Lifehacker just pointed to a four-year old entry on how to fold a newspaper:
Real Simple magazine has an old but good step-by-step guide to folding an unwieldy broadsheet newspaper for easy reading on the go. It's really just a matter of a few well placed folds, but if you don't already have a good folding strategy, this post is a great starting point. On the other hand, if you're a newspaper-folding pro and your methods differ from Real Simple's guide, let's hear all about how you make it work in the comments.
Of course, my first reaction was the same as some of the commenters: “What?? Next we’ll be taught how to blow our nose!” But actually it’s quite informative, and I notice that it’s exactly how my dad would read the paper.
Of course, he never taught me how to do that, and I’ll probably never need to teach my kids how to do it. “Fold a newspaper? Are you insane, Dad?” Instead, they’ll be reading on their Readius:
And that’s the point: My use of the newspaper is bound up in my memory of my father reading the newspaper. We as children mimic adults, so it was a sign of maturity for me to read the newspaper—or rather, for me to master the newspaper. That didn’t mean just reading it, but handling it—folding it, creasing it, carrying it under my arm, swishing it in the air when I turned a page, tut-tutting at the goings-on of the world.
Another moment yesterday elicited the same thought: Banished to the kitchen I was listening to the Wimbledon Men’s Final on the radio while my wife watched it on the TV. Of course, it’s vastly preferable to watch it rather than listen to it, but still the atmosphere created by the commentator on the radio was so powerful, his descriptions so flawless and compelling, that I found myself preferring it to the easy visuals of the TV.
What’s more, it took me back to those schooldays clustered around the radio listening to the second-half commentary of soccer matches on Saturday afternoon, or, radio under pillow after lights-out with the volume on 1, following an evening UEFA Cup tie between my team and some exotic-sounding team from behind the Iron Curtain. It was so magical, so dramatic, the inflexions of the commentator so perfect, I am forever transported back to those moments whenever I hear sport being described in real time on radio.
Of course my wife thought me absurd for prefering audio over visual. And I readily accept it is. But it’s like newspapers: beyond the obvious argument that some formats trump others in certain situations (newspapers over computers in the bath; cellphones over newspapers on crowded transport), there’s also the fact that we connect emotionally to the formats, not just because of habit, but because they evoke deeper feelings—to the past, to familiarity, to a sense of habit and ritual.
Most debates about newspapers nowadays are about when they’ll die out. I don’t believe this will happen, because they represent a format that still trumps others in certain situations. But beyond the practical there’s an emotional element too, and perhaps the challenge of ‘old’ media is to capture some of these emotional connections—newspapers strewn around in Starbucks, free, throwaway radios for listening to commentary at big games—in order to inject fresh life into the medium.
After all, it’s not just about reading yourself up-to-date. It’s about the physical pleasure of reading, of feeling at peace and in the security of a familiar habit.
Reading: How to Fold a Broadsheet Newspaper
Technorati Tags: newspapers,radio,media,web 2.0Just downloaded and installed the new beta version of Skype, and am now removing it. Why? Because it’s humongously big, and doesn’t have any option I could find for reducing its footprint. Compare this:
with this:
(and notice the Compact Mode option that I couldn’t find in the 4.0 version.)
What bothers me is that Skype already know this is a problem. Try to download a different version of Skype after the beta, and you’re confronted with a (rather creepy) questionnaire as they try to find out why you’re doing what you’re doing. One of the answers:
Well, d’oh. If you knew that was a problem, then why not make it an option to reduce the screen size? Compare this to something like Google Talk, which couldn’t get any smaller:
or even some of those twitter clients. I know the video is supposed to be great on the new version of Skype, but if you’re not actually running video, what’s the excuse for such a desktop-hogging client? I can’t think of one.
so, aina really is sick. she didn't get better from two days ago. in fact, her sickness has gotten worse. we went to the pediatrician yesterday and it turns out that she has viral infection. she seemed normal during the doctor visit... she even flirted with other little boys (older ones, mostly) and tried to play with smaller babies in the doctor waiting room. but as soon as we got home, all hell broke loose.
she had no appetite. she had a hard time falling asleep, and all she wanted to do is being cuddled. you know, the typical baby problems when they're sick.
while waiting for the fever medicine to work, her fever reached 39ºC and was still going up. and you know those cooling pad that you put on baby's forehead? they don't work at all. the thingy got really hot and didn't do anything. we had to resort to the old fashion way: damp towels on armpits, head and crotch area. she didn't want to drink milk because her nose was stuffed...
hopefully, she gets better today. at least, last night she didn't wake up as often as the night before, which means she gets more rest. she's currently taking her morning nap. ari is catching up sleep. and i am going to knit -- something that i haven't done for months.
hello, i'm back! today was the first time i celebrated Mother's Day as a mother. and, after a long long break, i think it's a good time to start writing on this site again. so i guess, it was rather special.
to make it even more special, aina took her first walking step today. she was in front of the TV, watching Elmo from the Sesame Street. she was standing up, waving her hands here and there following Elmo's move, when all the sudden, she took two steps towards the TV's cabinet, then another two steps, then she finally reach the cabinet. no falling! yay!
(and she's also sick today... a bit of a fever. hopefully, she's feeling better by tomorrow).
happy mother's day, everyone!
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