2006 October | Words & Tricks

US 53rd in World Press Freedom Index

October 25th, 2006 | 1 Comment | Posted in News by Chris Pommier

Despite the promises of freedom of the press made by the United States in the first amendment to the Constitution, the country continues to sink from it’s initial 17th place as the Bush administration continues to use its “war on terror” as a means of grinding journalists under its boot heel. This year the US finds itself languishing at 53rd along with Botswana, Croatia and Tonga far behind Bosnia and Herzegovina (19th) and Namibia (26). This is according to the Worldwide Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders.

The report sites these incidents as specific examples of how the Bush administration has attacked the freedom of the press:

Freelance journalist and blogger Josh Wolf was imprisoned when he refused to hand over his video archives. Sudanese cameraman Sami al-Haj, who works for the pan-Arab broadcaster Al-Jazeera, has been held without trial since June 2002 at the US military base at Guantanamo, and Associated Press photographer Bilal Hussein has been held by US authorities in Iraq since April this year.

According to the report the top countries are Finland, Ireland, Iceland and the Netherlands, which all share first place.

Writers + Business Sense = Money

October 23rd, 2006 | 1 Comment | Posted in Advice, Writing by Chris Pommier

I had an experience with a editor recently that really opened my eyes to how important it is for writers to be able to talk about money. Simply put: he offered to pay me $50 for a 650-700 word article. I said that was great, but could he possibly make it $75? When he didn’t answer for a couple days, I was sure that I’d lost the job.

When he finally did answer, he said, let’s start with 50. That was fine by me, after all I still had the job! So, I wrote the article, edited it, and made sure it was the best I could do. I turned it in right on schedule. He was so happy with the product and my professionalism, he sent me the $75 I asked for!

It may not seem like much, but it was a powerful lesson for me. A fearless attitude coupled with dependability and a well-written article can increase your bottom line.

Now, go forth and haggle!

This entry was posted as a response to a post at the Golden Pencil on a similar topic. And the blog Words on the Page wrote on this subject too.

Networking: A Theory

October 20th, 2006 | No Comments | Posted in Advice by Chris Pommier

I’ve been putting some thought into the topic of networking lately and found this post at BusinessNetworkingAdbive.com. Josh intervies Merlin Mann, proprietor of a very successful blog called 43 Folders.

In the interview they discuss what Mann calls “humane networking”

So I guess networking, in an ideal world, just means you help your friends meet cool people as you do nice things for them. I can get behind that.

But the grinning bearers of business cards who clearly want to put your soul in a Bell jar on their desk? I can still do without them.

I absolutely agree with Mann’s sentiment, but find that it lacks concrete suggestions for those of us who are

Shy

Want to avoid weasel-dom

Bur want to build connections within a specific community

So, here’s my thought: rather than attending networking events and wandering around mute, find a volunteer position, or project, within your target community that is a “gatekeeper” position. For example, in the world of academic writing, volunteer to help publish and edit a journal. There are many other examples of gatekeeper positions one could fill. Post some suggestions here. No pressure.

Once you’re involved with a project or position that is perceived by others to be a position of power and influence, people will come to you. This should allow you to simply meet more people in your target community. You’re natural charm and giving nature should take care of the rest.

At that point you should be meeting cool people (the point of networking) and you can start instituting Merlin’s suggestions of “humane networking.”

Good luck! Let me know how it goes.

Dungeons & Dragons Geeks Rejoice!: Invisibility Cloak Invented

October 19th, 2006 | 1 Comment | Posted in News by Chris Pommier

OK, the thing only works if you can see microwaves, and if you’re looking at something really, really small, but still. It’s invisible! The BBC wrote an article on it here. If you would like more in depth coverage of the device and how it works, then NewScientistTech has got you covered. Here is a brief excerpt.

In recent years, materials scientists have made rapid progress in making so-called “metamaterials”, which can have exotic electromagnetic properties unseen in nature. These are made up of repeating structures of simple electronic components such as capacitors and inductors.

In 2001, Smith built a metamaterial with a negative refractive index, which bends microwaves in a way impossible for ordinary lenses. Now he has gone one step further.

Of course, my internal pessimist wonders what the military applications of this are going to be. True stealth bombers? Surveilance robots? I shudder to think.

1 in 10 Penguins Gay, Norwegians Say

October 19th, 2006 | 1 Comment | Posted in Gay by Chris Pommier

It’s not just penguins, either.This article on the BBC covers the rather controversial exhibit at the Oslo Natural History Museum.

Curators say a Norwegian exhibition on homosexuality among animals has been well received, despite initial indications of strong opposition.

The way you feel about animals, and the usefulness of human/non-human connections, will likely determine how you take this article. Interestingly, animal homosexuality research has been deployed to defend the morality of homosexuality in religious debates. Pinky unsuccessfully attempted it in this discussion at Yahoo! Answers. Scroll to the bottom to find her/his post. Warning: what you are about to see may really make you angry.

I’m relieved to see that the participants in this discussion resolved the question of the moral correctness of homosexuality. Phew! No more pesky debates or worrisome opinions need to be explored. Thanks, Yahoo.