this article caught my eye: Father Accused of Beating Son for Bad Grades. Now as a kid, it was understood early on: bring home tests and report cards full of As, or go break off a switch. And you know what? I brought home the As. And when I didn’t, I got the switch…but I don’t think it was to the point where I felt the shit the next day, you know? If you spare the rod, are you really spoiling the child? What say you?
Racial insensitivity and stupidity abounds these days, it seems. From the news:
Two New Jersey middle school teachers are in trouble for assigning a project in which kids are asked to create a "catchy" plantation and illustrate why slave labor was a good thing.
A Monroe, LA White female college student gets called out on her idiocy after she and her friends go to the beach, get slathered in dark mud, and parade about with nooses, spout the n-word, then videotape the event and call it "The Jena 6 on the River".
I cancelled my Match.com subscription recently. It was good at first, going through potential paramours and winking and such. And I even had a few decent dates from it. But you know it’s time to go when you get your Matches in the mail, and half of them are women. Whatcha trying to say, Match.com?
Thank goodness the Black Weblog Awards are over for this year! They were definitely a lot tamer and easier to manage than 2006, primarily because we didn’t coordinate any prize donations and because I had the immense help of Markus Robinson handling the forms and ballot tabulations. Seriously, if it weren’t for his help, I can’t imagine how things would have went. Winners will be announced on September 5th. If you want to join in on the conversations about the Awards, including planning for the 2008 installment, join the Google group, join the Facebook group, friend us on Myspace, or — better still — become a part of the Black Weblog Awards community on Ning. That’s where things will really start popping off. (It’s a little dead right now, but I plan on integrating it further into the BWA site.
And of course, there’s been the woeful lack of…well, anything in this space. But I have been busy programming, designing, planning and coordinating, and even did a few radio interviews (Cocoa Mode on XM Satellite Radio and WBAI 99.5 FM in NYC) and podcast interviews (on the Friday Favecast). I’ll appreciate the shine now, because soon it’ll be “Karsh who?”
This weekend is jam-packed with events – there’s Dragon*Con, Black Gay Pride and the Atlanta Montreux Jazz Festival. You know where I’ll be? At home playing Metroid Prime 3: Corruption. Yeah, I know…I’m jealous too.
I joined Match.com about a month ago. And yes, I’ve been a dating machine lately. Post to follow.
I’m glad to see three chefs of color in the Glad “Steamiest Chef” Promotion. Although Govind Armstrong, G. Garvin and Aaron Sanchez are in third, fourth and fifth place, respectively, if anything the contest will help bring them to greater prominence.
And just so this doesn’t get too long, I do plan on touching on all of the following topics soon:
How to start a blog (I got asked this so many times last month, I figured I’d give my own take on how to do it)
What blogs are in my feedreader (another often asked question)
Four of my photos have made it into this year’s Schmap’s guides. Threeofthem for Atlanta, and one for New York City. I’m not a photographer…really. But maybe I should look into getting a better camera.
Is anyone using 8apps.com anymore? That site’s been stagnant since March. It’s a great concept, but I just don’t see any real work being accomplished there. Then again, it could be another symptom of YASP overload.
Speaking of YASPs…check me out over at My Anime List and iLike.
The Blackface Tinkerbell strikes again! This time, it’s 80-year-old chairman of the Roger Williams University Board Ralph Papitto, who mistakenly lets the n-word fly during a board meeting. Says Ralph, "The first time I heard it was on television and then rap music or something". O rly? What racial utopia do you live in where in your 80 years in the United States, through the Civil Rights Movement, you’ve never heard of the word nigger? I guess when all else fails, blame the rappers, right? My God, Rhode Island controlled between 60% and 90% of the African slave trade after the American Revolution, for cripes sake. Aye yi yi….
Working America is holding their 2nd Annual "My Bad Boss" contest. In case you remember, I placed 5th last year after describing Micro-Manager’s rampant buffoonery. Surely some of y’all have a crazy boss out there too. The contest starts on July 24th.
You know, I try to give Marvel Comics a pass when it comes to their characters of color. They handled the Storm/T’Challa wedding well, and the two are even in the current roster of the Fantastic Four. Marvel’s better than DC, at least in terms of quantity of CoC, but this latest Marvel character takes the cake:
Roxy Washington was born into hip-hop "royalty" as the daughter of Roy "Daddy Libido" Washington and Angel "Sexy Mutha" Depres. Having appeared in her parents’ rap videos from a young age, Washington was often targeted by would-be kidnappers and assassins.
Oh, and her power? She shoots diamonds out of her fingertips. Codename? Bling! With the exclamation point. Shoot me now.
This past weekend, there was a relationship conference here for gay couples called 2 Days 2 Men 2 Grow. The event is dubbed as "a supportive, relaxed place for couples to learn skills and ideas from experts and other couples to enhance their shared lives" (link). From their pictures, I didn’t see any gay couples of color, but I sincerely hope they were some there representing. (Really, I do.)
The Food Network goes Latin with their new show Simply Delicioso with Colombian-born Ingrid Hoffmann. Dubbed as the Latina Rachael Ray (I think I hate her already if that’s true), Hoffman’s show will focus on quick meals, not all of them traditional. I guess that’s like going to the Olive Garden and getting a Parmesan hot dog.
Part of me welcomes Food Network for trying to expand their cooking shows to more than just European-influenced trends, but another part of me is thinking, this show will not last long. Other food network shows featuring prominent minorities (Calorie Commando with Juan-Carlos Cruz and Sugar Rush with Warren Brown) have damn near disappeared from the network’s listings. Hell, you don’t even see Sandra Pinckney or Al Roker anymore, and they don’t cook a damn thing! Good luck, Ingrid. (Personally, they should’ve gotten my girl Daisy Martinez if they really wanted some Latin flavor, but I digress.)
* There’s a blog post coming about this, but ain’t shit cute about having to leave work early to deal with the Fulton County Sheriff’s Department, getting the runaround for a simple money order and then just getting a half-assed “sorry” about what happened. Ain’t nothing though. I’ll be here for another year. I’m just coming down off of my pissed off plateau. Relax…relate…release….
* Are there any current athletes that play multiple sports at once? Past athletes that come to mind for me are Bo Jackson, Renaldo Nehemiah and Deion Sanders, but I don’t know of any that are multiple sport athletes nowadays.
* I was happy to see “Women of Brewster Place” on Amazon, but these reviews are making me think I don’t want to get it. A shame. I really wish “Frank’s Place” was on DVD. The show’s 20 years old, but I hear it’s great.
* I contemplated going to see Knocked Up tonight, but realized that if I did, there’d be a pretty good chance of young kids being there. Maybe they’re with their parents, or maybe they’re a bunch of obnoxious 16-year-old whelps with cell phones, loud voices, and feet on the chair in front of you. The movie industry thinks that movie piracy is ruining their livelihood. Not such the case. A lot of people enjoy the intimacy and general moviegoing experience when it’s untainted. No cell phones. No sucky movies. Even though movies have ratings, the theaters don’t enforce who buys the tickets. How lax is that?
* I don’t think I’ll ever get enough of Final Fantasy IV. Along with Final Fantasy VI, they are my favorite installments in the entire Square Enix series. Now, [FFIV is getting the same 3D remake as FFIII.](http://www.dsfanboy.com/2007/05/09/first-look-at-final-fantasy-iv-3d-remake/) And while I’ve played and beat both the SNES and GBA versions, I’m still going to buy this one. And beat it. Because that’s what modern, cool nerds do.
* From my earlier post, I’ve actually managed to get the old computer back up and running. Turns out the power supply completely shorted out, so I bought a new one and now it’s up. I’m probably gonna turn into a Linux file server, especially since [there's some pretty cool things you can do on Linux that you can't do on Windows.](http://dmartin.org/weblog/things-i-can-do-in-linux-that-i-cant-do-on-windows)
* I love the [African-American Opinion Blog](http://www.africanamericanopinion.com), but I think it’s in *sore* need of a redesign. (hint hint)
* Speaking of the AAOB, I learned through them this notion: [The Black Blogging Manifesto.](http://www.blackvertiser.com/blogging/article/the-black-blogging-manifesto-8-1.html) I like the intent, but the approach lacks a certain endearing quality. I really think that folks don’t understand that when starting a blog, everyone kinda starts at the low end of the totem pole. It’s important to understand that, and then build forward.
* For those who might’ve been wary about venturing into loose leaf teas (and really, why would you?), these [Japanese self-seal teabags](http://www.teanobi.com/products/accessories/a003.html) should help in that transition. You’d think Teavana would sell these, but I guess they get twice the profit on their [self-straining teapots.](http://www.teavana.com/Teavana+Perfect+Tea+Maker+16+oz/cid=31/page_no=1/edp_no=3970/shop.axd/ProductDetails)
* And I have to ask…why in the hell are these dudes humping this ottoman like this? I mean, I know I’m gay…but even this looks suspect to me. We shouldn’t have never given y’all Youtube! ***NEVER!*** See what happens when you take sex ed out of the schools?
* It’s coming up on a month since the whole Imus debacle ([I wrote about it over on Vox](http://karsh.vox.com/library/post/a-hoe-by-any-other-name.html)), and there’s still a whole lot of talk (and not a lot of action) concerning sexist, possibly racist, and definitely misogynistic remarks against women of all colors. Then the focus switched from Imus to hip-hop, complete with a talking heads forum on Oprah (which was poorly executed, IMO), [Snoop Dogg making an ass out of himself on the record](http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.5118/title.snoop-defends-usage-of-hoes-speaks-on-new-lp), and some Spelman undergrads speak their minds on Oprah. Now talk has switched to the whole “stop snitching” behavior, a maxim widely held as common knowledge in the Black community and hardly some new trend discovered by Anderson Cooper and perpetuated by Camron and Young Jeezy. Oh…***and*** the Detroit NAACP, not wanting to feel left out probably, is staging [a mock funeral for "the n-word"](http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-04-30-n-word-funeral_N.htm). Now maybe it’s just me, but taking a few steps back and looking at all this in context…is anything really going on but talk? And with all the brouhaha around bitch, ho and the n-word, how come the homophobic slur “faggot” isn’t included anywhere in that? I guess that slur’s still OK.
* While I’ve got the mic, can the same grand forces that managed to get Imus off the air please shift their job-terminating focus towards Neal Boortz? [Dude is mocking the students of Virginia Tech](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGFVCgI15_Y) in the wake of the one-man deadly massacre by saying they “stood there in terror not doing a damn thing while waiting to be executed”, and saying that their behavior contributes further to the “wussification of America”. And anyone who lives in Atlanta knows about his record of racist, sexist and insensitive remarks, yet he’s still gainfully employed spewing crap over the airwaves. Real nice. (via [The Spacey Gracey Review](http://spaceygreview.blogspot.com/2007/05/our-problem-childtroll-boortz.html))
* Phone etiquette…a thing of the past? [Blackfolks talks about it.](http://community.livejournal.com/blackfolk/4929449.html) I remember the “how to talk on the phone” lessons as a kid, and I got even more from watching Death to Shakespeare, who had her normal voice and her phone voice, which was usually a bit more polished up. I think I do that same thing when it comes to phone interviews and such.
* The venerable danah boyd asks a few questions on [why folks use Twitter.](http://www.zephoria.org/thoughts/archives/2007/05/01/twitter_questio.html) I’ll get around to answering these soon. Good questions, though.
* [Bloggers and podcasters get their own magazine.](http://news.com.com/8301-10784_3-9715032-7.html) Although I really think an intern designed the cover in Microsoft Word. Suck city all on the cover.
* Lately, I’ve been playing around with a few metamusic services like [Scouta](http://www.scouta.com) and [Slacker](http://www.slacker.com). Scouta takes what you already like and offers personal recommendations based upon that. Maybe they can help me find a modern band like 70’s rock band Mother’s Finest. Slacker sort of reminds me of a mishmash of iTunes and Pandora – you suggest music and build a radio station of songs, but in the future, they plan to have a desktop music library player and a device where you can take your stations offline. I’d like to see where this goes in the next few years.
* [Three Panel Soul](http://www.threepanelsoul.com), one of a plethora of web comics I adore, talks a little bit about a recent conversation on guns which…well…[got him fired](http://www.dieselsweeties.com/blog/?p=44). By the way, [the look on this woman's face of sheer unexplained terror](http://threepanelsoul.com/view.php?date=2007-04-24) is priceless.
* Just when I was thinking about getting — horror of horrors — an iPod Shuffle, Creative comes out with their newest DAP, [the Zen Stone](http://www.creative.com/products/product.asp?category=213&subcategory=214&product=16424). I’ll admit though…it looks kinda cheap. And it is cheap at only **$40** for their 1GB model. I do like the little keychain functionality, but I think the Shuffle wins out with the neat clip. I mean, who’d want to lose their keys AND their mp3 player? Not cool.
* [Smashing Magazine has a good post on microformats](http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2007/05/04/microformats-what-they-are-and-how-to-use-them/) that I’d recommend for anyone wanting to learn a little bit more about them. I’ve got an hCard version of my resume, and if I ever get around to redesigning my personal site, I’ll have it on there. Speaking of resumes, [Resolio](http://www.resolio.com/app/) launched today for those looking for an elegant, web-based resume service.
* Unfocused Brain has an oldie-but-a-goodie tip for [color correction in Photoshop CS (or CS2 or CS3) using the little known "Match Color" option.](http://www.unfocusedbrain.com/projects/match_color/) It works better than the quick and dirty Levels color correction method, and can sometimes give your images a more refined look. Check it out!
[tags]don imus, snoop dogg, stop snitching, neal boortz, phone etiquette, twitter, scouta, slacker, smashing magazine, photoshop, zen stone, web comics[/tags]
Damn, hadn’t done of these in a while. Here we go!
I’m writing a three-parter (1, 2) over at my Vox Blog Nascent on the whole personal ad game. And really, it is a game. Thing is…who’s winning?
You know, there’s a lot of hate on the Internet against Gamestop and EB Games about pre-orders and the like, but you know, I’ve had pretty good experiences with the ones here in Atlanta. The folks down at the Lenox Square Gamespot are A-OK in my book and have never been stingy with pre-orders (or any gifts that may come with said pre-orders), and the EB Games in Edgewood Shopping Center is pretty laid-back and cool too. I’ve only had to lose my shit on one Gamestop employee, but that was at my last time New York City and that bitch deserved it. I even got applause afterwards!
I think I’m about ready to jump ship from Cingular. I doubt I’ll be waiting around for the iPhone, and I really want the ability to switch phones when I damn well feel like it as opposed to waiting two years. Verizon looks like a decent competitor, but I’m sure they have that same locked-in-phone-to-contract deal…or do they? A little birdie told me that Verizon doesn’t lock any of their phones. Verizon users, help me out here. At this rate, I’d even go back to MetroPCS.
In the midst of this whole job applying thing, I really get some weirdly phrased replies. Half the time, I can’t tell if they’re real or spam. Take this one for example:
We have reviewed your resume and we feel we may have an interest in scheduling you for an interview. Please answer a few questions on the following pages that will hopefully assist us in determining if a pre-preliminary match exists between your career objectives and our corporate goals.
Pre-preliminary match? Yeah, I can’t tell.
Right now, people are fuming over Don Imus’ sexist/racially-charged remarks against the Rutgers women’s basketball team (he refers to them on-air as “nappy-headed hoes”) and Imus gives a half-assed apology. Jesse fumes, Al fumes, Black folks pontificate, White folks speculate, and two weeks later (probably after Imus’ suspension), all goes quiet until some other non-Black celebrity lets something profane and offensive “slip out” or get “taken out of context” about the Black race. Or a man lets something neandarthal slip about how he feels about women. The real question is, how many times is this going to keep happening before the mainstream media sees the same cycle and issues a zero-tolerance attitude about these things? I can answer that: probably never, so long as they lose viewers and readers to the Internet.
Anyone ATL readers up for seeing Grindhouse tomorrow at Phipps Plaza? I’m picking up Super Paper Mario tomorrow and will be in the area.
Jaiku, iStalkr, Twitter, Joost, Virb, Ziki…I’m awash in a sea of YASP-esque “Web 2.0″ services. Help!
If you haven’t had a chance to check out and/or join the Black Weblog Awards Google Group, please do (especially if you’re interested in what’s going to be different in this year’s Awards).
I’m going to go ahead and answer the questions from this post on my next podcast (which I anticipate will be this week sometime). I was holding out for #50, but I didn’t get in any more questions, and I figure I need to actually do #49 before doing #50. Cardinal order’s funny like that.
[tags]asides, super paper mario, grindhouse, don imus, black weblog awards, gamestop, eb games, cingular, verizon, metropcs[/tags]
A failed city branding campaign, kill-crazy cops gunning down innocent citizens, fucked up weather…right now, Atlanta’s hardly a desirable city. And of course…there’s more.
If city legislators have their way, Fulton County, the hub of the city of Atlanta, may be split into two separate counties. Mainly, it’s the rich white suburbanites that want to excise themselves from us po’ middle-to-lower-class brown folk. And even if that’s not the case and they have some obvious and non-racist or non-classist reasons for doing so, they’d better pipe up quick. I mean, with a headline like “White Atlanta suburbs push for secession”, you know it’s got to be something serious.
If you ride MARTA with any regularity (that means not just to the airport, Turner Field, the Dome or Philips Arena to avoid parking), then you have to accept this somewhat sobering and scary reality: if the terrorists were to hit the rail system, we would ALL be fucked. I guess it’s not enough that Georgia doesn’t spend any money on bioterrorism…but those road-whore legislators don’t spend any money on any sort of mass transit systems either. Commuter rail from Macon to Atlanta to Athens? Chile Please. Folks here are so anti-mass transit its just plain ridiculous. A major metropolitan area with a 3rd-tier transit system in 2007 is utterly pathetic.
Speaking of the whole bioterrorism response, we should be pretty concerned that employee relations at the CDC are sucktastic right now. What if an epidemic breaks out and people there are too pissed or lack morale to make sure we’re all OK? I really hope they get it together…2/3 of their employees are not happy. That’s 6,000 folks. 6,000! Real talk. And I’m not even including their 5,000 contractors.
Name's Karsh. 28. Country-born, city-raised, college educated. Writer. Artist. Musician. Mathematician. E-Media hotshot. Blasphemous Hater. Need a website? Hit me up.
You know what the bad part is about being a team player? You have to work with a team. Or in my case, you have to work with a bunch of middle-aged maladjusted Masters candidates who don’t want to do a bit of work and shoulder you with the burden. Of my four person group, one got called out for plagiarism and got pissy and dropped the class, another went on vacation and decided not to contact us, and the third got stuck in an ice storm. Luckily, the project is over, and my sanity is slowly returning.
Name's Karsh. 28. Country-born, city-raised, 
