While constructing a lecture today for my multimedia journalism students on search engine optimization (among other things), it occurred to me that I hadn’t taken the time to fully optimize my own Web site.
Boy, was my face red.
By default, WordPress gives a very unassuming permalink to each new post and page. It includes an ID [...]

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Or, if you prefer, Obamicon yourself.
What is an Obamicon, you ask? Well, it’s a four-color visual representation of any image designed to resemble Shepard Fairey’s famous poster (below) depicting President Barack Obama and the word “hope,” a key term from the leader’s 2008 campaign.
Thanks to Paste Magazine and their Web site project, Obamicon.me, users from [...]

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Like the Gods of Ancient Greece, every president has had his epithet. Back around 1980, an Arkansas Newspaper dubbed Bill Clinton “Slick Willie” in response to what editors perceived was his misrepresentation of his own politics. Toni Morrison later called him “the first black president” for his interest in issues affecting minorities. Through the [...]

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I’m neither the first journalist nor the first blogger to reflect upon our nation’s past with an eye toward her future. To say that tomorrow’s inauguration will mark an important day in our history is like saying the sun will rise and water will flow. The importance here is obvious.
Regardless of whether you (my readers) [...]

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The National Weather Service (NWS) reports that “arctic blasts” will hit Boston this weekend. Is it just me, or is meteorological terminology super scary this winter? “Arctic blast” sounds more like a video game villain’s special power than it does a weather condition.
They might as well say something like: “This weekend, you should look out [...]

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The Associated Press reported today that Joe The Plumber is headed to Israel to serve as a war correspondent for the conservative Web site Pajamas TV. In the off chance you don’t remember, Joe (actually Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher) gained national fame during election season when he asked President-elect Barack Obama about his tax plan. The [...]

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