I signed up for a class on "common off-flavors" in beers and it turned out to be a really interesting workshop on what can go wrong in the brewing process, and why. It was led by Mary Izzet and she covered seven off-flavors, using Miller Lite as the "control beer," with all but the last off-flavor demonstrated with it.
Interestingly, after a brief dip in activity, I'm finding myself rejuvenated on Twitter, partly driven by my increased activity on Google+ where engagement is much higher and more substantial. Twitter surfaces the interesting content, while Google+ offers a platform to have real conversations. Facebook, meanwhile, is about 3-6 months from being completely dead to me, regardless of who continues to use it.
Nothing in life is free, and in Facebook's case, you pay for the service with your data. As Kirkpatrick notes, the real question is have they finally gone too far and will users start to rethink their usage of Facebook as their Timeline reveals... what?
Journalism is more than soundbites or "just the facts, ma'am" but getting "the facts" is a critical first step that involves the kind of research, investigation and perspective few link-bloggers can offer. While people may think they don't care about "journalism," they usually realize that's not the case when the lack thereof leads to things like political scandals, financial disasters, and ill-conceived wars.
Book publishers, on the other hand, have traditionally either focused on "digital" as a secondary medium, or worse, not even as a distinct medium at all, simply a fascimile or marketing channel for their print products. In doing so, they've effectively positioned themselves for easier disintermediation, being seen as container manufacturers instead of content curators and community organizers.
I took two workshops with her after that first class, and while I was never destined to be an actor, I learned so much about myself and how to tap into feelings and emotions I'd always avoided even making eye contact with, all of which helped my writing even more than my stage presence.
In light of Marvel and DC's continued inability to introduce new superheroes with diverse backgrounds, a full generation after everyone wanted to "be like Mike" and Will Smith became a bankable leading man, what does the furor over Morales say about the state of comics and their place within pop culture?