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The increasingly inaccurately-named blog of journalist and futurist Chris Taylor. Either the most sporadically brilliant amateur blog, the most brilliantly amateur sporadic blog, or the most amateur sporadic brilliance on the Web since 2001.
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Daily Blah FAQ
Who are you?
I'm the newly-appointed Future editor at Business 2.0 and the former San Francisco correspondent for Time Magazine.
Wow, so does this mean everything you write reflects Time Inc's opinion? Or do you perhaps have some sort of standard disclaimer to the effect that it doesn't?
Naturally, the opinions contained in this blog are not those of my employers. In fact, some opinions may be the polar opposite of my employers. Some may be the same, for all I know. Hey, it's not like I ask my employers their opinions about everything in the news, okay? Let's just say that if this were a Venn diagram with one circle marked "my opinions" and the other one marked "my employers' opinions", there would doubtless be some overlap. But neither I nor my employers are able to pinpoint exactly where that overlap is.
What is this Daily Blah thing?
An experiment for a column I wrote about blogging back in December 2001. All these years later, I haven't been able to kick the habit.
Do you write any other blogs, by chance? Could that have something to do with the fact that Daily Blah isn't always Daily?
Yes -- the Future Boy blog for Business 2.0. And yes. If you want true, editorially-mandated daily coverage from me, that's probably the best place to look.
Mister, you talk funny. Are you one of them furrners?
Why yes I am, as it happens. I was born, raised and educated in Great Britain. I've been living in the U.S. since 1996 and identify as British.
I say, old chap, you forgot the "u" in "colour."
No I didn't. I may identify as British, but I am also an American journalist writing for an American audience about mostly American issues. These two different sides of me are a constant source of tension. Nevertheless, Daily Blah will adhere to American English grammar and spelling.
Praise for Daily Blah:
"It is fun to watch the author's navel-gazing joy." - Sunday Times (UK)
"It's really funny and informative." - Dave Eggers, author
"The Blah is becoming a daily destination for me." - Richard Marsh, Playwright
"I like it, and I don't." - Fiona Hogg, Teacher
"Better than Xanax." - Lessley Andersen, journalist
"Dude, lay off the crack pipe." - Souris Hong-Porretta, gamesmith
Friends, Bloggers, Countrymen ... lend your ears to these people. I come not to bury them, but praise them.
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My TIME articles
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Daily Blah for... Wednesday, March 15, 2006
How to Be on TV
No rest for the wicked: my first full day back at work, and I'm on CNBC talking about Google vs. the DOJ. They had me on a month ago, talking to the Money Honey about my four Google scenarios; I suppose I passed that test and have now graduated to full-blown Google pundit.
Nothing to these TV appearances; I used to do them all the time for Time. Most of them, you're sitting in a tiny room with a camera, one person, and an unbelievably cheap-looking backdrop of San Francisco. You've got the show coming in your ear, but the only thing you can see on the TV monitor in front of you is yourself. You have to be careful to avoid the Narcissus trap, or you'll look and sound really dumb. Instead, gaze hazily at the camera lens until it goes blurry and you're not really seeing it, you're in the recesses of your mind; you're relaxed, zen, and in touch with all the pertinent points.
Talk at twice your normal volume, in the serious and didactic tones of on-air correspondents and pundits since time immemorial. Don't really think about what you're saying; listen to the rhythm of it, and make sure that rhythm is brisk and cheerful. It's okay to pause briefly as long as you're in the middle of a sentence. And for God's sake, don't ever say "um." Dead air sounds better than "um."
Someone at CNN.com saw my CNBC appearance and got me to write a column on the same topic. I had to think hard to recall what I'd actually said. You can see the result here.
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