me: http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2010/06/28/journalism/index.html me: things are about to get easier for us Clark: hang on , I will take a look Clark: I'm on a mobile connection and Slate's cover-up advertising has overwhelmed it, I will be back in a few minutes. Clark: Wonderful, I just put a link to it on the Workshop blog. me: Greenwald is basically my top prospect me: I've been praising him for years me: he's entirely emblematic of what I think we all want Clark: Maybe we should throw together some presentation material and make a formal pitch to him -- is he still here in Chicago? me: I believe so me: I'm going to be writing up what should serve as a better elevator pitch for PM me: as the Wash Post editorial board woman has gotten back to me asking for more info me: and I haven't done a very good job describing the project as a whole thus far Clark: Need a diagram/chart/graphic of the network, not for putting online, but for clarifying the concept to seriously interested parties me: so I'll prepare those materials me: yeah, that I need for Sam Apple me: and also for our participants, yes me: I'll be in Dallas in a couple hours, have decided to stay for six months and skip Mexico for now me: as I managed to get an apartment with a pool Clark: last time i was in Dallas it was in the month of May, and I said, how come nobody's in the pool? Answer: it's too cold. It was 85. me: when I was 17 me: that summer we had record heat for as far back as the records went me: over 100 for something like 100 days in a row me: for some reason we spent that summer smoking weed in the woods me: and frankly, it just wasn't very comfortable me: I actually sort of question my judgement Clark: Places you grew up in, you can't escape your affinity for them, I spend most of my time 20 miles from where I grew up, in the midst of endless corn fields. me: actually my friend Caleb, whom I grew up with, won't step foot in Dallas me: even though he now lives in Tyler me: at any rate, it's a fine city, I think me: I've only been to the airport in Chicago me: I had no idea you had Mexicans and I have no idea why a Mexican would want to go there me: no offense me: hey, have we not heard back from Farley on engineering stuff? me: the patent lawyer? Clark: A set of nice looking documents, that can be read pretty quickly, to be used for a day-before delivery in connection with an in-person presentation, would be useful to have ready, since you will be too busy to prepare such once your book comes out, but you will probably have occasion for such, whether or not Greenwald will entertain us me: yeah, I already have a need for it. Also, you want to talk on the phone later today, I wanted to discuss this Faster Times/Sam Apple route with you me: can't remember if I've mentioned in yet Clark: Chicago still has ethnic neighborhoods, they serve as magnet for many immigrant groups me: also, I'm going over my notes on what most needs to be done from my end on PM, let me know what you think my priorities should be other than choosing a programmer, I apologize for my disorganization lately Clark: OK, can I give you a call this afternoon, I have a meeting with a moving company this morning, I am trying to free myself from a disastrous real estate situation here in Chicago Clark: Actually, I think forcing ourselves to put on paper some descriptive material will serve a lot of those purposes at once, the programmer, the possible affiliations, and going after really desirable connections, like Greenwald me: absolutely, I've got another VF piece to write today but should be able to do it tomorrow Clark: I do not think you want to go public with this really specif material, however me: actual tomorrow, not Barrett Tomorrow Clark: specific me: we'll keep it to ourselves until we review it and make a decision on what to make public, then Clark: If greenwald is in chicago, and would meet with you or us, we should consider pitching in person, only cost would be a ticket on southwest, I think me: that'd certainly be worth it me: I'll send him an e-mail and feel him out later today me: Sullivan is also a possibility as he linked to my piece the other day and talked to me a bit via e-mail Clark: I like Greenwald better me: me too Clark: After your VF stuff is done, doodle some diagrams, and we can figure out how to pass them back and forth me: sure, I can do that with adequate snazziness in one of my paint programs Clark: one thing I learned by watching one of my colleagues fall on her face, was that conceptual and factual accuracy in graphics is way more important than visual pleasingness, and if your diagram is really pretty and there is something off in the substance, it is worse than if the same problem was present in a plain jane chart me: certainly, that basically goes to the heart of our agenda me: I'll keep it simple, don't worry Clark: Is Mintz OK? he seems to have been pretty scarce lately me: I imagine so, think he's been stressed about whatever academic thing he's up to Clark: he is pretty young, I guess? me: I haven't talked to him directly for a while, just seen the same e-mails you have me: I believe so me: probably my age Clark: I am thinking that I need to start widening the circle I e-mail to, since the blog has not really caught on, but I think presentation material is maybe the priority of the moment, since you have these opportunities coming in now, rather than when I sort of expected them, in connection with your book me: yes, as soon as the materials are ready we'll implement a more expanded discussion me: also me: reddit might be a good temporary method of doing this me: otherwise, e-mail me: we'll have to give it some thought over the next days me: I should be able to get an estimate of when our software will be ready me: within the next week me: Sam Apple recommended a programmer and I've been talking to others, have to decide Clark: it also crossed my mind that maybe Project PM should have a facebook page--but I do not personally like facebook, but that may be just my age me: it's not your age me: anyway, not a bad idea, really me: although me: there's that anti-Facebook reaction me: reddit might be better Clark: the premise of it seemed to be that I wanted to develop mutual friendships with my friends' friends and even my relatives' friends, and as soon as I got an e-mail from some lady in my cousin's church, I cancelled my account Clark: not because she was churchy, but I just didnt want to know her Clark: ok, I will explore reddit some more Clark: but greenwald firist Clark: George Will even showed him some respect Clark: not that GW's respect is important, it was just surprising me: who, Hastings? me: or Greenwald? Clark: Greenwald me: oh, also, got new Skeptical Inquirer column going up today, it's a little disjointed but addresses the internet question me: by which I mean that damned book Clark: Carr? me: yeah me: I've only seen excerpts and reviews me: but from what I've heard and seen me: it's just not a good argument me: still, I'm trying to think up a sort of universal refutation Clark: i imagine it would not be hard to find some well-credentialed shrink who would debunk the testing parts of his argument Clark: and thats all he has, really, the rest is mostly conjecture Clark: I wish I was younger, I would go get a quickie Masters in Counseling and start making money treating all the brain-damaged internet users Clark: best new diagnosis since multiple personality disorder me: information addiction rehab will be the new thing me: they already have online game rehab in China me: and they need it, frankly Clark: what is the therapy, joysticks that deliver shocks? me: I think they just make them march around me: it's China Clark: it sounds like Carr is actually saying that internet usage actually alters the brain, and I suppose that is possible, but he equates that with reduced quality of thinking, which is surely bogus me: did you see the article in Edge? me: I referenced it a couple columns ago in Skeptical Inquirer me: they asked several neuroscientists me: they're split on cognitive me: effects me: but it didn't make clear whether these scientists were engaged in actual research on the matter me: the answers inclined me to think they weren't Clark: were the neuroscientists actually practitioners of biological science or neuropsychologists me: that wasn't specified, either Clark: the latter seem to me to have a racket going, they take advantage the general looseness of the psychology profession but give themselves the extra authority of science Clark: good psychologists do good things, but the profession as a whole includes a lot of whores Clark: I got my moving man here, so I will give you a call later in the day about sam apple and faster times me: okay, later