pb returned from Alaska with some wonderful photos. Reminds me that a) I'd love to go back to Alaska and explore further — it's so amazing and b) I never posted the photos from my trip. Alas, I'm so lazy.
Gizmodo launches
Gizmodo has just launched. According to creator Nick Denton, "it's a vertical blog devoted to superskinny laptops, spy cameras, wireless wizardry, and all manner of other toys for overgrown boys. All gadgets, all the time." (I suspect it will appeal to overgrown girls as well…)
What makes Gizmodo really interesting in my mind is that it's a commercial venture: the blogger updating the site, Pete Rojas, is being paid to do so. The business model? According to Nick, "All I know is that weblogs are a compelling form, gadget addicts are all online, and it's easy to plug into Amazon's electronics store." Sounds like a great start to me. Who would have thought people would respond to my Megnut column so quickly? 😉
Freak Pea Accident
Man dies in freak pea accident. There's really nothing more to say about this one.
Jurying for Dollars
Juror Wants $100 an Hour to Serve, "When computer consultant David Williamson was summoned for federal jury duty and told that he should keep August free of commitments, he replied he was ready to serve at his normal rate of $100 an hour."
Having recently been summoned for jury duty, I can totally relate to this man's approach. I was kept hanging for a week, never knowing until the night before whether I'd need to go into the court house for the selection process. It's hard to schedule meetings and in general run one's business — whether you're the partner of a small firm, such as this man, or self-employed, as I am — when you don't know what your schedule will be the following day. Seems to me like they need to change the way jury duty is structured to better reflect the way people work in the 21st century.
Blogging for Dollars discussion
There's a good discussion about my recent Blogging for Dollars column going on over at Blogroots. Please join us if you have any thoughts about this. One of the main reasons I wrote the column was to spark a discussion about money and blogging.
Blogging for Dollars
My newest O'Reilly Megnut column is up, Blogging for Dollars – Giving Rise to the Professional Blogger.
“We Blog” is not published
Correction: according to the Wiley site, "We Blog" isn't being published until August 13, 2002. You'd think I'd know when my own book is being published, but for some reason, this isn't information any of our editors bothers to share with us, the lowly authors. Also if you follow that link, there's a piss-poor description of what the book's about. The book isn't simply a "how-to," there's a lot more in there about why you'd want to create a weblog, and we also devote quite a bit of space to discussing the social implications of blogs. Argh!
“We Blog” is published
Though Amazon is still saying you need to pre-order, in theory, We Blog: Publishing Online with Weblogs is published and available for purchase. If you spot it in any stores, let me know. I can't imagine that many bookstores will carry it, so I'm curious to hear which, if any, do.
Tuscan Panzanella, or Bread Salad
Ingredients
4 (1-ounce) slices Italian bread
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup torn fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved
2 pounds ripe tomatoes, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 (16-ounce) can cannellini beans or other white beans, rinsed and drained
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
Tuscan Panzanella
The other day, a friend with a bountiful garden gave me a bunch of ripe tomatoes. Last night I finally got my butt in gear to do something with them, and I recalled a recipe that Mena shared with me a couple months ago for Tuscan Panzanella, or bread salad. All I can say is: if you like tomatoes and basil and olives and bread, make this right now while tomatoes are in season. It was so delicious, I'm about to make it again for lunch!