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Observation: Snark On Empty
Contributed by Rick DeVan on May 9, 2011 at 10:16 am ET
Over the weekend I read a very wicked review, written by a professional journalist, of a book I have not yet read. (I don’t like to start fights so I will leave it at that level of vagueness.) It was full of snark. Unwitty snark (which may be a snarky comment in and of itself), and too, too predictable.
My observation is on the level of impact the review had on me.
Zero.
I will still read the book and enjoy it for what it is.
My point is that I, and probably you, have been so overwhelmed by snark that it is losing, or has lost, any impact it may have had at one time. There is just too much snark.
Filed under Observations
Tags used: Snark —
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Observation: A Time to Blog
Contributed by Rick DeVan on May 5, 2011 at 11:34 am ET
My favorite book is Ecclesiastes. Yeah, that Ecclesiastes and, no, I do not fully understand it. Never will. Maybe that’s why it is my favorite.
I called upon Ecclesiastes this week with the news on the death of, well, you know who. I often find myself in a quandary with my blogs and social media and important news. I cannot report the news or even offer a digest, those are the jobs of the major news organizations. I do occasionally offer a tribute to a recent passed away public figure and sometimes offer disaster links, but that even seems futile, ineffective, and off-track. You know where to find that information, you do not need me.
I suspect others find themselves in a similar predicament.
What to say and when to say it? If one does not post a note on major news it appears that you are out-of-it. I mean, you have the greatest communication tool yet developed at your fingertips and you say nothing? Nothing?
On the other hand, why add to the noise? One thing I have learned with news that everyone is talking about is that I will rarely say anything new or intriguing or pithy. I cannot offer anything to the conversation that has not been said, in some way, by a thousand other people.
How do we know when it is a time to blog and a time to refrain from blogging? (Yikes, even that yielded 18 Google results, 19 soon. I can’t win.)
I think the answer lies somewhere in our intuition. You just know.
Filed under Observations
Tags used: Ecclesiastes —
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Observation: The Newspaper
Contributed by Rick DeVan on April 20, 2011 at 5:14 pm ET
A friend of mine posted a photo on her Facebook wall of The News-Herald drying out after a rain storm. When I saw it, I realized I have not read a print newspaper in at least six months. I read it online, but it is not the same.
No, I am not waxing nostalgic about days gone by, but I am wondering what I am missing.
Filed under Life, Work, and Society, Observations
Tags used: News-Herald, Newspapers —
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Social Media and Very Angry Mobs in Full Riot
Contributed by Rick DeVan on December 11, 2010 at 4:14 pm ET
The car in which Prince Charles and the Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, were riding was attacked in London this week. The footage, taken by bystanders with mobile phone cameras, is terrifying but in the end no one was injured.
Charles’ staff included the attack in a press release on his website detailing the evening’s festivities: The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall attend the Royal Variety Performance.
On their way to the theatre, from their London home Clarence House, Their Royal Highnesses’ car was attacked by protestors, leaving the car with a smashed window and covered in paint. The incident was reported by the media last night as part of their coverage of violent clashes between police and protestors in the wake of the Government’s legislation on student fees.
Camilla had the understatement of the week:
When asked how she was as she left the London Palladium, Their Royal Highnesses smiled and said: “I’m fine thanks — first time for everything.”
Personally, if I could live my life out without a first time of being attacked in a riot I would be quite happy. I suppose I would be quite happy to be riding in the back seat of a 1977 Rolls-Royce Phantom VI, too.
As an observer of media I also checked the British Monarchy Facebook page and the British Monarchy Twitter feed for a statement or a reaction. I suppose I was expecting Chuck to tweet some sort of “We are OK” message. It would have been reassuring.
Nothing, though. Not a peep. Yes, the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace is going on as scheduled, but how will we ever get the cheap house paint off the Phantom? Suggestions?
I realize, of course, that the Royal Family’s public lives are incredibly well-choreographed on those occasions when they are not being rushed by a mob screaming “Off with their heads!” and the Prince of Wales is not really updating the Twitter feed. That’s Beatrice’ job. I suspect that anything out of the ordinary and not easily dealt with via royal protocol wreaks havoc at Clarence House.
There may come a time, though, that the Royal Family and others way up there in the stratosphere of social castes will be tweeting their lives more often than commoners like Kim Kardashian. May not happen until after the coronation of William (the crownings I suspect he occasionally receives from Kate don’t count) but it could very well be commonplace in the future.
If and when that time comes we will know that social media or whatever it is called in the future is fully integrated into our world.
And, boy, will it be fun.
Filed under Life, Work, and Society, Media, Observations
Tags used: Beatrice, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Facebook, Prince Charles, Prince William, Twitter —
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Observation: ‘Tis the Season, Or Something
Contributed by Rick DeVan on December 10, 2010 at 10:29 am ET
Walking through Downtown Willoughby, Ohio, this morning on my way to coffee I realized we are now fully ensconsed in the season… the season of walking like penguins.
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Tags used: Ohio, Penguins, Willoughby, Winter —
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