the pod bay door

::Geoff and I are near completion of the first draft of an article we are submitting for publication in the journal Feliciter, on the topic of blogging in libraries. Meanwhile, more and more articles are appearing in mainstream newspapers and magazines on this burgeoning phenomena. Web of blogs, a typical article designed to make readers aware of this new web activity, appeared recently in the The Journal News, the newspaper for New York�s Westchester, Rockland and Putnam counties. In Pittsburgh’s Post-Gazette is an interesting piece on how blogging (almost) changed journalism (thanks, Mike). For some, blogging is an unrelenting assault on journalism.

An interesting article in the USC Online Journalism Review compares media versus meta-journal coverage of the Columbia disaster. The author asserts that the meta-journal coverage is more complete, and notes that “It’s no accident that these columns are in weblog format, and that they have loyal industry followings.” The Review also examined mainstream media coverage of the Columbia, noting the power of the Internet and blogging.

Far and away the most detailed coverage I’ve seen on this event was posted by Steve McLaughlin in his blog, Saltire. His first entry includes details about the shuttle itself, possible scenarios, and debris reports. To appreciate his coverage, check each entry since February 1st. I am overwhelmed by the amount of detail he has offered since Feb 1, and frankly, I wonder how he does it.

Next up is wireless blogging. Meanwhile, academia is begging to recognize blogs and their impact, now and beyond. Check out the education weblog called Weblogg-ed.

A few interesting sites to occupy your mind, in one way or another:

::Check out the Anagrammy Awards, for best anagrams.
::Giant squid attacks French boat.
::NASA offers the Astronomy Picture of the Day. There are some spectacular shots to see.
::Does your phone number spell a word? Mine doesn’t. 🙁
::A short, concise history of the Internet, from 1945-1995.
::Chickens Traumatized by Mass Egg Abductions.
::The Beloit College’s Class of 2003 Mindset List. Although the list is based on the American experience, we can relate to most of it in Canada too.
::This is an online American Sign Language Browser. It is very cool. You need Quick Time to view it on your screen. Pick a word, and a short film clip is shown of a woman creating the sign for you, repeating so you can practice. Brilliant.
::One of the most controversial and powerful post-September 11th essays on that tragedy is The Rage and The Pride, by the writer and interviewer, Oriana Fallaci.

This was a good weekend, a sad weekend. Sad because of the space shuttle tragedy. Good because I spent time on Saturday night having fun with friends, ate a damn fine dim sum today, saw The Pianist, the amazing new movie from Roman Polanksi (note: site is in French), and enjoyed a 90 minute full-body massage on Saturday afternoon. The weather warmed up as well, making life easier to take for a change.

The Pianist is based on the true story of Polish pianist Wladyslaw Szpilman, who lived in Warsaw at the time of the German occupation in WWII. He escapes deportation to the death camps, lives for a time in the Warsaw ghetto, and then escapes, living in the ruins of the city until the war’s end. The movie features a career performance by New York actor Adrien Brody, in the title role. Attention to detail is meticulous, especially scenes of deserted neighbourhoods in Warsaw, devestated by bombs and artillery. It was in such a neighbourhood that Szpilman hid to survive.
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I awoke at 8:00 am this morning to a phone call from my brother telling me about the shuttle. I sighed and went downstairs and watched CNN for 40 minutes, until I could take no more. Tragedies like this are wearing me out. Now I’m wondering: when the Challenger exploded, if I recall correctly, the investigation took months, and the next flight wasn’t for a couple years. This time, though, that can’t happen. Why? Because there are people working on the space station who will need to be returned to Earth sometime soon. How will we feel when that shuttle is set to land? I don’t want to know, and I hate that this has happened again.

I will defer to William Gibson’s thoughts about what happened this morning.

Possibly on the verge of WW3, should we be concerned that Wal-Mart is the world’s largest employer, with 1.3 million workers, and that it has an enormous impact on the US economy? Are Canadians on the verge of turning into a Wal-Mart Nation, like the US? There’s one down the road from my house, and I do shop there too.

From Derryl‘s site comes this bloody brilliant way to deal with junk mail, including credit card applications.

I had acupuncture on my tennis elbow today (which, contrary to a previous entry, is on my left arm.) This was my first time, and it was interesting. It was administed by the physical therapist working on my injury. Tonight it feels a wee bit better.

I’ve been in a crabby, poopy mood for a few days. (What, you’re saying? Is that any different from any other day?) Anyway, I think the planets converged and All Things Annoying hit me at the same time, heightened by the constant pain in my left arm. I’m looking forward to drinks after work tomorrow with BAWK (Bi-weekly After Work Club), and on Saturday, a full body massage at noon, and friends over in the evening for an Outer Limits Pizza Party. We’ll be watching episodes from the original series.

It warmed up here today for the first time in weeks. By warm, I mean 4C. And it felt great. Tonight I’m as restless as ever.

I was minding my own business, scanning other blogs on my list, noting the intelligence and wit of the entires therein, compared to my latest missives about mostly nothing. Then I see an entry on Chris’s site that catches my eye: word that National Geographic is issuing a special one-time-only issue on 100 years of swimsuits. Er…um…d’oh! What the hell is going on? I’m thinking, nah, this must be a joke. So I go to the National Geographic web site, and damned it isn’t true. And what’s with “100 Years”? Have the NG photogs been secretly photographing models in bathing suits since 1903?

The larger question is: is nothing scared anymore? The answer is: of course not, nothing ever was. Duh. Sports Illustrated: yes, and I’ve bought every one since 1975. But National Geographic, and to boot, issuing it in February, within the same week or two of SI? Cash grab, anyone? (Yes, I’ll buy a copy…)

Now I’ll go back to reading interesting and thought provoking entries from my friends.