Wired slams Rheingold

I was thumbing through my Wired Magazine this week when I saw a very funny piece on creating a sellable name for your next book.

At the very bottom, the writer totally slams Howard Rheingold. Some of you should remember Howard, since many of us took one of his classes (William took two of his classes).

If you're unsure of your premise, run it by Howard Rheingold. If it's any good, he'll claim to have been thinking the same thing since the 1980s.

Wow, that was harsh. Sounds like this author has had some dealings with the master in paint-drippy shoes.

check this out

Hey gang, we just published a series that you might find interesting. It's about the Gates Foundation's fight against malaria, and it's got a great deal of interactive storytelling devices. Note: I had absolutely nothing to do with this project. But I think it does a lot of interesting things to illustrate the problem and the solutions underway. I also hope we can use this blog to share things that we think are cool, either our own work or stuff we discover.

click here

McBride in Bhutan

McBride in Bhutan

Not Out Yet

Kevin wagered that Lentil would arrive on September 20th. Well, I'm glad the Chron has been treating you well buddy, because unfortunately this gamble didn't pay off. We are still one unit, Lentil and myself, moving slow and low, waddling around the house trying to make sure our check lists are in order.
Our due date is October 13, and although I thought Lentil would want to be more of a back-to-school baby than a Halloween baby, it is nice to have some extra time to adjust to the idea of the four of us--while I sit in my La-Z-Boy eating Ben & Jerry's Brownie Batter.

Here's what our September looks like

One of the artists in Scott's department is working on a full-page graphic on sand castles, so she invited the whole gang to the beach for some "research".

From Alaska

The snow is here. Nope, that white expanse in the sky is not a cloud. It's
"termination dust," as we call it. The very first snow.

These aren't dramatic photos unless you live here. We know what's coming, despite the benign beginnings. That white line will just keep creeping down the mountain until it's all over your yard and your car. September 15, it is legal to put on your studded snow tires. No one does it until about October 15, when the smell of real snow is in the air. Or better yet, wait until the first big snow fall and one unnerving slip 'n' slide to work. That night, in the cold and dark, you will put on your studded snows.

This entry is absolutely just an excuse to say hello to all you 2007 Knights.

interesting reading

Hi all! I think this woman was in a couple of my classes and that some other Knights knew her too. Gotta run, throwing a Labor Day bbq using the bbq I inherited from the Kims and the Mexicans. Ms. Teresa Dunbar is expected to attend. Miss you all.
Justine

Stanford student journalist under fire in Uganda

BYLINE: By David Gauvey Herbert, The Stanford Daily; SOURCE: Stanford

LENGTH: 772 words

DATELINE: STANFORD, Calif.

Stanford University senior Katherine Roubos stumbled into a storm of controversy this week more befitting a Hollywood movie than a first-time journalism internship: religious leaders and hundreds of protesters rallied in the Ugandan capitol Tuesday, calling for her deportation because of her controversial articles on gay rights.
"I knew I was taking a risk writing about the issue, but the extent of the response has been totally unexpected," said Roubos, who has been interning at the Kampala-based Daily Monitor since July 2.
The backlash began after Roubos -- originally from Minnetonka, Minn. -- was assigned three stories on gay and lesbian Ugandans, who have become increasingly vocal in their demand for equal rights. The articles examined an ongoing gay rights court case, evaluated why police do not arrest gays and covered a press conference in which gay activists called for equal rights.
Homosexual acts are illegal in the East African country, and offenders may face life in prison if convicted. Many Ugandans are suspicious of gays and lesbians, and conspiracy theories that Westerners are working to repeal the ban on homosexuality abound. While other media organizations covered the press conference and court case, Roubos' nationality made her an easy target for anti-gay activists.
Tuesday's protest drew religious leaders, politicians and more than 200 of their supporters to a local rugby field, where they called for the media to stop covering LGBT issues. Protesters targeted Roubos along with the Aga Khan -- leader of 20 million Ismaili Muslims and owner of Nation Media Group, which publishes the Daily Monitor. A student band from a nearby primary school played drums and brass instruments to fire up protesters, who waved signs that read: "Deport Catherine (sic) Roubos" and "Agha (sic) Khan - fire Catherine (sic) Roubos - the homo propagandist."
Standing under a multicolored banner reading "Interfaith Rainbow Coalition against Homosexuality" alongside pastors, priests and imams, organizer and pastor Martin Ssempa railed against Roubos -- and he had done his homework. Ssempa said that he had performed a Google search and discovered that Roubos was involved with the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Resource Center at Stanford, which led him to decide she must be a lesbian herself.
"This is not journalism, but rather criminal propaganda," said Ssempa, who held a young boy in his arms as he rallied the crowd.
Minister for Ethics and Integrity Nsaba Buturo was also on hand to represent the ruling party. Amidst the cheers of supporters, he assured the crowd that the government has no intention of repealing the ban on homosexuality before denouncing foreign journalists who advocate for gay rights.
"Allegations that homosexual elements have penetrated our media are being investigated," Buturo said before going on to describe homosexuality as a "weapon of mass destruction."
For Roubos, the experience has been profoundly frustrating. Stories about the protest have been syndicated in dozens of newspapers and on MSNBC and the BBC Web sites, winning her kudos from American friends and gay activists worldwide. But the local notoriety has been wearing on her.
"There were a few days where I was pretty nervous," said Roubos, who is working in Uganda this summer through the Rebele Internship Program in the Communication Department. "But I don't feel like there's any imminent physical threat to me."
Roubos said one of the most exasperating aspects of the controversy has been the implication that she arrived in Uganda with an agenda. While she is active in human rights issues at Stanford -- where she will return in the fall for one quarter -- Roubos stressed that all three articles were assigned to her by editors.
"I came to Uganda with absolutely no intention of getting involved in LGBT issues," said Roubos, whose editors have publicly defended her reporting. "When I got assigned the articles I was happy to do it, but I didn't expect to get embroiled in hefty political issues."
Perhaps worst of all, Roubos said the recent outcry has obscured the real issue: the Herculean efforts by Ugandan gays and lesbians to change the law.
"I can't say I'm surprised, but I am disappointed that the real news -- that people are debating the laws surrounding homosexuality -- could not catapult this into the spotlight," Roubos said. "I think it's too bad that you need an American martyr as a hook to make it an international issue."
EDITOR'S NOTE: David Gauvey Herbert is interning at the Daily Monitor this summer through the Rebele Internship Program.
(C) 2007 The Stanford Daily via U-WIRE

Hello from Brooklyn

Hi all, it's labor day morning, so quiet around here. Liz is still sleeping and the kids are in New Jersey with their dads, soaking in a last few moments of summer and the big New Jersey attraction, the drive-in, which I think is Jonah's favorite thing in the world right now. The threat of not getting to go actually got him to clean up the toy room.

I've been back at work about a week and a half. Some things about it are fun -- I love my colleagues and some of them were so happy to see me I got huge hugs upon my return. (Of course, some people don't even know I left, like the woman from finance I ran into in the bathroom who looked at me, surprised, and said, "did you get a new haircut?")

It's kind of a kick to be working on such a big story. It's also strange, since the candidates are spending all their time in New Hampshire and Iowa (and California!) and just about none in New York. So even though I'm in the thick of it I feel strangely out of it. Guess I'll be travelling myself soon.

And then there's all the bad stuff about WNYC, which I conveniently surpressed while I was gone -- like the inability to make decisions, or at least decisions about the newsroom. My job is supposed to be director of political coverage, which I'm doing, but I haven't got sign-off on new title or salary yet, which is frustrating.

Also, we were supposed to move to some nice new studios while I was gone, but the whole move has been delayed about a year, so we're still in the decrepid municipal building in Lower Manhattan, where we are practically hanging from the rafters theres so little room. It's about as far from Stanford as you could be.

And then work, a schedule, yuck. I'm really missing the Santa Cruz mountains, the Avery aquatic center, the main quad, and of course all of you right about now. Don't know how I can face Monday nights with no back stories.

blog e-mails

OK, I've set up the blog to e-mail posts automatically to everyone on the knights2007 email list. Let me know if this gets annoying at some point, we can try something different. (Posts get e-mailed, comments don't). And really, that's the last of it. I'm not sending out any more messages about the blog. Really.