In the land of snow and ice

Yup. I’m here in Minneapolis. Home of two of my most favorite 80s musical acts: Prince, the Replacements, and Hüsker Dü. Okay, that was three. So far, I’ll have to say that the people are friendly and it’s very cold. And their pizza is good even if they employ the wrong cut (the grid or tavern cut).

I’m here for a week of meeting the new boss and other folks, doing some training, and getting orientated to the culture of my new employers.

Yes, new employers. I have given up the full-time freelance action for a return to the online news business with an interesting job with a really (so far) cool company. I’m not going to say who they are, because this blog isn’t about them; it’s about me.

Anyway, more about Minneapolis — including a trip to the Mall of America and IKEA (SQUEEEEEE!) — and travel throughout the week. Maybe some about work, too.

lane change, redux

After ten months of full-time freelance work, I’ve decided to make a change and take a full-time position again.

Here’s why:

First, I’ve learned the hard way that running a small business means that you spend most of your time running that business. I don’t enjoy that aspect of self-employment. I’d rather do stuff than run a business.

Second, I’ve discovered that the joy of sitting around the house in your pajamas all day wears off eventually. I’m joking (mostly), but I think I’ll prosper more in a more structured work environment.

Third, I miss working as part of a team. Solo work is lonely work. I guess I’m not as much of a misanthrope as I thought. I interact with clients quite a bit, but when it comes down to working on a project, it’s just little ol’ me. I thrive on collaboration.

Fourth (and perhaps most importantly), I miss the news/journalism business. I sorta backed into it nine years ago, and though some things had gotten in the way of my enjoying it over the last couple of years, I really miss it. I especially like the messy bleeding edge of the news business that is the online/digital/web/”new media” part of it. It’s definitely the future — but no one’s really sure how we’re going to get there just yet. That side of the news business is where I’m going, though in a different capacity than before and with a different company.

I will still freelance some on the side (for both financial and creative benefits), but I won’t be taking on anywhere near the volume of work I have for the last ten months.

I greatly appreciate all of you who supported and encouraged me over the last year. Thanks!

John McCain vs. the Environment

According to the Sierra Club:

Two weeks ago John McCain was the only Senator to duck a crucial vote on the future of clean energy in America — dooming to failure the measure that would have helped make renewable energy more affordable and accessible. Now it turns out this missed vote is part of a pattern.

Last week, the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) released the 2007 National Environmental Scorecard giving Senator McCain a score of ZERO. According to the scorecard, McCain was the only member of Congress to skip all 15 crucial environmental votes scored by LCV.

McCain’s LCV score exposes the real record behind the rhetoric — a lifetime LCV score of 24, a history of siding with the polluters and special interests, and a consistent pattern of ducking important environmental votes.

Despite giving the enviroment some lip service, McCain’s voting record speaks much louder. Vote Obama (or Hillary Clinton, if she should win the nomination) in 2008.

Warren Ellis » On The Phone

I link to this not because Warren has a new phone, but because he mentions that he wrote “comics, screenplays and most of a novel” on his Treo 600 that died last night. Wow. That’s dedication.

Email Apnea?

I TOTALLY have email apnea, though not just when reading email. I do it all the time. Breathing exercises DO work (I use several), but you have to really work to stay mindful of your breathing.