I'm on NPR

I was on NPR's "Talk of the Nation" today talking about President Obama's recent reversal of a condolence letters policy that until now has excluded those servicemen and servicewomen who kill themselves in combat zones.

You can listen to the story online here.

I wrote about the decision on my Forbes blog: "The Problem with Obama's Combat Zone Suicide Condolence Letters."

My interviews with combat veterans are at The War Project.

[Image by Zoriah]

Let's all get politically incorrect

Last week I mentioned I was interviewed on KPCC radio.

I wrote about my experience on that show, "Politically Incorrect," and obtusely posited 21st century journalism as its own unique brand of prostitution on True/Slant here.

If you want to listen to me sound like a 14-year-old, get indignant, and talk about teachable moments, the show is online here.

I'm on the radio (updated)

Today, I'll be on 89.3 KPCC, Southern California Public Radio, talking about this blog post.

The issue at hand is The Entryway, a project two young Caucasian women journalists created that is based on their experiences self-embedding in MacArthur Park. Several have spoken out against the project, suggesting it's racist, while others have been more supportive. I'll be arguing the latter.

Check back here for details.

Update: This episode of "Off-Ramp" will air this Saturday. I'll post the details when I have them. I believe it will be available as a podcast, as well.

Float

Yesterday, I was interviewed by a writer for the New York Times Magazine. It's for a story that has to do with new media, including True/Slant, where I blog at Off the Record.

During the course of the interview, the writer asked me about how some of the other bloggers at True/Slant were apparently using their opportunity at this relatively new venue to transition into a new subject. They were carving out a new niche. And when he asked me about that, if that was something I was doing, I realized I had completely forgotten that was my original intention.

For the past few months, especially in recent weeks, I've had a hard time moving forward on a new long-term project that I've referred to a few times here over the last six months or so. For a time, Chris Bishop was illustrating, designing, and building it, but about a week ago, he finished.

And then, there it was again, and someone asking, well, what about that?, and I had sort of forgotten, and I didn't really know what to say. I stammered something to the effect of, well, yes, I had wanted to change, and then, in one way or another, he asked me, well, why hadn't I, moved forward on this new project, and in my head, I thought, I don't know.

I thought about explaining that it was for personal reasons, but in the context of an interview, that would have sounded like I was saying, well, I'm not going to discuss that with you, although, had I said it, that's not what I would have meant. I would have meant, Because I find myself unable to move forward on it, and I don't know why.

Which is how I end up writing things like this.

I wish I wasn't conflicted. Sometimes I think the only reason I am conflicted is because I have the luxury of being so. Internal conflict is a real first-world problem, isn't it? Real conflict, on the other hand, affords you nothing. It points at the decision and screeches MAKE IT, so you do.