http://www.gelfmagazine.com/ en Copyright 2010 Tue, 09 Mar 2010 12:08:17 -0500 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss In Gelf Magazine's weekly podcast, The Hack and The Flack, journalist Michael Myser—the hack—and PR guru Merrill Freund—the flack—break down the news of the week. From their different perspectives, Michael and Merrill discuss sports, tech, politics, and media—much like Gelf. In this week's episode, Michael and Merrill wonder if they'll notice hockey again before 2014, fear for the life of Hulu, shred the GOP's phony Census look-alike mailings, get March Madness over Ohio State, and . Click here to listen to the podcast. You can email Michael, Merrill, and Gelf to let us know what you think. Front-page image of Canada's Olympic hockey celebration courtesy of Vaska037's Flickr via Creative Commons.]]> http://www.gelfmagazine.com/archives/the_committees.php http://www.gelfmagazine.com/archives/the_committees.php The Hack and the Flack Tue, 09 Mar 2010 12:06:44 -0500 In Gelf Magazine's weekly podcast, The Hack and The Flack, journalist Michael Myser—the hack—and PR guru Merrill Freund—the flack—break down the news of the week. From their different perspectives, Michael and Merrill discuss sports, tech, politics, and media—much like Gelf. In this week's episode, Michael and Merrill survey the broken politics of New York State, wonder whether Tony Kornheiser got what was coming to him, lament Apple's eviction of sexy apps, apologize for a misbegotten rant at an airline customer-service worker, and download Pandora before it goes under. Click here to listen to the podcast. You can email Michael, Merrill, and Gelf to let us know what you think.]]> http://www.gelfmagazine.com/archives/the_suspensions.php http://www.gelfmagazine.com/archives/the_suspensions.php The Hack and the Flack Wed, 03 Mar 2010 14:38:48 -0500 Talladega Nights. But it's also a distinctly American art form, on par with jazz or Chicago blues, rooted in immigration and desperation, and full of contradictions like illiterates who can intuit fluid dynamics. It's pastoral the way few things in the US truly can claim to be.]]> http://www.gelfmagazine.com/archives/nascar_in_the_rearview_mirror.php http://www.gelfmagazine.com/archives/nascar_in_the_rearview_mirror.php Books Sports Mon, 01 Mar 2010 10:35:33 -0500 Widespread Panic around the country. It was 1999 and both were covering the university's football team. "I was intimidated," Thompson recalls. Over a decade later, the two are senior writers at ESPN and good friends. While they share a title, the Mizzou graduates cover their shared field from vastly different angles. "I've been fascinated by Seth's stories about the Cover 2 or Peyton Manning, but it's just not what I'm into," say Thompson. "That's not how I interact with sports, as a fan or as a journalist. And, let me be honest, I don't think I'm that good at it."]]> http://www.gelfmagazine.com/archives/eliminating_the_stench_of_journalism.php http://www.gelfmagazine.com/archives/eliminating_the_stench_of_journalism.php Sports Mon, 01 Mar 2010 10:28:35 -0500 Hollywood and distant friends who like to exaggerate tell me, bachelor parties involve the city of Las Vegas, light-to-heavy recreational drug use, and an exotic dancer or three. Then I spoke with ESPN writer Seth Wickersham, who told me he threw a bachelor party for his good friend and fellow writer in Charleston, South Carolina, and instead of inviting guests who get paid per song, he invited a pair of quinquagenarians who are accustomed to getting paid per written word. "We invited Tom Junod and Gary Smith to talk shop with us," Wickersham said. "No shit. And as geeky as it sounds, it was a great weekend, one of the most memorable of our lives."]]> http://www.gelfmagazine.com/archives/on_the_last_frontier_of_sportswriting.php http://www.gelfmagazine.com/archives/on_the_last_frontier_of_sportswriting.php Sports Mon, 01 Mar 2010 10:28:26 -0500 The critic blurb is a staple of arts advertising. Yet if you look behind some blurbs, you'll find quotes out of context, quote whores, and other questionable ad practices. Blurb Racket exposes the truth behind critics blurbs in movie ads from the New York Times. Movie titles link to metacritic.com, which compiles movie reviews in a far-more honest way than do movie ads. See the inaugural Blurb Racket column for background and useful links, and find out what critics think of the racket.]]> http://www.gelfmagazine.com/archives/cop_out_ads_fall_flat.php http://www.gelfmagazine.com/archives/cop_out_ads_fall_flat.php The Blurbs Fri, 26 Feb 2010 19:13:35 -0500 In Gelf Magazine's weekly podcast, The Hack and The Flack, journalist Michael Myser—the hack—and PR guru Merrill Freund—the flack—break down the news of the week. From their different perspectives, Michael and Merrill discuss sports, tech, politics, and media—much like Gelf. In this week's episode, Michael and Merrill consider Dick Cheney a poor choice for GOP spokesman, debate the future of free Skype calls, shake off their doubts and tune in to the Winter Olympics, and more. Click here to listen to the podcast. You can email Michael, Merrill, and Gelf to let us know what you think. Front-page image of Dick Cheney courtesy of World Economic Forum's Flickr via Creative Commons.]]> http://www.gelfmagazine.com/archives/the_medals.php http://www.gelfmagazine.com/archives/the_medals.php The Hack and the Flack Sun, 21 Feb 2010 09:16:05 -0500