I’m in love with a magazine
Posted: July 20, 2011 Filed under: Journalism, Media Leave a comment »
Monocle Magazine
I can still remember the day when I walked into Bulldog news stand in the University District of Seattle and first spotted a Monocle magazine. It was in the summer and it was the publication’s annual quality of life survey, which includes a review of the world’s top 25 cities based on quality of life and explores the things that make an urban environment a truly great one.
Needless to say, I quickly fell in love.
Over the next several months I became a devote reader of Monocle’s monthly issues and have continued to pick up a copy when I can. At $10 a pop its at least a $100 investment a year, but well worth it.
Monocle is a British based publication with a global perspective on urban culture, design and even fashion. Stories can range from interviews with city planners, an emerging neighborhood in Japan or even a photo spread of coffee shops from around the world. This year’s quality of life survey provides the list of top 25 but also explores other emerging communities, such as Newark. The magazine includes great writing and is informative, but I think the part I like the most is its experiential aspect. In today’s world of multimedia and wireless communication, Monocle continues to take pride in a printed product. It offers stunning imagery, smart ads, and other substance, such as pullout booklets and even comics.
When I pick up a Monocle I feel like I am picking up a complete media experience, minus the digital screen. However, its not a slice of nostalgia or a look back in time. Its very fresh and relevant but finds a different way to capture a reader’s soul beyond the common tools of today’s multimedia world.
I almost wonder if there is a lesson for newspaper in Monocle. The magazine embraces technology online and I am not a person that believes newspapers should be printed just for the sake of printing paper, but newspapers haven’t really changed much over the past decade when it experienced an assault from Web-based publications. If anything, the only change newspapers have made i by getting smaller.
Could a newspaper include comic book pullouts, sections devoted to stunning images and a re-imagination of the front page? Newspapers are still an experience but that experience hasn’t necessarily evolved over the past decade.
Monocle is an example of quality, care and stellar design being put back into a printed product; I just wish that mindset would spill more over into mainstream journalism.
Our old hood
Posted: July 3, 2011 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a comment »After looking at a blog from Wallingford, the neighborhood in Seattle we use to call home, I stumbled across a video that shows that we used to live in the same apartment building as Ben Gibbard, a member of Death Cab Cutie. In fact, based on the video it appears that we might have had the same apartment as him, although that can’t be confirmed.
Satchel’s room…or mine?
Posted: July 3, 2011 Filed under: Baseball, Parenthood 1 Comment »
Someone asked me this week if we had assembled a crib yet and I said we hadn’t. Actually, we haven’t done much in the way of preparing Satchel’s room as September still feels like a ways off. But I did make my first contributions to his room today. I didn’t really plan to go with any type of theme, but a baseball and Royals theme is just kind of happening and I’m not going to fight it.
When my parents made the move to Tishomingo last week they dropped off a few boxes that contained stuff from my childhood. I’m not going to lie, I threw a lot of it away. But I plan to use a lot of the baseball stuff for Satchel’s room. Today I put up the bat and ball holders that I had as a child. One is shaped like a baseball helmet with a Royals logo and the other is shaped like a baseball glove (see picture).
My parents also dropped off a complete set of bases that I once used while playing backyard baseball and I decided there was no better use than to put a base in each corner. The crib will go up the first base line and I think the dresser might be best at shortstop.
People ask me if it feels real yet, having a baby. I’m not really sure what that means, and maybe someday soon I will, but I feel like my life has been pretty well prepared for change. I know a baby will be a big one, and I am excited, but during our marriage we have made cross country moves, had several jobs, attended a couple of schools and moved more times than I can count. Every year is something different and this year has already had its fair share of challenges and changes.
I guess putting stuff in his room does make this thing feel more real but I’m not sure it will really sink in until Satchel is actually here as his own person. Right now everything we do is really about us, and let’s face it, the first several years of a child’s life is more about the parents than the kid. We may pick out clothing and decorate a room, but its all for us. There isn’t much a baby can do I guess to be his or her own individual, but when those moments start happening I suppose that’s when it will feel the most “real” for me.
Until then, he’s going to have to put up with the Royals room until he can tell me what else he would like.
