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Broadcasting Brain

An uncanny blog by Mark Dykeman

Two striking approaches to women’s health issuesToday

I rarely read blogs that focus on either gender or health. It has nothing to do with the quality of the blogs or the importance of the subject matter; they just aren’t topics that mesh with my normal interests. However, there are two examples that have caught my eye during the past year. They are very different in tone and approach, but both are striking examples of passion and the power of blogging.

[EDIT:  please note that adult language and adult subjects are featured in these two blogs - they are not recommended for children and they may be a bit questionable for teens as well.]

Annie’s Rexia - I recently discovered that the author of HexMyEx (one of the blogs in my blog roll) had started another blog. I very much enjoyed HexMyEx for its wit and the somewhat surreal stories told by the author, but hadn’t checked in for some time. As funny and clever as the stories were, there was always a sense of snark and humor in the author’s prose which indicated a very strong person. Annie’s Rexia is a much more personal, honest, and disturbing read. I use the word disturbing because the author has gone through some pretty horrible times and still deals with related issues to this day. It’s bare, honest, and adult reading. The same wit and skill remains in the writing, but it’s a more honest and real blog. On one hand, it’s heavy reading and not for th

Flattery by Imitation presents: condensed Robert ScobleYesterday

Flattery by Imitation is a new feature of Broadcasting Brain whereby we take an online presence (well known, obscure, or something in between) and attempt to capture their style in one single paragraph. Today’s post in this potentially irregular series features veteran blogger, interviewer, and Fast Company TV managing director Robert Scoble!

Why are we doing this? Because we’re no good at puppets or video. And, frankly, by the end of the week, couldn’t we all use a chuckle?

Condensed Robert Scoble

FriendFeed. I’m writing from Virgin Galactic XAA-11 enroute to the Moon. Sorry, that’s Earth’s Moon. I’m the first blogger in space and soon I’ll be the first blogger on the surface of another world. The wireless in the passenger cabin is surprisingly good as I’m capturing everything that’s happening via my cell. The streaming video sucks though. NASA can’t get the important things right, it seems: the lag is really bothering me. Good grief, it’s been decades since the last time we went to the Moon - can’t we get something as simple as high speed interstellar data communication right? It’s all vacuum around us, nothing to block the signal, right? Funny, when I went to the bottom of the Marianas Trench last year we didn’t have these kinds of problems and there’s TONS of water above your head when you’re do

Superman’s Marketing Problem – A Parable of Social MediaOctober 9

Superman, the Man of Steel, protector of the weak and innocent, was in a bit of a funk one day. He’d been saving lives, averting disasters, and generally been helpful for years. Once he was seen as the ultimate super-hero, loved by millions, and the ultimate defender of truth, justice and… so on.

Then new heroes came along. This new generation dabbled in violence (Wolverine); darkness and fear (Batman); or ruthlessness behind real steel (Iron Man). Superman knew that this new generation of heroes had similar goals as he, but he worried that the means they used did not justify the ends they sought.

Superman was also a bit glum because the tabloids, trash TV and tabloid-like blogs were saying some less than flattering things about him because he wasn’t willing to get down, dark, and dirty with criminals. He had morals, values, and just generally was a decent guy with good MidWestern parents (even though he was adopted). In many ways, he was the antithesis of the modern super-hero and, horror of horrors, Superman Halloween costume sales were at an all time low.

Still, like a dedicated professional, Superman kept up the business of keeping the world safe. Yet, at th

Minor Broadcasting Brain enhancementsOctober 8

Just a few blog-related things to note:

1. My contact information is now quite prominent on the right-hand sidebar. (Hint, hint - it would be really great to get in touch with you.)

2. I’ve now got the Twitter badge installed further down the right-hand sidebar, so you can check out my latest Tweet. I debated putting it on there as I tend to write just about anything and/or everything on Twitter. Feel free to add me there; I’ll add you back unless your account is obviously a bot or else trying to flog a product instead of having a conversation or sharing info.

3. I may add the FriendFeed badge, but I’m concerned that it’s going to take up a lot of real estate and I’m not sure what value there would be in doing that.

4. The latest issue of Thought Radiation, the newsletter for Broadcasting Brain, is kind of behind schedule at the moment, but I hope to get it out over the weekend. If you’d like to start getting the newsletter, please drop me an E-Mail.

5. Finally, if you enjoy this blog but you haven’t had a chance to subscribe yet, please consider subscribing (clicking on the word “subscribing” will take you to the handy-dandy subscription form). You have your choi

Checklist for getting beyond today’s hot panicky topicOctober 7

It’s a fairly simple checklist, really.

1.  Did the sun go nova overnight? If you’re reading the checklist, the answer is obviously no (you’d be free floating molecules, or carbon residue, otherwise), so continue to 2.

2.  Did Earth’s surface get buried under massive sheets of ice, indicating the onset of an ice age? If you’re reading the checklist, the answer is obviously no (frozen people can’t move, eliminating your ability to get out of bed and do anything), so continue to 3. [alternate version of this question:  is sea level rising more rapidly than a snail crossing the Mohave Desert?]

3.  Is there still enough oxygen in the atmosphere to breathe (or at least roughly the same amount as yesterday)? If you’re reading the checklist, the answer is obviously no (asphyxiated people can’t read), so continue to 4.

4.  Are the nukes flying? If you’re reading the checklist, the answer is most likely no, although timing is always of utmost importance (radiation and reading don’t usually go together; neither do vaporization and reading), so continue to 5.

5.  You’re not out of the woods yet, but your day is certainly off to a decent start.  If you’re still panicking, remove yourself from the presence of media for the rest of the day and go do something real and tangible.  Think about it first, though, and make sure it’s something worth doing.

6.  Before you go to bed, get this list ready to read tomorr