Having moved into a new apartment two weeks ago, I was looking forward to finally getting some work done that had been put on hold due to the move. Then I was struck down with that bug that has been inflicting so many Madisonians. Where did all of those days go? It hit me on Tuesday, and then I was deceived into believing I was better on Thursday (hence my appearance at the Madison Interactive panel), and on Friday - bam - back into it. During that time I was also cut off from my Internet, making my isolation nearly complete (I had cable, but that doesn't help isolation - especially when the death of Anna Nichole Smith is more important to the mainstream media than...oh...everything else). I did learn a handful of things during my isolation, and my brief moment of escape on Thursday. Below are some scribbles I made in my notebook concerning local television news, TDS Metrocom, MadCity Broadband, and fire hydrants:

Three months ago, we were entrusted with a sacred responsibility by the people of Wisconsin. On November 7th, they issued a mandate not for any party, but a mandate for action. They want us to end the divisiveness and partisan fighting, and focus instead on making progress for middle class families. Democrats, Republicans, let us pledge tonight: we will come together, to get things done.
In the past year, we’ve added tens of thousands of new jobs, made new breakthroughs in medical research, and expanded our manufacturing base while other states faced a decline. We changed the minimum wage to give working families a raise, we changed laws to keep sex predators away from our kids, and we changed lives by protecting and investing in our schools. Today, we’re safer, stronger, and ready to seize the opportunities of our time.

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This is yet another test...and i need 200 words. How can I achieve 200 words?
This is yet another test...and i need 200 words. How can I achieve 200 words?
This is yet another test...and i need 200 words. How can I achieve 200 words?This is yet another test...and i need 200 words. How can I achieve 200 words?This is yet another test...and i need 200 words. How can I achieve 200 words?
This is yet another test...and i need 200 words. How can I achieve 200 words?
This is yet another test...and i need 200 words. How can I achieve 200 words?This is yet another test...and i need 200 words. How can I achieve 200 words?This is yet another test...and i need 200 words.

Yesterday I wrote a post explaining why I can't review one of my favorite films of the festival, "Mongolian Ping Pong." The film is under a press embargo because it hasn't been officially released. How I understand the concept of having a press review embargo is that the distributors are essentially doing the festival a favor by letting them have something unique. The concern is that local media not abiding by this request could hurt the relationship between the fest and the distributor.

Last night I noticed that the Isthmus, a festival sponsor, had written an in-depth review of the movie "Iron Island," also a embargoed film. It raises eyebrows until one realizes that the blog "This is really the last time" also reviewed the movie. Does that mean the embargo was broken?

It raises a question, should traditional media be expected to abide by the old rules when bloggers don't have to? One year ago this wouldn't have even been a consideration because "turn-around" media wasn't so developed in Madison. The Isthmus, State Journal and Cap Times would have all been expected to follow the request of the distributors. Have blogs eroded that element of control? Should the traditional media still stick to their guns - at least until a blogger breaks the embargo?

I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts.

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