Summer 2009 - Working Hard

I've spent the last six months writing my book Wall of Words: A Citizen's Guide to Energy and Climate Change. An old writer I met once told me that it took him two years to write a book so I was a bit amazed at how quick it wrote. I did some research though and found out that it's common for a novel to take 2-3 years to write but that nonfiction projects can range anywhere from three months to six months so I think I'm in the ballpark with my work.

I've still had some time to hit the greens with a few friends and neighbors which has been fun. It's been a cooler year than normal so not as stiffling to play in Georgia as in other years. All in all, it's shaping up to be a good year.

Now for the hard work of selling the book and standing up a company. Fun stuff.

Summer 2009 - Reading

Researching and writing a book doesn't leave much room for any serious reading; so no personal enjoyment book reading for me. I have to admit that I have been reading the Rolling Stone Magazine. Here's why, "it's unappologietically liberal." What do I mean by that? Well, while many news magazines and and television news shows claim to be unbiased journalistic sources, I'm finding more and more that they slant their reporting to their self interests. Fox News is clearly a Pro Republican television channel. NBC News, is clearly pro Democrat and pro General Electric green technologies. So as a moderate my choices are limited. I can watch FoxNews which will give me the Republican view while claiming to be fair and balanced or I can watch NBC News or CNN and get the liberal view all the while they claim the highest of journalistic integrity...or I can get the Rolling Stone who will unapologetically boil down a story in a fairly concise manner. And....when I read a liberal slant in a Rolling Stone article...NO APOLOGIES, I'm reading the Rolling Stone! What did I expect? Fair and Balanced? Heck no. That said, the Rolling Stone articles are great.

The Rolling Stone....well it's pro S*x, Drugs, and Rock and Roll and anything that aligns with that general viewpoint. I don't do drugs but I do love Rock and Roll and whenever I read anything in the Rolling Stone, I know it's going to be pro that (S*x, Drugs, and Rock and Roll). It's a known quantity and it's unappologetic in it's position. I find that refreshing.

Don't get me wrong on NBC, NBC News is my primary source of evening news and I have to hand it to Brian Williams, he works very hard at being unbiased and professional: I appreciate that. At the same time, some of the reports that are carried make me truly wonder. So, back to the Rolling Stone I go. Lately I've found it's journalistic articles to be better than the Economist's, the standard for worldwide news these days.

It's a sad day in the journalistic world when the Rolling Stone stands higher than the evening news and the Economist to get a fair take on a story. Way to go Rolling Stone and thank you for being yourself.