Author Archives: Karl

Episode III Rocked!

Posted on by

I was at the Star Wars premier at Neshanamy Mall last night with Richelle, her mom and dad, and some friends from work. The movie rocked. I said this in Binq‘s comments thread: I went in looking for something great and the movie did not disappoint. That’s a rare thing.

This one movie should have been made into the three.

I don’t take much stock in critics, and as always there have been plenty of negative reviews, but surprisingly, this time around there have been just as many positive ones as well. Here goes two:

Washington Post: ‘Sith’: The Promise Fulfilled

NYTimes: Some Surprises in That Galaxy Far, Far Away

Related: Turns out there are some on the right uncomfortable with some lines in the movie: NYTimes: Latest ‘Star Wars’ Movie Is Quickly Politicize.

You’ll want to see this on the big screen. I’m seeing it again this Saturday with another group of friends and family.

Bands Embrace Social Networking

Posted on by

Traditionally, bands toured cities and played dive bars to create buzz about their music. But with MySpace, bands can host demos of their songs, announce shows and connect with fans without spending weeks on the road.

“We’ve developed communities for unknown bands really quickly, which would take a lot longer a few years back,” said Alan Miller, co-founder of Filter magazine, which last month teamed up with MySpace to develop The Booth, an online promotion featuring a different band each week.

“It’s a medium where people can go and hear new music and develop an attachment to the band,” said Miller.

Wired News: Bands Embrace Social Networking via Scripting News.

Community Interview With Dianah Neff at Philly Future ends this Wednesday

Posted on by

Dianah Neff, CIO of Philadelphia, is stopping by to answer questions direct from you, about Wireless Philadelphia, her job as CIO, and more. It’s *your* interview with her. This is a rare opportunity and we’re honored to have her at the site posting answers to your questions.

Please see, spread the word about, and especially participate in Dianah Neff’s community interview at Philly Future.

NYTimes: “Class in America: Shadowy Lines That Still Divide”

Posted on by

A new series in the New York Times discussing social class in America is opening discussions in various blogs I read: Class in America: Shadowy Lines That Still Divide. I haven’t had a chance to read the first article yet, but for now here goes the relevant posts:

Metafilter: Rich get richer, poor get poorer.

Ed Cone: “there is a big difference between being a partner in a Wall Street law firm and handling traffic tickets and simple wills in a small town”.

Want a simple rule to define class in America? I have one – and it is sure to offend:

On average: If you shop at Dunkin Donuts for your coffee – you’re middle, working class or poor. If you shop at Starbucks for your coffee – you’re upper middle class or richer.

That’s it.

I am the only person I know who shops at both. Most thumb their noses one way or the other. I go to Starbucks in the afternoon at work – even though might I bitch and moan to my co-workers that Dunkin Donuts costs less and has better coffee. Sometimes we do a double stop – we go to Starbucks for them and they walk with me to Dunkin Donuts for mine. These same co-workers chide me when I buy a drink there every now and then. Three dollars for a small hot chocolate. Three dollars for six ounces! I admit it – I’ve had a few of them!

Dunkin Donuts is a left over from my economic past. I continue to drink it because Starbucks smells of elitism to me – even if I can supposedly afford it – and I love it over Starbucks – even some try to convince me that Starbucks is just better.

I need to get around to reading that article…

Hosts not Editors

Posted on by

Its a forgone conclusion that this experiment will be watched very closely by those who are hoping to capitilize on emergent journalism. I’m still not entirely convinced that citizen journalism will ever be able to operate on a for-profit model. Nevertheless, if anyone can succeed at this, its Gillmor. Its not that Dan has any special powers, or secret knowledge; rather, Dan simply has the rare skill of knowning how to listen. Unlike most of these startups, Dan is not creating an organization, and inviting people to participate. Rather, Dan appears to be inviting people to create an organization, and is offering resources to help make it happen.

Dan Gillmor & Grassroots Media Launch 1st Project | Nick Lewis: The Blog

Nick quotes Dan on saying he’s a Host and not an Editor. We’ve been using broken terminology at PF. I need to change that. That’s closer to the role our volunteers take. Never is an editor to edit a participant’s post – and I guess that’s implied by the title “Editor” isn’t it?