tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28679907409250105982011-12-19T00:04:32.521-08:00Skip the snark. Get to the heart.Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.comBlogger1461100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-68992704026723581472011-09-13T16:48:00.000-07:002011-09-13T16:48:42.052-07:00

Image via WikipediaWhile I did reserve The Shallows, the much-touted book about what the internet is doing to our brains, I did not read it. I have, however, experienced it. Sunday, just for the old-fashioned heck of it, I shelled out $6 for a New York Times.  What a pleasure to spread out in bed with it.  Lounge on the couch with it. Read it on the treadmill.  Section after section, reading

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-22543829690928493972010-11-15T13:05:00.000-08:002010-11-15T13:05:46.067-08:00

Image via Wikipedia Fairview/UofM vs Tria/Park Nicollet. Back in July, I had an idiotic fall that smashed my wrist. Treament and surgery were done at Tria, an orthopedic clinic affiliated with Park Nicollet.  The surgeon was good, the day surgery team a marvel of efficiency, and the hand therapists hard-working and resourceful.  They tried every therapeutic trick and torture device to fix the

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-11832090266537390392010-08-31T15:17:00.000-07:002010-08-31T15:17:51.165-07:00

Pyramid of Egregiousness | Name It. Change It.

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-89653584142575251292010-08-23T15:45:00.000-07:002010-08-23T15:45:37.940-07:00

Image via WikipediaWhich must be something like east of the sun. My son came home from camp with a duffel full of mysteries. Like where were his fins? How did his soap return unscathed for the second year running? And what happened to the other 19 socks? This kid went to camp with ten pairs and came home with a single sock "I have issues with socks," he explained. There was some childhood trauma

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-56827377316230622912010-07-27T14:16:00.000-07:002010-07-27T14:16:46.860-07:00

Ze cast? She is off. Seventeen days ago, I tripped and fell, hard; skinning lip, nose, knees, and breaking nose and wrist. Fourteen days ago, I had surgery on the wrist, which I gather was really broken. I didn't track the details; not day of fall, day or surgery, or at today's post-op appointment, as I've gotten "vagelly", as one nurse described it.  (Which makes me feel weak, stupid, and

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-81365382962188158242010-06-27T05:32:00.000-07:002010-06-27T05:32:40.663-07:00

Image by Getty Images via @daylifeNoticed - The New Power of Petite Women - NYTimes.com Petite - Pronunciation: \pə-ˈtēt\Function: adjective Etymology: French, feminine of petitDate: 1784: having a small trim figure —usually used of a womanPor quoi? We never hear of a petite man. Mai, non. Only petite women. Because for a woman, the most important attribute is appearance.Her definition,

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-22592020772461623022010-06-08T10:16:00.001-07:002010-06-08T10:16:12.717-07:00

Image by Adam UXB Smith via FlickrI found this fascinating quote today:In a house with a teenager. In other words, at wit's ends. The stepping-on-legos years were tolerable But this is ridiculous. You're not going in there anymore so the kid is going to have to take care of it. June 11.  That's the day we rise up and force those kids to clean their rooms.Susan Berkson, Teen Clean Your Room, Jun

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-53754231575782221722010-05-25T16:46:00.000-07:002010-05-25T16:53:54.013-07:00

Image by Getty Images via @daylifeTuesday is recycling day in my neck of the woods. Every household puts out a blue bin for recycling and therein lie a million stories. If my neighbors knew what can be gleaned from their recycling bins: Where they shop. What they eat. How they spend. They'd stop. Dead men tell no tales but recycling bins speak volumes. Here's the family that drinks non-BgH

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-35467560298677675692010-05-06T14:24:00.000-07:002010-05-06T14:49:36.303-07:00

Image via WikipediaIn 1998, I wrote: Kids & Pesticides = 700% more leukemiaWe can't print this," said my editor at the Star Tribune, "There are jobs at stake in the lawn care industry."There were lives at stake. How many have been hurt in the last 12 years? How many lost? The article ran in CityPages. And the pesticides went on.Pesticides are just one of tens of thousands of toxic chemicals

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-65414524041657914702010-04-27T14:50:00.000-07:002010-04-27T14:55:25.962-07:00

Image via CrunchBaseNot to keep your info away from Facebook.Why I don’t like Facebook ‘Likes’ — Global NeighbourhoodsSo give something a "thumbs up" on Facebook and you've given away valuable info about yourself. So if you like this, don't tell Facebook. Doesn't matter how many privacy settings you choose. If you are on Facebook, they own you.Related articles by ZemantaFacebook: the Privacy

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-22369651728080360392010-04-27T14:47:00.000-07:002010-04-27T14:49:33.487-07:00

Image by bsryan via FlickrScarey. Read this:Appleseed - Why Should I Come?I get the appeal of shooting a rifle. My kid shoots clay pigeons.But these folks want to "save America". To be with "real Americans". To "defend their liberties" and "take back their country."From whom?We live in a nation of laws; not a single law, the second amendment.That in itself is an "amendment"; an addition to a

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-64242130295214195862010-03-26T08:37:00.000-07:002010-03-26T09:22:36.553-07:00

Monday at sundown marks the start of the Jewish festival of Passover, when Jews the world over celebrate the exodus from Egypt. The centerpiece of the celebration is a ceremonial meal know as Seder, during which the Passover story is told. While food customs vary regionally, the ceremonial foods on the central Seder plate are the same. Traditionally, four questions are asked at the Seder meal.

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-37396359172272538612010-03-22T15:26:00.001-07:002010-03-22T15:27:43.234-07:00

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-46855903628726074582010-03-18T15:27:00.000-07:002010-03-18T15:48:16.620-07:00

Image by Getty Images via DaylifeI'm a long-time subscriber to More magazine, which tells me it is "for women of style & substance"So why is Dana Delany on the cover, shirt unbuttoned, bra showing, kneeling on what looks to be a bed? That's style and substance?It's bad enough that every issue tells me to reinvent myself. Apparently I'm not ok as I am.But everyone in every issue is now

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-71588795292724364892010-03-05T11:17:00.000-08:002010-03-05T11:33:33.485-08:00

From Reuters:SOMALI REBELS BANSCIENCE CLASSES

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-74586695254299709072010-02-18T15:43:00.000-08:002010-02-18T15:52:26.491-08:00

Image by Jeffrey723 via FlickrBrian Williams:"Spoiler alert. It was a violent day in Afghanistan as U.S. troops encountered fierce combat. We'll play some music while we run the body count at the bottom of the screen so you may want to turn away."

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-10870037572407975432010-02-13T12:30:00.000-08:002010-02-13T12:59:14.084-08:00

So, I'm watching a chunk of the Opening Ceremonies of the Vancouver Olympics and I notice that the women carrying the country signs identifying each delegation are wearing.....Shorts? Mini skirts? Whatever it is, they are showing a lot of leg.While the men carrying country signs - same job - are wearing pants. Trousers. Legs completely covered.Because?????? If cold air touches their private

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-13743849606740281562010-02-08T07:14:00.001-08:002010-02-08T07:17:36.934-08:00

Who is the artist?

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-52341791235300186312010-02-04T13:53:00.000-08:002010-02-04T13:58:04.403-08:00

Image by Wolf Gang via Flickr"A community of seriously hip observers is a scary and depressing thing." J.D. Salinger

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-85220634251163445142010-01-27T07:09:00.000-08:002010-02-04T13:56:27.105-08:00

Image by Getty Images via DaylifeHere are 10 tips for online marketing success. Be brief.Be useful. Be bold. I've used this blog to learn, to play, to grow. But to be useful to anyone but me, I'm gonna' have to take my own advice.

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-67634675055607566012010-01-21T15:53:00.001-08:002010-01-21T16:10:14.282-08:00

--------Fox News' Steve Doocy --------------- Ex.Sen. Lincoln Chaffee

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-12760168738617112232010-01-17T11:02:00.000-08:002010-01-18T05:25:05.075-08:00

Cover of DreamgirlsAfter stomping countless miles to the Dreamgirls soundtrack, I finally saw it.And was thrilled, jazzed, and puzzled.The new tour of the Broadway musical had reached Minneapolis -- my chance to see what the buzz was all about.After less-than-stellar performances of amateur night at the Apollo which open the show, the Dreamettes entered and the thrill began. The mic'ing was not

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-25470584042572663312010-01-14T08:06:00.000-08:002010-01-14T08:29:29.805-08:00

Image by DFID - UK Department for International Development via FlickrLast night, I told my teenager that I'd made a contribution to help earthquake relief in Haiti. I asked him if he'd like to send some of his allowance."Haiti is another country. When Hurricane Katrina hit, did other countries help us?" he asked. "Yes", I told him, "Including Cuba.""Cuba?!?!"Which then got me wondering about

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-40391067125502682452010-01-09T09:31:00.000-08:002010-01-09T10:04:08.181-08:00

Some phenomenon. Reynaud's is a vasopastic (say what?) syndrome that ....oy, just read the links. Suffice it to say, fingers and toes flash freeze.Twenty years ago, during my first winter in Minnesota, my freezing made me weep as I drove the icy streets. What was going on? I'm not talking about cold. I'm talking frostbitten white, almost instantly.Once the doc gave it a name (Reynaud's), all

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-66299519053651162942010-01-05T10:53:00.000-08:002010-01-05T11:06:51.946-08:00

Cover via AmazonJust finished reading another chapter of Search Engine Optimization: An Hour A Day and got some understanding of meta tags and invisible text, but how am I supposed to learn to write it? Is there (of course there is) HTML class? Because it sure seems like optimization is not possible without HTML. Are there people who do all of this - form and content - for themselves?

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-69884314984548384782010-01-04T12:46:00.001-08:002010-01-04T13:47:07.716-08:00

Image by marciookabe via FlickrHappy 2010 and welcome to a new chapter of Susan 2.0.We're learning SEO. It's time. It may not be the missing link, but there doesn't seem to be much forward movement without it. Of course, in SEO terms, missing links take on a whole new meaning. So we (Who is we? I'm an I) are reading "Search Engine Optimization: An Hour A Day". The title had appeared in more

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-61767527250038531482009-12-22T08:30:00.000-08:002009-12-22T08:45:49.399-08:00

Image by thedabble via Flickr'Twas soon to be #Christmas#SMBMSPAnd tweeters were tweetingLike @NicoleDeBPlus @AlbertMaruggi@keithprivette @rickmahn@sborsch @mitchellhislopAnd @arikhanson@MegCanada tweets @MrChristopherL@bstemmler keeps filming@stremcha rings a bell@chrisnulty and @philson@leeodden @gregswan@quick13 @bradwellmanThe tweets just go on:@mnheadhunter @ThreeDeepAnd @desaraeVAnd @

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-80455034854814373032009-12-21T05:33:00.000-08:002009-12-21T05:36:25.175-08:00

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-46592182341603515962009-12-16T18:18:00.001-08:002009-12-16T18:24:36.349-08:00

Image via WikipediaI made this soup.And the lord saw it and said it was good.So that turkey lived happily ever after.

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-50124473518979116802009-12-13T05:29:00.000-08:002009-12-13T05:57:11.103-08:00

Image by quinn.anya via FlickrMaking me nervous.My goose is cooked because my turkey is not. There's an 18 lb turkey in my fridge, the centerpiece of tonight's Hanukkah meal, and I'm scared.Millions of people have cooked millions of birds and lived to tell the tale. ('tho dead men tell no tales.) Still given my fame as a non-cook, I'm paralyzed as a non-swimmer at the edge of the diving board.

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-15199651497907395382009-12-04T10:36:00.000-08:002009-12-04T10:41:32.192-08:00

Paul Krugman reminds us:Fiscal Respsonsibility = Health Care Reform

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-62211703605336526432009-12-03T07:57:00.000-08:002009-12-03T08:34:40.878-08:00

Image via WikipediaWhy the loon? Because I must be crazy to live here.Just a soupcon of snow and cold elevate my threat level to red. Between my Reynaud's Syndrome, my Seasonal Affective Disorder, my fear of winter driving, my propensity for falling (not to mention my tendency to drama) - my personal department of homeland security says WHAT THE H*LL ARE YOU DOING HERE?!?*Yes, we have a "

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-89058421689743484302009-11-24T07:47:00.000-08:002009-11-24T07:57:16.422-08:00

The biography I lovingly crafted to match MinnPost's Bonafield bio. Only one is a parody. Susan J. Berkson was retired by the Star Tribune after a stint as an Editorial Columnist during which she was the target of so much vitriol she feared for her life. She has also written for PBS, the Christian Science Monitor, the Chicago Tribune, the San Diego Union Tribune, the Seattle Post Intelligencer

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-70000005022905931042009-11-21T11:43:00.001-08:002009-11-21T11:44:49.466-08:00

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-4765659892209924642009-11-20T15:44:00.000-08:002009-11-20T16:27:58.749-08:00

Tammy Wong would be proud of me.Over the summer, Chef Wong of Minneapolis' Rainbow Chinese Restaurant did several cooking demonstrations at the Minneapolis Farmers Market. I helped; not as her sous chef. I just held the microphone and fielded questions, a good use of my skills.Just as there are famous cooks, I am a famous non-cook. Which hasn't stopped me from the occasional experiment.

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-29289952058343344922009-11-12T12:45:00.000-08:002009-11-12T12:54:54.270-08:00

And hides it, too.

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-91418829522872479252009-11-09T13:36:00.000-08:002009-11-12T11:41:03.174-08:00

Image via WikipediaThe battle starts early. Nine hours before the first shot is fired.The soldiers arrive at 3 to gain tactical advantage, 'tho Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 won't be released until midnight.Pfc. Teenage Son was first on the scene, canteen in hand, ready for the fight.At least he didn't wear his BDU.Among the tattooed and pierced at GameStop, that would have offered scant

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-68165349852272114202009-11-07T15:27:00.000-08:002009-11-09T08:03:07.735-08:00

Image via WikipediaTrader Joe's opened today.Already it's bustling with the well-dressed and well-tressed, all of whom seem to have cool glasses, to boot. What am I doing there? Is Trader Joe's fair to farmers?I saw Earthbound Farms broccoli, Michigan apples, Fayge yogurt.Nothing local.Have to check with El Dragon at FairFoodFight. Update:Baquettes are from local New French BakeryHoneycrisp

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-13928819294605572912009-10-31T09:06:00.000-07:002009-10-31T09:19:57.957-07:00

Image by Luca Zappa via Flickr"Mom, it's what kids do in Manhattan," Michael explained.On a weekend in San Francisco, he'd fallen in love with cable car riding, and wanted to head down - solo - to Fisherman's Wharf.The night before, he'd made a successful solo return to the hotel, carrying two souvenirs and change in his pocket. Clearly, he's jumped some gap. Gone beyond spreading his wings to

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-86061310865581135352009-10-23T07:16:00.001-07:002009-10-23T07:20:15.230-07:00

It's not just a bumper sticker. All you locavores who say you support your local farmers, they need you right now. Minnesota's record-setting October cold dealt small farmers a double whammy; first, it knocked down some crops, then it knocked out customers. They simply did not come to market during the cold snap. So business for small farmers, who depend on direct-to-customer sales, went way

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-19494991614230277212009-10-15T08:19:00.000-07:002009-10-15T08:35:44.268-07:00

Sorry, creationists. NickColemanonline is further proof of evolution. One of the best of the old-style, free-swinging newspaper columnists, this former Star Tribune columnist was always at his best unbound and unbowed, and on his own blog, he calls the shots. And his aim is true.

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-83460713589883443172009-10-08T09:35:00.000-07:002009-10-08T12:04:51.427-07:00

In an interview published in today's Washington Post, TARP watchdog Elizabeth Warren says:WARREN: Well, I believe that the middle class is under terrific assault. And I don't want to play this as a capitalism issue.When we compare middle-class families today with their parents a generation ago, we have basically flat earnings-a fully employed male today earns on average about $800 less, adjusted

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-5773480626533995972009-10-05T07:18:00.000-07:002009-10-05T07:38:55.030-07:00

I've been dragging my unwilling 13-year-old to the Minneapolis Farmers Market despite his adolescent lethargy and his personal aversion to crowds. And yesterday, for the first time, I saw him become part of the farmers market community. My game-plan was to shop and help with a demo. Michael's was to buy breakfast, shop and taste the demo results. With a "Peace out," he set off with his

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-29744944438856808582009-09-25T14:18:00.000-07:002009-09-25T17:24:13.967-07:00

Michael has reported for duty.As he galumphed down the stairs in his BDU and combat boots, I thought, "No one in his family would recognize him."He sprung from the most feminist, artistic mother; the most mild-mannered passive father; from a long line of urban Jewish intellectuals. Yet there he is in buzzcut and camo.Due to his enormous size, he looks 18 and scary, 'tho he's 13 and not. He's not

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-74916587544521574972009-09-12T08:20:00.001-07:002009-09-12T08:36:00.188-07:00

President Obama is in Minneapolis today to give a major speech on health care, the most hotly debated issue in the United States.This is the front page of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the so-called "Newspaper of the Twin Cities":Can you find any news about the Obama's speech in Minneapolis?Go ahead, magnify it. Anything? This is supposed to be the newspaper of the Twin Cities. Not the sports

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-47268586116105643862009-09-07T06:59:00.000-07:002009-09-07T07:38:10.093-07:00

Cue the orchestra.Parents of America, wait the 10 second vamp then sing along with me......School finally startsTomorrowBet your bottom dollar thatTomorrowThere'll be schoolJust thinking aboutTomorrowClears away the cobwebs and the sorrowAnd that's coolWhen I suffered his days Of la-zy loafingI'd think, "September 8thCan't come too soon! Ohhhhh!"School finally startsTomorrowBet your bottom

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-35694423842161966972009-08-31T12:43:00.000-07:002009-08-31T13:38:13.909-07:00

That's what PR people call the Minnesota State Fair. And every possible angle has been worked by every media person in town, me includedFor media outlets like Minnesota Public Radio, KARE11-TV, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, and Twin Cities Public Television, I've created all kinds of pieces with all kinds of funny and the occasional dab of serious. But I'd never done a live broadcast from the

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-13049759347203991822009-08-23T15:06:00.001-07:002009-08-23T15:36:18.720-07:00

That's what we tell our kids.So despite my fear of peppers - there was a traumatic pepper incident on my first trip to Texas - I tried a recipe for Salt and Peppers.I worship Rainbow Chinese Chef Tammy Wong, who created it. Writer Katie Cannon, who tried it, said it was simple and ridiculously good. At the Minneapolis Farmers Market, I shopped carefully for immature jalapenos. At home, I

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-42857242782557058532009-08-21T16:02:00.000-07:002009-08-23T15:06:12.059-07:00

For Farmer's Marketin MinneapolisWe won! The Minneapolis Farmers Market is the 2009 Parents Pick for Best Farmers Market in Minneapolis St. Paul. We love our community and we are pleased as punch that they embrace us. We're not an upscale boutique or a manufactured market. We are the real deal, since we began as a haymarket in 1876. We are owned and run by farmers, who bring the best of the

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-82434163732717799992009-08-12T05:37:00.000-07:002009-08-12T12:01:14.269-07:00

New on Bravo: The UnemployablesIt's the underside of the new economy. The real life stories of the men and women that no amount of job searching can place. Bravo's The Unemployables offers a fascinating window into the competitive, pressure-filled environment of the unemployed competing for their shot at the very few jobs available. The series features seventeen aspiring unemployed people

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-2091989690702404432009-08-05T12:39:00.000-07:002009-08-05T12:41:14.839-07:00

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-56499955015406175292009-08-05T09:07:00.001-07:002009-08-05T09:07:33.215-07:00

In Defense of the Minneapolis Farmers MarketPosted using ShareThis

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-36637997629950088052009-08-01T13:51:00.000-07:002009-08-01T14:04:42.685-07:00

Image via WikipediaNo snark today. Just amazing food from Tammy Wong, owner/chef of Rainbow Chinese. It was love at first bite when a co-worker took me to Rainbow Chinese 20 years ago. The asparagus chicken and dry-sauteed string beans were out-of-this-world. Over the years, I'd return, periodically, but once marriage, motherhood and the suburbs took hold, my visits were few.So meeting Tammy

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-34907148845641551022009-07-29T06:25:00.000-07:002009-07-29T06:27:35.010-07:00

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-72045272252989101712009-07-28T08:01:00.000-07:002009-07-28T08:48:59.025-07:00

Image by bfistermn via FlickrListening to a recording of a July 18 conversation between one of my favorite food thinkers, Nicole De Beaufort and one of my favorite food growers, Bonnie Dehn.Critical to have them at the same table; the thinker hears directly from the farmers; what they're thinking, experiencing, feeling, doing. Unfiltered. Organic. Unadulterated.Direct from farm to table.

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-87735199128682472522009-07-17T09:53:00.000-07:002009-07-17T10:04:25.487-07:00

Image via WikipediaWent to the Market this morning in search of my new favorite vegetable, Gai lan. Searched. And Searched. And searched.In vain. It's gone. The season's over. A sigh of sadness and I moved on to what's in season.Raspberries. Sweet fruit rubies.And since the season is short, I bought 4 pints.Which should last a day or two.

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-33539250029930651662009-07-14T10:10:00.000-07:002009-07-14T10:34:56.371-07:00

Image by jesssloss via FlickrTo paraphrase Richard Nixon, I am not a cook.It was just a few years ago that I first tasted the difference fresh herbs make. So having absorbed the "most garlic comes from China" lesson, I picked up fresh garlic from Nao Tang at the Minneapolis Farmers Market. Chopped it, threw it in the frying bang and BingBangBoom! Garlic explosion! I was enveloped in fruity

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-18032938883763566032009-07-11T12:01:00.000-07:002009-07-11T13:13:12.005-07:00

Image by Getty Images via DaylifeMy on-the-job education at the Minneapolis Farmers Market continues.Today Andrew Zimmern, host of the Travel Channel's Bizarre Foods, was our guest on a live broadcast of Fresh and Local. What makes a food bizarre? When it is unfamiliar and unexpected. It reflects our environment and our culture; as well as war and peace; love and loss; famine and prosperity.The

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-67485528392752911572009-07-09T16:06:00.001-07:002009-07-09T16:06:25.867-07:00

I found this fascinating quote today:So this post by Whitney Hoffman on the power of “no” stopped me in my tracks. And it made me reflect on the fact that our expectations have changed for what we’re entitled to have and get for free. There’s a fine line between asking for someone’s input or sharing in someone’s valuable content, and taking advantage of someone’s expertise and livelihood. Where’s

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-64942403352741941912009-07-02T13:04:00.000-07:002009-07-02T13:19:41.791-07:00

Image by 囧-WQ-囧 via FlickrAs part of my journey to the new (new ways of thinking, eating, living, communicating), I gathered the new knowledge I'd gleaned about mulberries and gathered.Mulberries. I gathered the mulberries growing wild outside. Waiting for the third consecutive sunny day, I set a sheet underneath the most heavy-laden branches of the mulberry tree.Then I shook them.Now I have a

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-91995100515709749152009-06-24T18:05:00.000-07:002009-06-24T18:13:52.998-07:00

Image by Getty Images via DaylifeMy 13-year-old fact-quoting Asperger's egghead has found an app called Cool Facts.Which is just that: an unending collecting of cool facts.Its the last things he needs. He is already a storehouse of arcane trivia, a Jeopardy champ in the making.With the iPod Touch in his hand, he never shuts up. What he needs - what all kids with Asperger's need - is as an app

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-11981228979418963642009-06-21T08:56:00.000-07:002009-06-21T14:01:58.581-07:00

Image by livewombat via FlickrThere's a discount clothing store in New York called Syms which advertises "An educated consumer is our best customer."That's how I feel about the Minneapolis Farmers Market (MFM). I am fortunate to be working on a project for the Minneapolis Farmers Market. It's a project I love, and while I've come to enjoy the MFM, it wasn't until today that I fully appreciated

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-1615425335089194632009-06-12T14:36:00.000-07:002009-06-12T15:00:08.813-07:00

Image by Brain Toad Photography via FlickrThe real Bubbies.The Sophies, Muries, Sylvias, and Ettas:Apologies."The Real Housewives of New Jersey" have absconded with the word "bubbies" to describe their breasts. And it's a shande.Just today I read that Real Housewife Danielle Staub has had her bubbies done. Two times.This you call a housewife? A balabusta she's not. And exactly what she's done

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-37255235700456639312009-06-10T07:12:00.000-07:002009-06-10T11:39:44.368-07:00

Image via CrunchBaseAs I've trudged through the mass migration from old media to new, I've trod many paths.I'm a Facebook failure. Not popular enough.As a blogger, others are wittier.As for establishing a personal brand, I have none.But twittering -- for others -- is a fit.That's where my ability to clarify conversations shines. Taking useful content. Boiling it down to 140 characters. The

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-19323488215021357672009-06-06T15:06:00.000-07:002009-06-06T15:14:53.590-07:00

Any theater where people sit through this dreadful movie is, indeed, Land of the Lost.No style. No coherent vision. Not much laughter.My 13-year-old was elsewhere in the theater, so I sat through it in stunned resignation.And Will Ferrell? His schtick has been funny in the past ("Anchorman"), but his moment may have passed. It doesn't carry this dreckfest.

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-14347812601412888572009-06-05T08:20:00.001-07:002009-06-05T08:33:52.704-07:00

Image via CrunchBaseMinnPost - Braublog: Mpls.St.Paul mag kills 'Lambert to the Slaughter'Shared via AddThisTheir loss. Somebody else's gain.Brian Lambert provides great content: the most cogent media criticism in town. Funny and incisive. I'll follow him wherever he appears. MSP loses. Somebody else gains.

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-41345038877377602302009-06-03T08:09:00.000-07:002009-06-03T09:32:33.290-07:00

I'm at Career Conference with a different crowd. A crowd that looks like me. Not the young, hip social media crowd. A mature, loose jawed, somewhat weary-looking over-50 crowd.The keynote speaker was 63-year-old comedian, Susan Vass. Her material was not new, but the crowd loved her. Now a panel of "Success Stories".Barb Olson, who is now happy at the University of St. Thomas, told herself

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-27823840568769429502009-05-27T07:30:00.000-07:002009-05-27T07:38:10.876-07:00

Image via WikipediaI grew up in the same small town as Chief Justice John Roberts. My time at Princeton overlapped with that of Supreme Court Nominee Sonia Sotomayor. And I knew neither.

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-64415248832631572182009-05-26T11:18:00.000-07:002009-05-26T11:31:17.204-07:00

Image by Getty Images via DaylifeWho would allow herself to be labeled a "Real Housewife of fill in the blank" and have the camera track her every move?Me. Now that I know the Real Housewives of New York are getting $30,000 an episode, I'm ready to sign.I'd put up with being mic'ed and gossiped about. It's not a bad way to make a living.A good living at that. Bravo, I promise I wouldn't push a

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-11603203299304874282009-05-18T11:38:00.001-07:002009-05-18T11:43:52.351-07:00

Visited a friend this weekend who still subscribes to Ye Olde Star Tribune.It lay on her kitchen table with the other detritus of Saturday morning; coffee, spoons, cereal bowls. "I like the feel of it. I like the routine," she explained. She'd best enjoy it while she can.

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-88799992594075562752009-05-15T10:20:00.001-07:002009-05-15T10:33:25.729-07:00

Image by jennifermackenziejones via FlickrThis morning, in three hours, I knocked out three big projects. The deadline had been looming on my calendar for weeks while I did various other things; dawdled, drank coffee, mused, and cooked.Any creative person will tell you that good work requires cooking time; not just the years spent training, but the days spent cooking; observing, thinking,

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-50441511600603070362009-05-13T19:23:00.000-07:002009-05-13T19:41:04.669-07:00

Image via WikipediaMy soon-to-be-13-year-old son likes his hair cut short, military style; and on his hunka' chunka' husky frame, it's just plain wrong. He has great, thick, wavy hair and kept a moderate length, he looks pretty darn good. Buzzed-off, Quantico style, he looks f-a-t. There's no crime in that. But my personal vanity gets wounded. Now he's joined the Civil Air Patrol Cadets, and

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-32725440848304878272009-05-09T07:26:00.001-07:002009-05-09T07:33:13.825-07:00

Image by StreetFly JZ via FlickrMultimedia from NYTimes.com:On the Street | In Bud At the annual lunch of the Women’s Committee of the park’s conservancy, the fashion included extravagant millinery and a new fashion note, the cardigan sweater subbing for the structured jacket.

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-39674303476542243092009-05-07T10:48:00.000-07:002009-05-07T10:55:38.801-07:00

Look what just appeared in my inbox: A recruitment letter from a pesticide companyLetter to meshow details 12:33 PM (14 minutes ago)Thursday, May 07, 2009Dear Confidential Jobseeker,My name is ........... the Sales Manager for a company which has had consistent growth year over year. Yahoo! Finance even had an article recently about TruGreen hiring 2,300 people nationwide. During this

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-56042297867254401322009-04-30T08:24:00.000-07:002009-04-30T08:33:39.812-07:00

Image via WikipediaSince my son announced he would not eat out until after swine flu had passed, I decided to go to the discount grocery, Aldi's, and stock up. Couldn't hurt, right? And what if things got worse and we were quarantined?When I arrived at Aldi's, about 30 people were waiting for the doors to open. I assumed they were there on the same mission: to stock up on supplies before

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-61559886049342599852009-04-29T17:25:00.000-07:002009-04-29T18:23:11.159-07:00

Image via WikipediaSwine flu news is pandemic. I have finally managed to wean myself from the 24/7 news cycle, turning off TV and staying away from news sites. I am following CDC on twitter, which is useful, not overload.It's a different matter for my 12-year-old. Glued to CNN, he reminds me that this is his first pandemic. I tell him about others; polio in the 50's, swine flu in the '70's.

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-62946804251331414702009-04-28T06:25:00.000-07:002009-04-30T01:58:18.447-07:00

Image via WikipediaNow that a spring rain has washed away the last of winter, curious things are appearing in the yard. Strange, multicolored bits of plastic.Imagine if an archaeologist were excavating here. What would they make of these?The remains of a spring fruit ritual?What would archaeologists find in your yard and what would they think?

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-47821930936744827262009-04-27T17:41:00.001-07:002009-04-27T17:50:44.478-07:00

Such as they are.Tale #1. To my shopping list (coffee, greens, milk, borax, pears, peas, beans, bread), I added flu masks. And Cub Foods had none. Walgreens had none.Tale #2. Drove my son to his CAP Cadet program tonight at the Air Force Reserve station. As we slowly approached the guard at the gate, ("Ten miles per hour, Mom!" Michael cautioned), I thought, "Or what? They'll shoot me?"

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-19160612057793722812009-04-26T16:09:00.000-07:002009-04-26T16:14:09.472-07:00

So far. What is 70 or 80 years? Not much. Yet the world of these pictures is gone. And largely forgotten.

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-33334800915241808772009-04-24T12:48:00.000-07:002009-04-24T13:01:25.913-07:00

Image by Zesmerelda via FlickrBeen twittering for several months now and am just about twittered out. Really have nothing to say. Few do. Most of the "peeps" (people) I follow twitter about new media, which interested me when it was new to me. But now it's not. Yes, it's a sea change. Yes, it's a revolution in the way we do business, but it's just a tool. I'm familiar with it now and I use

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-19918870961779754072009-04-21T15:28:00.000-07:002009-04-21T15:37:52.536-07:00

Here's some new media that's been picked up by old media. Angie Gerber made a YouTube video that features her kids asking you to hire their mommy. It was picked up and broadcast by WCCO-TV, the local CBS affiliate. Word of the broadcast was tweeted by MNheadhunter, who I follow. I went to YouTube, watched it, embedded it here on my blog, and now Angie Gerber is an internet sensation.

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-32212126355286459772009-04-15T11:49:00.000-07:002009-04-15T12:05:30.699-07:00

By now, everyone's seen Susan Boyle, the over-40 singing sensation from Britain's "You've Got Talent" show. She's the new poster child for "You Can't Judge a Book By Its Cover" ; the antithesis of every 40-something woman on reality TV: un-retouched, un-botoxed, uncut by cosmetic surgery, unassuming, unpretentious, yet wonderfully talented.Who woulda' thunk? Not Simon Cowell or any of the

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-33023195399713579272009-04-13T07:12:00.000-07:002009-04-13T07:24:32.977-07:00

Lucky us in Minnesota's 3rd Congressional District. It's the healthiest place to live in the state, according to a new report from Gallop and Healthways. The well-being index is made up of six metrics: life evaluation, emotional health, physical health, healthy behavior, work environment and basic access.The Third District, which includes the western suburbs, is Minnesota’s top-ranked place to

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-51356114960097840732009-04-03T12:36:00.001-07:002009-04-03T17:12:22.255-07:00

At Least 12 Slain in Binghamton, N.Y. By MITCHELL L. BLUMENTHAL and LIZ ROBBINSPublished: April 3, 2009Twelve or 13 people were killed when a gunman opened fire in an immigration services center in Binghamton, N.Y., Gov. David A. Paterson said Friday.How many was it at the mall in Omaha? The college in Virginia? Illinois? Louisiana? The Amish school in Pennysylvania? Columbine? When is it

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-84781394895751239592009-04-03T08:00:00.000-07:002009-04-03T09:12:04.018-07:00

Image via WikipediaToday's toxin: Rocket FuelIn baby formulaNow you can have both: toxins in the bottle and toxins in the formula.

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-67837551296070004552009-03-31T10:43:00.001-07:002009-04-01T10:32:46.034-07:00

Today's scary headline, "Scientists find 'baffling' link between autism and vinyl floors"sent me running back in time to my son's room in 1996. Did we have vinyl? When was the Pergo installed? Does it matter now? Did it matter then?Probably not, says Dr. Phillip Landrigan, director of the Children's Environmental Health Center at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Landrigan has "no doubt that

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-86388554512880104512009-03-29T14:22:00.000-07:002009-03-29T14:27:52.175-07:00

Watch CBS Videos OnlineEverything old is new again.

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-24401290179063794932009-03-23T11:29:00.000-07:002009-03-23T11:55:21.018-07:00

Image by Getty Images via DaylifeAsperger's Syndrome does not make someone a murderer. So a big fat razzberry to Twin Cities attorney Alan Margoles who claims his client Michael John Anderson committed murder because he has Asperger's. People with Asperger's are characterized by many traits, including, as the Star Tribune relates, "clumsiness and eccentric speech and behavior". But murder?

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-73200391658622521152009-03-14T16:45:00.000-07:002009-03-14T16:50:36.028-07:00

Great article on Gawker about what really killed print media.  And more importantly, what comes next.  The answer:  Nobody knows.  Because this is a revolution, and in a revolution, "the old stuff gets broken before the new stuff gets put in its place."

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-77506480602449225822009-03-13T06:35:00.000-07:002009-03-13T06:56:42.590-07:00

Image via WikipediaMany People Wouldn't Care if Local Papers folded says a survey from the Pew Organization. People don't know what they'd miss. I no longer subscribe to daily papers, but when I pick up a copy at the gym, I get a glimpse of a world I'd forgotten about.The most poignant, heart-stopping moment is when I turn to the obituaries: a little slice of Grover's Corners, where time stops.

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-43280303845240156712009-03-12T10:26:00.000-07:002009-03-12T13:07:22.414-07:00

Enough form. After three months learning new web tools, its time to move on to content.After all, what's Web 2.0 all about? Content S - Searching for content L - Linking to content A - Authoring content T - Tagging content E - Extensions to content S - Signaling new content (RSS)Sharing, authoring, tagging content. Useful, usable, enjoyable content.

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-370029364807903622009-03-10T13:00:00.000-07:002009-03-10T13:15:16.362-07:00

Three months ago, adrift in a sea of new media, I began blogging. Struggling to keep my head above water, I stumbled upon (not in the 2.0 sense) Phil Wilson's list of 20 things journalists should know now or learn very, very soon on his aptly named website, RemainComm.  (Good advice when you feel overwhelmed.) The list became my roadmap.    Blog?  Check.  Embed pix and videos?  Check.  Domain

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-42327856437836006512009-03-10T08:23:00.000-07:002009-03-10T12:55:51.263-07:00

What's more newsworthy: a) for the first time I have embedded video b) this Bollywood-style video by an Israeli Defense contractor trying to impress an Indian client.Either way, enjoy the film, as I enjoy my new embedding triumph.

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-12657691183178326852009-03-09T14:30:00.000-07:002009-03-09T14:53:20.620-07:00

Image via WikipediaRoger Ebert writes:Snarking is cultural vandalism. I have arrived at this conclusion belatedly. I have been guilty of snarking, and of enjoying snarks. In the matter of snarking, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child. But it has grown entirely out of hand. It is time to put away childish things. I must restore my balance, view the world in a fair way

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-44873555472284721202009-03-09T09:05:00.001-07:002009-03-09T09:15:37.660-07:00

Image by Getty Images via DaylifeShould Michelle cover up? asks Maureen Dowd in the New York Times.In a burqua? What are we, Iran? It's bad enough that so much media attention has been devoted to Michelle Obama's appearance (toned arms, sleeveless dresses). ......... But when a Sunday columnist in the New York Times asks if a woman should "cover up," something is very wrong.Susan Berkson,

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-19298166219429535202009-03-08T14:32:00.000-07:002009-03-08T14:33:41.321-07:00

I just joined Plaxo.  Why?  How many networks are enough?

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-76862958289855124192009-03-08T07:39:00.000-07:002009-03-08T08:04:21.431-07:00

Image by Getty Images via DaylifeShould Michelle cover up? asks Maureen Dowd in the New York Times.In a burqua? What are we, Iran? It's bad enough that so much media attention has been devoted to Michelle Obama's appearance (toned arms, sleeveless dresses). But now Maureen Dowd, the only woman with a regular OpEd column in the newspaper of record, devotes her Sunday platform to an analysis of

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-59516495647580899202009-03-07T06:46:00.001-08:002009-03-07T08:39:41.732-08:00

U R not.I M here at the unsummit.  Does this raise what Joseph Reuter calls my "social capital" score? What is your social capital score?  How do you tally it?  Facebook friends?  Google searches?  Number of networks?  Steve Borsch says the new paradigm is about making associations.  That's what I do. Reuter says its getting the right brain people to talk to the left brain people. To take the big

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-61578410074218744232009-03-05T15:07:00.000-08:002009-03-05T15:25:28.320-08:00

Image by sarahbest via FlickrOh my!I just added another badge to this page for a total of seven? Eight? Who knows? I add a badge (or widget or gadget) every couple of days. I feel like a scout collecting merit badges, although there's little merit involved in these badges. There was the initial thrill of learning how and where to paste in html code, but that's gone, and none of these badges

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867990740925010598.post-9997129757989122222009-03-03T09:13:00.000-08:002009-03-03T14:31:45.630-08:00

Image via WikipediaTen of this, seven of that; web 2.0 is bursting with lists. Making lists is touted as one of the cardinal rules of blogging. There are so many lists that there are lists outlining how to deal with lists. Today's lists included How to be more productive with social media; another list of things to do with social media, many of them lists.I'm listing, already. I'm sinking.

Susan Berksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14922362796629650957noreply@blogger.com0