Being Amber Rhea

PodCamp Atlanta was one year ago. It was a rollicking good time, and a hell of a lot has happened since then! At the moment, it doesn’t look like there will be a 2008 installation of PodCamp Atlanta, because no one has stepped up to organize it yet. So if you think there should be one, don’t just sit there and complain… organize one!

Some photos from last year:

Many more here.

The first-ever video episode of Mostly ITP, about our experience PodCamp Nashville, is done. Behold:

Click To Play

You can also see it here.

I’ve been trying to decide whether or not I want to be the main organizer of PodCamp Atlanta again in 2008. Lately, I’m leaning toward ‘no.’

Being in charge of the first PodCamp Atlanta was exhilarating and I wouldn’t change anything about it. But I think this time around, someone else should be in charge and put their own spin on it.

Since I scheduled both of them, I’ve known for months about PodCamp Atlanta ’08’s proximity to Sex 2.0. People have asked, “Can you do that?” Sure, I can. But the more important question to me now is, do I want to? Because if PodCamp starts to feel at all like an obligation instead of something fun, then I know I shouldn’t be the one leading the effort.

When PodCamp Atlanta ‘07 was in the planning stages, the social media climate (god, did I just use the phrase “social media climate?”) in the Southeast was different from what it is now. It was very nascent at that time (in terms of events, that is; not in terms of how many people were blogging or whatever). SoCon07 was being planned at the same time, and was held in February 2007, as Atlanta’s first social media conference. Since then, there have been tons of other events and gatherings. There’s no shortage of people in this city who could easily lead the PodCamp effort in ‘08.

One thing I know about myself is, I have a history of taking on too much and cleaning up the mess if other people drop the ball. And it takes a toll on me, physically and emotionally. I don’t want to be put into high-stress mode come April of next year, when what I should be doing is celebrating and having fun.

Sex 2.0 is where my heart and soul is, and that’s where I want to focus my energy. Obviously, I will happily be involved with PodCamp, just as I will happily be involved with any social media coolness in the Atlanta area. To whomever ends up taking PodCamp and running with it, I’ve got a collection of great quotes about PodCamp ‘07 that can be used on promotional materials for next year, including Julie Squires saying, “PodCamp Atlanta changed my life.” That’s sure to rope in some sponsor dollars! :)

This post will be an amalgamation of emails…

First, I received this email from Chris Brogan:

I might have venue space for a PodCamp Atlanta on Dec 5-6. Weekday timeframe, so I know it might draw different, or might not work out for you. What do you think?

I replied that I would be out of town Dec. 6-7, and that I’m currently too overloaded with other projects at the moment to take on anything else, but that it sounds like a good idea and if people are interested, we should try to do it. (A weekday timeframe isn’t great for me personally, because I work during the week, but I think the fact that it would draw a different crowd makes it an interesting idea.) So I sent this email to the Atlanta Podcasters Google group and the PodCamp Atlanta Google group:

See note below from Chris Brogan. The location is Cobb Galleria. I think doing a “mini” PodCamp Atlanta would be cool; however, I’m going to be out of town on Dec. 6th, and have a lot going on between now and then, so I really cannot commit to being the organizer. If anyone else is interested in seeing this happen, please reply ASAP. I will forward names of those interested to Chris.

The only responses I received were two terse emails which basically dismissed the entire idea out of hand.

Today I emailed both groups again:

Okay, well, so far, the only responses I’ve gotten have been two people saying they don’t think a mid-week PodCamp would work. (Which I take to mean, *they* wouldn’t come to a mid-week PodCamp. Whether anyone else would come is another matter entirely, but I’ve not received any other input.) I still think it would be a good idea and a worthy experiment, if nothing else; but like I said, I am not able to take on the task of single-handedly organizing it right now. So, I’ll give it until the end of this week for someone else to volunteer to handle things (it wouldn’t be a ton of work, if you’re on the fence) and if no one speaks up, then we’ll just nix the idea of a December mini-PodCamp Atlanta.

Frankly, I think it would not be a big deal to do this and make it very hardcore BarCamp-style. That is, no advance planning of sessions, people just show up and propose sessions the day of, and then see where things go. Get your own food, no T-shirts or other fancy schwag, just people hanging out and sharing good ideas and conversation. (Side note: if I hear the word “conversation” used to describe the ethos of social media one more time, I think I might vomit.) Brogan seems to think there needs to be more advance organizing than that, and generally I would be inclined to agree, since I don’t like leaving stuff up to chance - it makes me nervous and sometimes physically ill. But I think that if this is a “mini” PodCamp, there’s no need to go overboard. But he’s apparently not comfortable doing it without something a little more formal. And I can understand that.

So if any of y’all are interested, please speak up ASAP. Otherwise, I hope you’ll still plan to participate in the next full-on PodCamp Atlanta, which is scheduled for May 17-18, 2008. (And I will need a lot of planning assistance with that, so consider this your heads-up!)

If interested, comment here, email one of the groups, and/or email me directly. Thanks.

Created by Larry Lawfer of YourStorys. In it, Chris Penn gives a shout-out to PodCamp Atlanta for getting an AP story. :)

Click To Play

Congrats to everyone involved in all things PodCamp!

“PodCamp Atlanta changed my life.” - Julie Squires

Without a doubt, that’s going in the promotional materials for 2008!

Also, Tim Moenk said something about web 2.0 stuff being a “lifestyle choice.” It was both funny and insightful, but I can’t remember the exact quote, so I can’t post it. Oh, and also, there was conversation about the difference between willingly putting information about yourself out there, vs. the government or whoever else taking such information against your will (and without your knowledge). Why aren’t more people talking about this rather obvious distinction?

Haven’t gotten around to fixing my CSS on the permalink page yet. Remember: patience is a virtue, dear readers.

The Online International Podcasting Expo is coming up this weekend, April 20-21. I’ll be leading a session Saturday morning at 11:30 a.m. EST, entitled “Organizing a PodCamp in Your Area.”

Full text of the official Expo announcement is below (edited slightly to add links and correct typos).

Learn How To Podcast for Free at the Online International Podcasting Expo, April 20-21.

The success of PodCamp Atlanta and PodCamp NYC proves that podcasting is an incredibly effective tool for entrepreneurs and people passionate about what they promote. People fly from all over the world to visit the Portable Media and Podcast Expo every fall to see the newest in technology and meet with other podcasters in person. Once touted as a fad, podcasting has become a respected tool for broadcast companies, media outlets, blue chip companies and entrepreneurs.

Every spring, the Online International Podcasting Expo opens its virtual doors and offers over 35 audio/visual sessions by respected podcasters from around the world. Sponsored by Pamela Systems, the creator of the Skype digital assistant named “Pamela,” Revolution Wealth TV, and 1st Podcast Publishing, this Podcasting Expo makes it extremely easy and affordable for anyone in the world with an internet connection to participate in classes and networking sessions. In addition, all 35+ hours of sessions are recorded and sent to attendees on data DVD after the Expo, with access to a downloadable library available right after the Podcast Expo.

Visitors can participate in three (3) free audio/visual Podcast Instruction Sessions April 20-21, 2007. These classes include “Step-By-Step Podcasting”, by Podblog.dk’s Karin Høgh, “Promoting Your Podcast”, by author Jason Van Orden, and “Legally Using Music on Podcasts”, by George Smyth of the Association of Music Podcasting. These free sessions at the Online International Podcasting Expo are only a few of the 35+ sessions offering everything you need to know about Podcasting for your business or for pleasure.

Additional classes include introductions to recording, editing and mixing audio using free programs such as Audacity, Wavepad and Mixpad, as well as an introduction to video production using TechSmith’s Camtasia. Other classes provide strategies for podcasting for profit, as well as for increased search engine ranking. Learn about new Podcasting technologies and services, such as TalkShoe and CrowdAbout.us, and also how podcasts can be delivered to listeners via mobile phones.

Attendees will receive free recording, editing and mixing software, a lifetime license of Pamela Pro for Skype, a free multi-media podcasting handbook, the opportunity to win $5000 worth of prizes from Revolution Wealth TV, as well as many other door prizes and freebies. Groups of 10 or more receive discounted tickets, so professional organizations for virtual assistants, web designers and online marketers can benefit from learning podcasting as an additional service that they can provide for their clients.

For more information about the Expo and about discounted tickets, go to the Online International Podcasting Expo site.

If you haven’t yet registered for the Expo, there’s still time. There are a ton of interesting, informative sessions going on all weekend - and of course, I think you should come to mine and help make it as interactive as possible.

[Cross-posted on my Georgia Podcast Network blog]

More to come, but first…

1. I’ll probably end up getting a camera phone fairly soon. I don’t need something super snazzy (read: expensive) but I don’t want a piece of crap either. Any recommendations?
2. My blog’s fifth birthday is fast approaching. April 17 is the big day. It’s kind of painful, but I’m thinking that I may have finally outgrown - though I hesitate to use that word, but I can’t think of a better one - my homegrown blogging system. In commemoration of five years of blogging, should I move to WordPress? What do you think?

I need to blog about PodCamp NYC and general New York stuff, but that’ll have to come later. In the meantime read Rusty’s posts: PodCamp New York liveblogging and My renewed appreciation for the South. I have more to say on the anti-South bias topic. Suffice it to say for now, that shit pisses me off. No, it is not okay to stereotype Southerners, especially if you consider yourself “enlightened” or “progressive.”

Still waffling over whether to write a post about why I have heretofore not worked in the sex industry, and why I may yet need to do so, in some capacity. On a related note, I said somewhat smart stuff at Sherry’s MySpace blog.

And get a load of this, I am now using Twitter. You knew the day would come. We’ll see how long this fascination (of a sort) endures. Oh, and also? (Last thing, I swear). LibraryThing. Thanks, Dacia, for pointing me to a Web 2.0 thingy that appeals to both my J-preference and my literary nerdiness. YASP… that’s all I need.

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Okay, I’m just reposting here what I wrote to the Google group… because why the hell not?

—

Holy crap y’all… the PodCamp Atlanta AP story was picked up by freakin’ USA Today, Fox News, Newsday, Forbes, the Washington Post… the list goes on and on! Somehow*, it’s everywhere! See for yourselves!

WTF?? I am blown away!!

This is awesome but on the other hand I’m like… wow… someone at a news desk at the Washington Post FFS thought this was newsworthy… but not our Atlanta paper? Weird!!! I mean, I think it’s newsworthy, but WP newsworthy? Forbes newsworthy? But, hey, I’ll take it - oh hell yes I’ll take it! Excuse me - WE’LL take it!! :D

Please pardon all my exclamation points. I know they’re excessive.

Feel free to post this info far and wide.

—

And, a big “thank you” to AP reporter Daniel Yee. Want a beer, dude?

*This is what happens when the AP’s national desk picks up a story in their “TechBits” section, apparently.

[Cross-posted on the PodCamp Atlanta blog]

Technorati: podcampatlanta

There’s so much I want to say, but I feel a bit overwhelmed. I’m not sure where to start!

I guess I’ll start by directing you to the PodCamp Atlanta media page, where you can find links to all podcasts, vidcasts, etc. from PodCamp Atlanta. The page will be updated constantly as new stuff is posted. Click the Flickr and Technorati links to see photos and read blog posts. There’s also a link to Google News, where you can see all the MSM outlets that picked up the AP story.

Oh, and on Sunday, “podcamp atlanta” was the 8th most popular search term on Technorati! Woohoo!

Well, since I can’t think of some profound way to launch into the “Here’s what I learned…” homily, I’ll just do a bulleted list:

Stuff I learned / take-aways for next year

• Length of sessions should be variable depending on the topic (anywhere from 45 minutes to 90 minutes), and there should be padding in between sessions.
• Prize drawing: The tickets were kind of a PITA. We should do it differently next year, but I’m not sure how yet. (Just draw people’s names, maybe? Put each session leader in charge of one or more prizes?)
• People didn’t drink nearly as much coffee on Sunday morning. No idea why.
• Sponsorships: I’m thinking the best way to handle it might be how ConvergeSouth is handling it this year… have a set of items and let potential sponsors pick which ones they want to sponsor, rather than waiting around for them to toss $50 at you. Individuals, smaller businesses, etc. could make donations in any amount as a “friend of PodCamp” or something. But, on the other hand, I also like the idea of having different “levels” of sponsorship, like PodCamp NYC and some other uncons. So, I’m not sure about that yet.
• Paypal and other money lessons… basically, let whoever the money’s going to (in this case, Elemental Interactive) pay whenever possible, instead of writing a bunch of checks back and forth. I bet my bank thinks I’m laundering money by now.
• Let’s not have it on St. Patrick’s Day again if we can help it. (We couldn’t help it this time.)
• I didn’t know it would be such an emotional rollercoaster!! Next year I would like to start planning a little earlier, and enlist the help of more people (that is, delegate more stuff rather than trying to do so much of it myself). Delegating has always been hard for me, but I know it’s necessary, because when I don’t delegate enough, the emotional toll on me is too high.

What was a smashing success:

Really, overall I think the whole weekend was a success, but here are a few particular things…

• Friday night pre-party at Manuel’s was awesome! There were so many people there, and it was just a damn good time!
• People really liked the lunch both days. This makes me happy, because I have to admit I was a little worried about the catering situation. We didn’t have much choice in which caterer to use, since the venue had an “approved caterer.” They were pretty expensive and this led to some stress on my part that we’d end up in the red - and I’m still not sure whether or not we did. But the food was great, and the caterers were prompt, professional, and made sure everything was just right.
• The diversity of the crowd was great! I am really happy about that. And, next time, I would like to have even more topical sessions (e.g. queercasting).
• Thanks to Sam Chupp for stepping in for Rob Safuto, who was stuck in Newark due to bad weather, to lead the “Podcasting on a Budget” session! Hopefully Rob will be able to make it next year.

General notes / questions / pondering

• The most common complaint was that the wifi was flakey. All I have to say about that is, “eh.” I think the minor inconvenience of the network apparently having some kind of load capacity was well worth the trade-off of having the event in such a nice venue. (And I would love to have it in the Miller-Ward again next year, if they’ll have us back!) I’ve been to paid conferences where the wifi was even flakier, so I can’t really get too worked up about it. People can deal.
• Someone suggested having music. We tried but weren’t able to get anybody to do it in time. Planning ahead and delegating should take care of this next year. I’d like to assign this out to someone like Heather, Cable and Tweed, or someone else who is more “plugged in” to the local music scene than I am.
• There was a minor kerfluffle with the guy with the dog, but we seem to have sorted it out in the relative public space of his blog. Talk about stuff we never in a million years expected, much less planned for! I guess there’s always something.
• A lot of people are still trying to grasp the unconference concept. Len Witt did the right thing by taking the reins and making something happen instead of just complaining about it. Also if people want hands-on stuff, it’s their responsibility to schedule it ahead of time.
• Shelby says there were too many sales pitches. I don’t know, because I wasn’t in all of the sessions. Sales pitches at unconferences annoy the shit out of me, as I mentioned when I wrote about BlogSavannah and probably a few other times. But how to prevent this? Thoughts? Here’s what I wrote on Shelby’s blog:
  

  In the opening remarks on Sat. I said that thing about, “if someone is saying something crazy, it’s your responsibility to grab the mic and put a stop to it” - or whatever it was I said. I meant to also say, “No selling!” - but I forgot. Anyway, the beauty and the sometimes annoying thing about unconferences is that it really drives home the point that you can’t control what other people do.

• Finally: I love coming together with people like this and having fun. Sunday lunch was my favorite part of the whole weekend, because people were sitting around eating, talking, and laughing - A LOT! Quote of the weekend, from Penny: “It’s called social media for a reason.”

I’m sure there’s something I’m forgetting, but this is long enough already.

Actually, one last thing… the emotional rollercoaster aspect of it all has triggered some of those “OH WHY ARE WE HERE” crap moments again… bleh. Then I get carried away and start worrying about death and it just gets waaaaay too emo to handle. So, I’m trying to remember what Steve Eley always says at the end of a conversation, and how he signs all his emails: “Have fun!” I am going to make that my mantra. Because really, that’s what it’s all about.

Technorati: podcampatlanta

Rusty and I now have the keys to our new apartment (!!!), so we stopped by on the way to work this morning to drop off a few boxes. Rusty snapped some photos with his cell phone camera:



Check out the full Flickr set.

In other news, I’ve been toying with the idea of moving my blog to WordPress. But I doubt I’ll actually do it anytime soon, because honestly, the thought of it makes me feel dirty.

PodCamp Atlanta big wrap-up post coming soon, I promise. Still recovering!

So, I’m still recovering… in fact, I’m taking the day off work tomorrow to continue recovering! But I don’t mean that in a bad way - PodCamp was absolutely amazing, awesome, and any other positive adjective starting with “A” you can think of. In the next day or so I will post a big “what I learned” wrap-up post. But for now, I’ve just been kicking back and unwinding… and reading all the blog posts and such on Technorati. -And also in some mainstream media outlets, since an AP reporter came out and did a story.

And those are exactly the things y’all should do in the meantime while you wait (with bated breath, I’m sure) for my post-to-end-all-posts about PodCamp. Search “podcampatlanta” on Technorati and Google News, and check out the Flickr pool.

Thanks to everybody who came!

podcampatlanta

OMG. First day of PodCamp Atlanta is over (not including the un-pub crawl tonight). It was such an awesome time. More later. Just wanted to let you know that I am here… and I will, eventually, be blogging this. :) Meanwhile, check out the photos in the Flickr pool… Josh, in particular, has done a kick-ass job taking photos. Maybe he should consider a career as a professional unconference photographer… or is that a contradiction in terms?

podcampatlanta

The PodCamp pre-party was a rollicking success tonight!! No time to write more… I need sleep! Rusty and I will be at the Miller-Ward House at 7:15 tomorrow morning. It’s going to be a great day!

Technorati: podcampatlanta

So, PodCamp Atlanta is almost here (happy hour kick-off tomorrow night at Manuel’s, and then the real deal ensues Saturday morning)… I guess I’m supposed to put up some kind of “reflecting on the process” post. But I think I’ll wait until after PodCamp to do that. I’ll have more to reflect on, at that point!

Right now, I’m feeling… calm and relaxed. It’s a pleasant surprise. On Monday, almost immediately after putting up the “I’m not freaking out” post, I started to - guess what? - freak out. I felt annoyed, frustrated, and overwhelmed for the rest of that day and most of Tuesday. I definitely have some thoughts on what could’ve been done differently to maybe prevent some of that, but I’ll write more on that topic later. I also think some degree of freaking out is inevitable (although ideally, it shouldn’t get to the point of making one feel bad about oneself); and plus, this is a learning process for me.

Overall, I am very proud of myself for how I’ve handled everything. (And those of you who know me, know how hard it is for me to take ANY kind of credit or say anything that - god forbid! - might make me appear “selfish.”) There are 185 people registered, and I think this is going to be a seriously kick-ass event.

Yesterday I had a good phone conversation with Chris Brogan, co-founder of the whole PodCamp shebang; he told me to remember, first and foremost, to HAVE FUN. And he reiterated the spirit of an unconference; as he and Christopher Penn said in their kick-off to PodCamp Boston, “This is YOUR conference. If there’s no coffee? It’s your responsibility. If a piece of paper falls on the floor? It’s your responsibility.” I know this is still a foreign concept to many people; but I honestly believe that one you’ve done the unconference thing, and experienced the energy and amazing potential of it… well, it’s hard to go back to a regular conference after that. At least that’s how it’s been for me.

Now! Things to do before PodCamp Atlanta, if you’re coming…

• Register if you haven’t! Seriously, what are you waiting for? We’re almost out of space!
• Check the schedule!
• Join the Flickr group! Please take a ton of photos and post them here.
• Remember to tag all your photos, blog posts, podcasts, whatever with “podcamp” and “podcampatlanta” (and “podcampatlanta2007″ too, if you’re feeling saucy)
• Put names with faces before the uncon! Join the Crowdvine group.
• Donate money, if you can… you’d really have to do this TODAY, so we can increase our catering order in time. Otherwise, no big deal, some of y’all will just have to make a run to the Golden Arches (or your fast food joint of choice) for lunch.

And remember, if you’re in town tomorrow night, come by Manuel’s Tavern at 7:00 p.m. for a “day zero” PodCamp kick-off!

Update: AND, if you’re in town during the day on Friday (and not at work), feel free to stop by the Miller-Ward House to do a run-through of your session or just scope the place out. Rusty and I will be there for a large part of the day, approx. 11:00 to 5:00. We’ll be doing set-up preparations and could use any and all help… everyone participates in PodCamp, even with the mundane stuff!

podcampatlanta

Damn, how did that happen? PodCamp Atlanta is this weekend. I have a feeling I’m supposed to be freaking out right about now. However, I’m really not… and I think I’ve done a great job of NOT freaking out this whole time. I am a bit worried about catering and potentially going over budget… but overall, I’m staying calm. And that is a good thing.

After it’s all over and I’ve had some time to reflect, I’ll probably write some posts about what I learned, what I’ll do differently next time, and all that stuff. We are running this operation on a budget of $4,000, and so far that seems to be okay (although, we’ll see what happens with the catering; I think we could’ve used another thou in that department). The first PodCamp Boston raised like $9k and I’m wondering what the hell they did with all that money. (Okay, I know what they did with all that money, because they have an open ledger [and we will too, soon] - but still, it seems like a lot. Maybe I’m just not as good at asking for money? I though I was pretty good, but maybe not.)

If it comes right down to it, we might just have to skip the catering on Sunday and let people get their own food “off-campus.” But I’m worried that people might not come back for the afternoon sessions if we do that! So, listen up people… if that ends up being the route we go, get yer asses back there Sunday afternoon… if for no other reason than there will be more prize drawing.

In other news, Rusty and I went to Brook Run Park this weekend and enjoyed its supreme weirdness (which is not long for this world, as demolition is slated to start this week). Photos will be posted soon, and there will be another “talkie” podcast about the experience.

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We have T-shirts! Be sure to get there early Saturday morning to get yours - there are (as of this post) 165 people registered and we only have 150 shirts. All the cool kids will be wearing a PodCamp Atlanta T-shirt; dona??t you want to be one of the cool kids? (Correct answer: yes.)

[Cross-posted on the PodCamp Atlanta blog]

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If you’re not at church, you can catch a ~5-minute interview with me on Technology for Business Sake, this Sunday, 11:00 a.m. on Business Radio 1160 (WCFO). I talk about PodCamp Atlanta and the Georgia Podcast Network, and use the word “leverage” and the phrase “increase your customer base.” If you miss it, don’t fret; a podcast version will be posted the following day.

Update: The interview is now available on the Technology for Business Sake web site.

Speaking of PodCamp Atlanta, check this shit out:

We have an unbanner!

And unbags!

And unprizes!

(More)

Bill Palmer’s interview with me is now up on iProng Radio! I talk about PodCamp Atlanta, naturally, as well as the Georgia Podcast Network, podcasting in general, blogging, and I rant a bit about new media vs. old media. Give it a listen. :)

Oh, and while we’re on the subject of podcasts, also check out:

• Politics is Vocal: Jmac’s interview with David Hamilton, candidate for Athens-Clarke County Commission in District 8
• Politics is Vocal: Jmac’s interview with Andy Herod, candidate for Athens-Clarke County Commission in District 8
• Mostly ITP: Rusty’s and my interview with Kiki Carr, founder of PinkEye (previously mentioned here)

I think that covers it for now!

Btw, completely unrelated to any of this - I’m going to a Billy Joel concert tonight. Yay!

podcampatlanta

Rusty and I are going to be jet-setting podcasters this year - because, why the hell not? Here are some events we’ll be gracing with our presence:

PodCamp NYC

April 6-7, 2007

New York, NY

BlogHer ‘07

July 27-28, 2007

Chicago, IL

Podcast and New Media Expo

Sept. 28-30, 2007

Ontario, CA

…and maybe more! But this is what we know for sure.

In New York we’ll be staying with the lovely and talented Dacia; it’ll be great to see her again and I’m glad she and Rusty will finally be able to meet. And I’m excited about going to Chicago and California (Ontario is near LA, if I remember correctly) because I’ve never been to either place.

But before all that, I have to finish pulling PodCamp Atlanta out of my ass… if you haven’t signed up yet, you’d better hurry up and do it, because space is going fast.

As of this afternoon, we have 100 registrants for PodCamp Atlanta! :D I took a screenshot to document this momentous occasion. I feel like Dave Coustan should get some kind of prize for being the Lucky 100th Registrant, but I don’t know what it would be. How about we just call him the Lucky 100th Registrant.

We can accomodate up to 200 people, so if you haven’t done so already, hurry up and register!

[Cross-posted at the PodCamp Atlanta Blog]

PodCamp Atlanta finally has a Paypal account, so anyone can donate as little or as much as they’d like. Obviously the Paypal button graces the main PodCamp Atlanta page, but I’m putting it here, too. Click away!

As for what’s up with me… well, same old story: I’m busy. That explains the lack of blogging. Anyway, here’s some stuff I’ve been reading and enjoying as I wait for our software to chug along and do its thing:

• Griftdrift writes about his experience at the Forsyth County civil rights marches 20 years ago.
• The R-Word Part I & Part II, by Kim. Fascinating stuff. Part III is coming soon.
• RenEv tears down the “fun feminist” epithet.
• In that same vein, Faith adds her thoughts on shaming, name-calling, and “advanced” feminism.