Baby’s first allergy

March 29th, 2011

I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night. I’d blame Isaac, but that’s not exactly fair.

I mean, it wasn’t his fault that, a few hours after taking a normal dose of amoxicillin, he broke out in hives. And it wasn’t his fault that the nurse at the phone bank warned us we might need to bring him to the hospital. And it wasn’t his fault that I spent a good chunk of the night worried about his breathing, keeping my mind at ease only by distracting myself with other things.

Nothing came of it. He took some Benadryl and slept it off. We now know he’s allergic to penicillin. Another in a long line of firsts: baby’s first tooth; baby’s first step; baby’s first allergy.

Still didn’t help my disposition.

As parents, we watch our kids convinced they’re the most fragile humans ever conceived. Then, one day, we find out just how fragile they can be – and how quickly we can be driven to helplessness.


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Issues Considered: Isaac

Baby’s first signature

March 28th, 2011

The “S” is backwards, like a cheap stereotype, and only the “R”s are lowercase, but every time Sierra writes her name it’s as if hope for the written word has been awakened again.

No hyperbole. Watching a child learn to write is as powerful as you can get.

Because, you see, I thought I’d spent the last seven years learning how to write. No. Not right. Instead, I spent the last seven years how to write better or how to write for the internet or how to write copy and scripts.

But Sierra is learning how to write. Full stop. End of story. She is not learning style or function, but the basic steps of writing. Not first steps, but first phonics. Not first word, but first signature.

I have written a lot of things in my life. Some of it has been okay and some of it has been decent and some of it might even have been good if you ask the right people but none of it compares to the power of each letter Sierra pushes out of her pencil.

Every. Letter. S. I. E. R – twice. A.

The potential and promise of every letter, each more important and amazing than anything I’ll ever hope to write.


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Issues Considered: Sierra, Words, Writing

Tonight, we geek

March 24th, 2011

If you would have told me a year ago that there was a community of people in Sioux Falls that cared about content strategy and its related fields – that REALLY cared and REALLY thought it was an interesting thing and REALLY wanted to blah blah blah for however long it took to blah blah blah – I’d have called you a crazy kookaburra and we’d have never become friends.

At the time, I didn’t even think you could get ONE JOB like that in Sioux Falls, let alone find 15 people to fill a sort-of-creepy back room at Monks.

Turns out, I’d have been wrong.

You wouldn’t have been a kookaburra. You’d have been a wise sage. A prophet. Something cooler than a prophet.

Because tonight I sat in a room with a dozen or so people who wanted to nerd out about content governance and style guides and editorial ownership. And, I sat in a room with even more who wanted to LEARN about content governance and style guides and editorial ownership. And, at the same time, I had a boss show up who was willing not only to tolerate my little meet-up, but also pony up the cash to pay for drinks. And, at the same time as that same time, I got to giggle like a 3rd grader about dorky little content things while everyone else giggled along.

To think. This is my job.

It’s not for everyone. But I can’t help but be a cheeseball and say, damn it, sometimes life works out.
Thanks, everyone, for being friends tonight. We’ve got a more robust community than I had ever imagined. See you next month.

(Hashtag content strategy.)


Comments: 1

Issues Considered: Career, Content Strategy

Improvement by proximity

March 21st, 2011

I’m a few weeks behind the pack, but I finally listened to that new Merlin Mann/Dan Benjamin joint, “Back to Work.” And, within 10 minutes, I get this:

You know, you sit around and you go, “Oh, I hope people like me and I hope they friend me and I hope they do all of this superficial stuff that doesn’t cost anything.” But what you really want is to, like, not suck enough that people you really admire wouldn’t mind doing something with you.

Because that’s the thing. The whole thing is getting to where … you know, just getting the opportunity to have yourself and your work improved by proximity to people who are better at what you do. That’s what it’s about.

Oh, god. It’s like this Merlin guy GETS ME, you know? I mean, YES, and, OF COURSE, and, EXACTLY.

Back to Work: Merlin Mann and Dan Benjamin


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Issues Considered: Career

Serves Four

March 15th, 2011

I live for food, it seems. I live for pizza and Indian and Thai and slow-cooker pork and enchiladas and more enchiladas and let’s just say I really like enchiladas, okay, so stop judging.

Want to know what makes this “live for food” thing pretty fun? My wife. She likes to cook. A lot.

So we cook. A lot. And we try new things. And we grow gardens. And we buy cookbooks with beautiful pictures. And we introduce our kids to foods that they normally wouldn’t encounter and, let’s be honest, they still don’t eat them but at least they know what lentils and cardamom pods and homemade turkey pot pie are.

Serves FourIn the past month, we’ve roasted our own coffee, baked our own hamburger buns, planned a spring garden and developed a fast and easy kettle corn process.

(I say “we,” as if I’ve had any real input other than saying, “OMG THAT SMELLS GOOD LULZ!”)

So we like cooking, baking and gardening.

Now that THAT’S been established, I’d like to finally announce Kerrie’s new blog: Serves Four, a blog about cooking, baking and gardening. It’s named “Serves Four” because our four person family gets to reap the rewards of all that cooking, baking and gardening. It’s a blog because there JUST AREN’T ENOUGH cooking, baking and gardening blogs out there.

Check it out. We’d appreciate it.


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Issues Considered: Blogging, Family, Food, Meta, Writing

Snapcase, “Filter / Steps / Incarnation / Windows” – 6.22.1995

March 10th, 2011

I have select cases of remorse over missing a band while they were on tour. Missing a Snapcase/Quicksand tour in Minneapolis is at the top of that list.

How the hardcore movement ever made it out of New York, I’ll never understand. It’s never been easily classified, is too abrasive for most casual listeners, and is often too testosterone-driven for mass consumption. It bridges the gap between punk and metal, and while fans of both genres rejoiced in it, most blew it off as a bunch of skinheads with brass knuckles.

Nothing could be more wrong.

The energy and dynamics of the great hardcore bands – and, yes, I classify Snapcase as one of the greatest – is rarely captured outside of the genre. While bands like Hot Water Music pulled the energy/dynamic out of the circle-pit and into the punk mainstream, it was bands like Snapcase, Refused and Threadbare that brought the genre to its highest point.

Away from the sludge, they added this brilliant listenability to the genre.

What gets lost in this video is the closeness of everything. These were all kids, and they all knew each other, and they all knew the words, and the energy must have congealed into a teeming mass of awesome. There weren’t any fights, I’m sure. There were just a bunch of friends feeling the highs and lows of the music, collectively experienced.

There’s a part of me that misses these sweat-box shows. They happened in basements and garages and small bars and they highlighted the intimate connection between band and audience.

Now? I’m exhausted just watching it. Exhausted – and grinning ear to ear.


Comments: 3

Issues Considered: Music, Videos

First ever Sioux Falls Content Strategy Meet-up – Thursday, March 24, 2011

March 3rd, 2011

Attention, content people.

Let’s talk.

If you are in the Sioux Falls area on Thursday, March 24th, take note: we’re going to get together and talk content.

Yeah, you heard me. CONTENT STRATEGY MEET-UP TIME!

It’s like this:

1. We get together. We will meet at Monk’s at 5:30 pm, with content smarty talk starting around 6:00 pm, or whenever we break the ice and stop looking awkwardly at each other. It will continue until it stops.

2. We plan for the future. The subject of the first meet-up is simple: what content-based topics do you want to cover? Content strategy deliverables? Online publishing models? The transition from traditional copy to web copy? Content Strategy Book Club? Any idea is a good idea – we’re brainstorming, yo.

3. We talk. Just a bunch of talking from a bunch of people who enjoy being word, structure and internet nerds. Laid back. Casual.

Sounds fun? It won’t be, UNLESS YOU’RE THERE. (RSVP via TWTVITE right now!)

Come down. Hang out with us. It’s three weeks away, so you have time to get a babysitter or a dog sitter or whatever. And yay content!


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Issues Considered: Content Strategy, Sioux Falls, Web

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