The Daily ME

Self portrait. #chicago #reflection

Sun, 19 May 2013 20:36:07 -0500

Self portrait. #chicago #reflection

jcstearns: New Yorker Launches New Whistleblower Submission...

Wed, 15 May 2013 11:05:54 -0500

New Yorker Launches New Whistleblower Submission System, With Code Written by the Late Aaron Swartz

(via Introducing Strongbox, a Tool for Anonymous Document-Sharing : The New Yorker)

I’m actually surprised it has taken this long for a major media outlet to roll out its own Wikileaks.

propublica: Federal data released for the first time shows the...

Wed, 08 May 2013 12:14:56 -0500

propublica:

Federal data released for the first time shows the wildly different amounts hospitals are charging Medicare to perform the same procedure.

See how hospitals near you are charging with this New York Times interactive.

This chart from the Washington Post lets you compare the highest and lowest averages in your state.

I’ve been wondering about the cost of healthcare ever since Steven Brill’s amazing piece on healthcare costs for Time Magazine.

newsweek: blankonblank: Beastie Boys on Being Stupid “Can you...

Thu, 02 May 2013 14:35:33 -0500

newsweek:

blankonblank:

Beastie Boys on Being Stupid

“Can you think of a stupider name than the Beastie Boys.” - Adam Yauch aka MCA

It’s Episode #4 from our new series with PBS Digital Studios

Interview by Rocci Fisch for ABC News Radio | 1985

Subscribe for more animated interviews: www.youtube.com/blankonblank

This is rad.

Blank on Blank is easily one of my favorite things on the Internet right now. Check it out.

Today in Awesome Images: Horses + lightning = bring it on, life!...

Thu, 02 May 2013 14:29:20 -0500

Today in Awesome Images: Horses + lightning = bring it on, life!

Creative Commons via Flickr

"Our intention was to create a website that provided a place for Chicagoans to find worthwhile news,..."

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 10:30:41 -0500

“Our intention was to create a website that provided a place for Chicagoans to find worthwhile news, interesting online projects and cool events. At the time, the city’s mainstream media — and even the alternative media — had terrible websites. The Tribune’s site required you to log in, the Reader didn’t publish articles from the paper online, and let’s not even talk about the Sun-Times. Meanwhile, the existing events calendars, Metromix and the Reader’s listings, were a nearly unusable compendium of everything, often mixing drink specials and weekly DJ nights in with more noteworthy events.

Naz and Andrew invited around 15 local bloggers whose writing they liked and who we thought might share our love for Chicago and our enthusiasm for sharing it with the world and our neighbors. Happily, about a dozen agreed. Gapers Block launched on April 25, 2003, and garnered national attention from the blogosphere.”

- Gapers Block is 10 Years Old - Gapers Block Chicago

(Happy birthday, Gapers Block!)

"Every dollar spent at a locally owned business generates two-to-four times the economic development..."

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 10:27:44 -0500

“Every dollar spent at a locally owned business generates two-to-four times the economic development impacts as a dollar spent on an equivalent non-local business.”

- Forbes piece on the amazing power of spending locally. (via poptech)

How A Talk Show Host Found Out The Hard Way There Are Some Things Bob Costas Won’t Joke About

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 17:37:58 -0500

How A Talk Show Host Found Out The Hard Way There Are Some Things Bob Costas Won’t Joke About:

This interview was going so well, and then the host said something that set NBC’s Bob Costas off. Big mistake.

teamvocalo: Full audio: Chicagoans react to school closings...

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 15:05:32 -0500

teamvocalo:

Full audio: Chicagoans react to school closings proposals at scores of public meetings

By: Linda Lutton

Chicago is holding more than 190 community meetings and public hearings this spring—all required by law—to gather feedback on its proposal to close an unprecedented 54 schools. The district also has proposed six school turnarounds (complete re-staffings that also turn the school over to the private nonprofit manager Academy for Urban School Leadership), and 11 “co-locations” where 23 schools would share space in 11 buildings. See a list of all proposals here.

Chicago Public Schools contracted with a vendor to record public meetings that took place between April 6 and April 15 in affected communities. Through an open records request, WBEZ obtained those audio files and has posted them to this site. Additionally, WBEZ is recording public hearings held at CPS headquarters (April 16-May 2) on the proposed closings, turnarounds and co-locations and posting that audio here as well.

We encourage our listeners to help flag the most interesting moments in these hearings by “commenting” directly on the audio. (It’s cool and helpful for other listeners!)

The Windy City blushes

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 19:59:59 -0500

The Windy City blushes

"News became a little less of an industry and a little more of a living, breathing organism Thursday..."

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 12:12:54 -0500

“News became a little less of an industry and a little more of a living, breathing organism Thursday night. It’s not a new direction. For more than a decade now, ever since anyone with a thought and an Internet connection could so easily provoke his species, news has become less controlled. More vulnerable. More, well, human.”

- Lesson from the manhunt: We’re all journalists now

FACT: Swords are awesome.

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 12:40:50 -0500

daxfacts:

shortformblog: ikenbot: anthonyisnotinrightnow: How the...

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 07:38:57 -0500

shortformblog:

ikenbot:

anthonyisnotinrightnow:

How the explosion is West Texas measured on a seismograph in Amarillo , which is 400 miles away.

Wow.

Our prior post, visualized.

mediamattersforamerica: CNN’s reporting on the Boston bombing...

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 15:44:03 -0500

mediamattersforamerica:

CNN’s reporting on the Boston bombing is a mess. h/t

How could one man have so much power? Awesome bday present from...

Sun, 14 Apr 2013 11:40:20 -0500

How could one man have so much power? Awesome bday present from @adamexport and my friends.

I held out as long as I could, but I’m officially a...

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 20:04:37 -0500

I held out as long as I could, but I’m officially a Chicagoan.

scinerds: Here’s a really interesting indiegogo concept called...

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 08:14:46 -0500

scinerds:

Here’s a really interesting indiegogo concept called FreshWall. The technology is influenced by NASA research that found compelling evidence that indoor plants can substantially clean the air indoors.

FreshWall combines hydroponics and aeroponics - two of the best ways to grow plants used all over the world by professional growers. However, we take away the tedious work of pH and conductivity monitoring associated with hydroponics and lower the energy requirements compared to aeroponics!

Watch their video for more info →

As I get ready to plant my own garden here in Chicago, can’t help but think how ideal this product would be for any city person. Love to see all of the creativity that is happening in the urban farming area right now.

How The Next FCC Head Will Affect the News

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 14:48:59 -0500

How The Next FCC Head Will Affect the News:

futurejournalismproject:

Julius Genachowski, Chairman of the Federal Communication Commission, announced recently that he’s stepping down.

The agency focuses on broadband, competition, the spectrum, the media, and public safety and homeland security, and the Columbia Journalism Review looks at how decisions made under the next FCC chief will affect the news :

That person will likely decide whether Rupert Murdoch and other big media owners will be allowed to own both newspapers and TV or radio stations in large markets.

With more newspapers reducing print schedules and relying solely on digital, the next FCC chair will determine ways to either make broadband more accessible and cheaper or whether to maintain the status quo, with rising prices and a limited number of competitors in the marketplace.

The FCC is the only agency with a mandate to make the media more diverse, local, and accountable. A new chief could choose to use its enforcement powers to ensure diversity is reflected in the voices, perspectives, and owners in media.

The new chairperson could also determine whether to make political advertising more transparent in TV ads and online.

Read through for explanations of each .

Media ownership, broadband, and political advertising are three major issues that dramatically impact our society (and websites like Tumblr). Worth keeping an eye on.

Print is alive & well in Kentucky, thank you very much. (at...

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 13:07:06 -0500

Print is alive & well in Kentucky, thank you very much. (at Elizabethtown Kentucky)

“Chi City Youth”- A video poem on the impact of Chicago...

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 15:26:23 -0500

“Chi City Youth”- A video poem on the impact of Chicago violence- another take on the issue that’s gaining popularity h/t @chitownrvw