Top 8 of 2008
December 30, 2008
2008 was an interesting year here at Extraordinary Observations. Between January and June, I lived in Dallas, Texas without internet access at my apartment (fortunately I got out a lot), so posting was pretty light for the first half of the year. The summer saw a return to regular posting but over Labor Day weekend I broke my wrist, had surgery, and found it incredibly difficult to write or type much of anything. Momentum picked up in the last few months of the year as I returned to health. For those who are new to Extraordinary Observations and may have missed a post here or there, I've collected my favorite eight posts from the past year.
8. Economics of the News - with all the talk of newspapers being a dying industry, I wanted to take a closer look at what the market for news actually looks like.
7. Confessions of a Mediocre Student - we may not have Ivy League credentials or a perfect GPA, but the time we didn't spend cramming for poorly designed exams and fretting over university bureaucracy was when some of the most meaningful learning occurred.
6. An Open Letter to Cleveland's Leaders - when Eaton Corporation announced its intent to move the company's corporate headquarters from Cleveland to the suburbs, I wanted Cleveland's leaders know how the decision might impact the future of the city.
5. Why Obama is a Marketing Genius - he won the election; but even during the campaign season, Barack Obama's campaign fully understood the potential of using new technologies for marketing.
4. Paper, Plastic or Nothing? - customers rarely have a difficult time getting a plastic bag at the supermarket, but telling the cashier you don't need one and people will think you're crazy.
3. Loneliness in the City - there is a reason that people living in big cities prefer to live alone; and it isn't because they are all a bunch of loners.
2. Do Cars Make Us Less Free? - auto ownership is supposed to be the ticket to freedom, but in a world of auto-dependence, are we more free at all?
1. The Value of Blogging - Extraordinary Observations launched in 2004 and is still active because I believe there is great value to be found throughout the blogosphere.
Thanks for making 2008 a great year in the blogosphere! If you haven't already subscribed, check out my RSS feed, and for all the new and loyal readers, I hope to make 2009 the best year yet.
8. Economics of the News - with all the talk of newspapers being a dying industry, I wanted to take a closer look at what the market for news actually looks like.
7. Confessions of a Mediocre Student - we may not have Ivy League credentials or a perfect GPA, but the time we didn't spend cramming for poorly designed exams and fretting over university bureaucracy was when some of the most meaningful learning occurred.
6. An Open Letter to Cleveland's Leaders - when Eaton Corporation announced its intent to move the company's corporate headquarters from Cleveland to the suburbs, I wanted Cleveland's leaders know how the decision might impact the future of the city.
5. Why Obama is a Marketing Genius - he won the election; but even during the campaign season, Barack Obama's campaign fully understood the potential of using new technologies for marketing.
4. Paper, Plastic or Nothing? - customers rarely have a difficult time getting a plastic bag at the supermarket, but telling the cashier you don't need one and people will think you're crazy.
3. Loneliness in the City - there is a reason that people living in big cities prefer to live alone; and it isn't because they are all a bunch of loners.
2. Do Cars Make Us Less Free? - auto ownership is supposed to be the ticket to freedom, but in a world of auto-dependence, are we more free at all?
1. The Value of Blogging - Extraordinary Observations launched in 2004 and is still active because I believe there is great value to be found throughout the blogosphere.
Thanks for making 2008 a great year in the blogosphere! If you haven't already subscribed, check out my RSS feed, and for all the new and loyal readers, I hope to make 2009 the best year yet.
thanks for blogging...fellow ohioan here (tho' of the southern variety), i came across your blog back in september via another blog (can't remember which one now). i'm sure you get this a lot, but you make some pretty astute observations for someone as young as yourself. then again, this is why i've subscribed to your blog. keep up the good work, you've got a great future ahead of you. :)
Thanks, stef. Astute observations are what this blog is all about!