Etown.com: still dead
December 31, 2004 -- This month marks the 10th anniversary of the founding of Collaborative Media and its once world-beating website, etown.com. In its heyday etown attracted more than a million identifiable readers, raised apprehension in the mainstream electronics press, and gave a professional leg up to many talented people, some of whom I do not loathe.
Each of the five cofounders prefers a different birthdate. For my own part, I date the company's founding to December 1994 when I wrote an intemperate fax about the contracts I was being forced, as a self-employed writer, to sign. I sent it to Ron Goldberg, we had a conversation, and during January 2005 the eventual partners convened for the first time at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
I have often longed to know what course my life would have taken if I hadn't gotten involved in etown, initially as the first editor-in-chief for three and a half years. What followed was a hard slog followed by a wild ride followed by a sudden end. In the wake of the company's collapse, I dealt with the issue that initially drove me into it -- control over the copyright in my work -- by writing books. More recently I've founded a new and much smaller company to publish them.
I've always thought that when this 10th anniversary arrived, I'd have a lot more to say about my etown experiences. Whenever I mention that I learned more about human nature than I ever cared to know, the response is usually: "Yeah, but you wouldn't have missed it for the world, right?" And I answer: "That's what people tell me." Perhaps I'd better let it go at that.
Practical Home Theater
moves into fourth editionOctober 1, 2004 -- The new edition of Practical Home Theater is out. As always, it's been revised to keep track of the latest in high-definition television and surround sound technology. This 2005 edition is the fourth, as well as the first to appear under my own imprint, Quiet River Press. Previous editions have been highly praised. According to Kevin Hunt of The Hartford Courant, the book "succeeds as both a primer on existing technology and a preview of emerging technology like digital television.... For less than the cost of a DVD, it'll remove the power of intimidation from your home theater." My favorite review came from Brian Fenton of Sound & Vision: "If you've been looking to have all your home theater questions answered in one place, this book will do it." That says it all.
Happy Pig's Hot 100
explores new culinary territory
September 30, 2004 -- Veering recklessly into uncharted space, I have published a restaurant guide. Happy Pig's Hot 100 New York Restaurants summarizes 100 favorite eateries in a friendly and whimsical tone. As I wrote it, I found myself thinking more of people from outside the New York area, just because it's more fun to explain the city to out-of-towners than to grizzled veterans who already know it all. If you're thinking of visiting New York, you can whip through this slim but entertaining volume while you're on the plane, and then when you touch down, you won't be hungry for long. I had fun writing it and I hope you'll have fun reading it.
Fripp & Eno: The Equatorial Stars
August 13, 2004 -- Got Fripp & Eno's The Equatorial Stars in the mail yesterday. It showcases Fripp's guitar in a surprisingly straightforward way. The Fripper plays in a style that's almost retro -- very much the voice of the 1970s, except older and more resigned. High frequencies have been ruthlessly rolled off, giving the album an initial surface dullness that evolves into something gentle, tranquil, and distant. At first I wondered whether this was Eno's response to the harsh digital sound of Fripp's "lunar module," the bank of electronics underlying his guitar. But a later (and louder) listen showed the lunar-module textures emerging late in the album. It's the only real surprise from these two battle-scarred innovators -- perhaps they've given up trying to surprise us. But, as my friend Mark Smotroff observed, they haven't given up trying "to make the music in their hearts."
‘Meet Mark. Buy Mark. Sell Mark.’
June 19, 2004 -- That's the slogan of a major corporation that's stolen my name, painted my lips, and shoved me onto the streets to make money. Avon Products Inc. has developed a new line of cosmetics bearing my name and is paying me absolutely nothing for using it. Once I was a proud freelance writer and part-time book publisher with decades of experience in my field. Now I am "makeup you can buy and sell -- the new beauty experience from Avon." But the cruelest cut of all is this line at the bottom of the webpage announcing my enslavement: "mark™ is a registered trademark." I hereby call upon Avon Products Inc. to cease using my name or at least assuage my injured pride with a suitcase full of cash. I'd prefer the suitcase. Hey, if the money's good, they can have my last name too.
TDK brings culture to the kids
June 18, 2004 -- Each year I witness an ongoing cultural miracle at the Tanglewood Music Festival where the TDK Free Tickets for Children program gives children free exposure to the Boston Symphony Orchestra's summer performances. This summer the program begins its 16th season at one of the world's most pleasant outdoor venues, an open-sided concert hall known as "the shed." Parents or guardians may go to the Tanglewood box office on the day of the performance and receive up to four free lawn passes for kids under 12 (adults, however, must pay for their own tickets). For the schedule consult the Boston Symphony Orchestra website. Yahoo Maps will show you the way. [Sadly, 2004 was the last year for this laudable program.]
Home Theater appoints a news editor
June 9, 2004 -- Primedia's Home Theater Magazine has named a news editor, and shockingly enough, it's me. My first appearance as the AV Newswire columnist is a two-page spread in the July 2004 issue of the newly redesigned magazine. I've written for Home Theater since late 2001 -- contributing hardware reviews, software reviews, and features -- and hope to continue in those roles in addition to writing five news items per month.
I remain an independent (as opposed to staff) writer and have recently contributed to other Primedia publications. The newly redesigned and renamed Ultimate AV, formerly known as The Stereophile Guide to Home Theater, carried a pair of point/counterpoint essays in its June 2004 issue. In one piece, I asserted that 5.1-channel surround sound is still valid, while Tony Grimani took the opposing viewpoint, defending the 6.1- and 7.1-channel formats. Needless to say, I won, though it was a privilege to square off against such distinguished and knowledgable competition. I've also contributed a surround primer to an upcoming issue of Best Magazine. For a full list of my current and former clientele, see the publications page.
Introducing Quiet River Press
April 6, 2004 -- I'm happy to announce the birth of a new company. Quiet River Press will specialize in publishing print-on-demand books. The books will be distributed in both the U.S. and the U.K. by the Ingram Book Group.
The Quiet River Press imprint has made its debut with the publication of the five books Charles Dickens wrote for the Christmas season: A Christmas Carol, The Chimes, The Cricket on the Hearth, The Battle of Life, and The Haunted Man, each with an original introduction by Matty Groves, a bonus short story, and large print for easy reading by people with mild vision impairment. Please keep them in mind during your online Christmas shopping binge later this year!
While other large-print books are in development, QRP will also publish original material. By the end of the year that will include the fourth edition of my favorably reviewed book Practical Home Theater and a New York restaurant guide. The QRP imprint will also appear on works by other authors.
This is not my first foray into publishing. I was the original editor-in-chief and one of five co-founders of the late lamented etown.com which burned through $25 million in other people's money before fizzling in the great online bust of 2001. Etown aimed high before it kissed the pavement. Quiet River will not be quite that ambitious -- then again, it will be in the black within a year of operation, and will stand the test of time.
One thing the new company will not do is reduce my involvement with the various print and online publications for whom I write. In fact, they're keeping me busier than ever! I'm grateful for their support, and though I'm once again an entrepreneurial writer/publisher, I'll always be a writer at heart.
Free Martha Stewart now!
March 12, 2004 -- Martha Stewart got railroaded.
The only charges that stuck were those arising from the investigation itself. The word for that is "entrapment."
Think of the thousands of people who work for Martha and are going to lose their jobs. Great news in a recession.
All of this could have been avoided. It was never necessary to throw a 60-something woman into jail and cause hundreds of millions of dollars in economic damage. A simple fine equal to the $45,000 she saved by selling the stock would have sufficed.
For the prosecutors, railroading Martha is a path to power, promotion, prestige, and a possible political career. They all want to be little Giulianis. Wasn't one of him enough?
The criminal justice system is being turned into a popularity contest. Since when is being rich and arrogant a crime? Are we going to prosecute everyone we envy?
Ken Lay is a criminal. Martha Stewart is someone who made a mistake and has already paid for it a thousand times over.
And we all suffer from an expensive prosecution that degrades the criminal justice system and mocks justice itself.
How many technology writers
does it take to screw in a light bulb?
January 22, 2004 -- Want to get the new year off to a good start? Then send me a briefcase full of cash. If you'd rather not do that, then consider replacing most of the incandesecent light bulbs in your home with fluorescent bulbs. That way you'll actually save piles of money.
No, I'm serious. Most people associate fluorescent light with the awful tube lighting in offices. Most offices are lit by fluorescents because they're the most energy-efficient option. What you may not realize is just how far fluorescent light technology has come in the past few years.
The new breed of screw-in fluorescent lights come in several shapes including the sexy squiggle (Green Lite, above), the stately loop (Philips, below), and a rounded bulb that might be mistaken for a conventional one. They're self-ballasted, which means they do not require special fixtures, and they screw into standard light sockets designed for incandescents. So don't worry about replacing your old lamps.
Better yet, fluorescents use about one-quarter of the energy that incandescent bulbs use to produce the same amount of light. For instance, a 15-watt fluorescent bulb can replace a 60-watt incandescent, and the formula holds true for other wattages.
What makes fluorescent bulbs more efficient? They dissipate much less energy in the form of heat. Your old incandescent bulbs -- with their burning filaments -- are like little space heaters enclosed in glass. Fluorescents bring even greater energy savings during the summer months because your air conditioning won't be fighting the heat generated by your lighting.
Don't like the look of fluorescent light? Look again. Visit CL Lighting at 317 Canal Street in New York City where an instructive display shows the five different color temperatures of the store's stock of screw-in fluorescents.
A color temp of 2700 to 3000 degrees Kelvin produces a yellowish light similar to standard incandescent bulbs. It's like looking at life through a glass of beer (perhaps not a bad idea, come to think of it).
At the opposite end of the spectrum, a color temp of 5000 to 6500 K produces something with a bit more blue, like daylight. 4100 K is a nice compromise -- that's what I've chosen to light most of my apartment.
I really like the way my lights complement the daylight coming in my windows (as do my plants). But if you prefer a sepia-tinted ambience, stick with the lower color temps.
There are a few caveats. Fluorescent lights should not be used in moist environs like your bathroom. Some, though not all, are also not suitable for use with dimmers.
The bulbs themselves get larger at higher wattages. In larger sizes, their self-ballasting bases get wider, and might not fit all fixtures. The higher-wattage bulbs also jut out of some light fixtures. Try them in the store, using lamps similar to your own, to see what works.
Finally, screw-in fluorescents do cost more than incandescents. However their higher initial cost is offset by immediate energy savings and later by longer bulb life. They are rated to last five to seven years -- I've been using them for about a year and have yet to see one burn out.
Incandescent lighting has been in use since Thomas Edison invented it. Really, isn't it time for a change? Somehow, if Edison could see his brainchild's squiggly successor in operation, I think he would approve.
News 2003