San Francisco Digest

Just came back to the "hotel" room to decompress and relax before heading back to the convention to judge editorial cartoons and then a reception/auction. It is another day of absolutely beautiful spring weather -- sunny and mild. So, some random blog tidbits are below.

Access: I am using a citywide wireless network that costs about $6 per day. From my bed in the hotel room I get about two bars at night on the wireless network. From my roommate's bed this afternoon (only visible outlet) I am getting all four bars. He said the place should charge more for his bed then. Coverage has been spotty at best -- and slow.

Sunburned in SF: Apparently during the boat trip to Alcatraz Thursday, I got too much sun. My forehead is completely burned. I look like a lobster. It will have turned to tan in a couple days, but it is annoying. I never expected to be sunburned in April in San Francisco.

Strange site: I went down to Market Street for an errand and lunch, and while I was waiting with my friend on the street, I saw some police motorcycles with lights, but they weren't moving very fast. So I suspected it might be an escort -- a local dignitary or something maybe? Turns out the cops were escorting a city MUNI bus. Inside the bus -- which I saw pass twice -- was a film crew and the band of costumed characters for Fruit of the Loom. Really -- Fruit of the Loom on a bus! Watch for it on TV soon maybe.

Thursday night keynote: Marcus Chan of the San Francisco Chronicle was super interesting. He runs the podcasts for that newspaper. He had a few main points I left with, aside from the very catchy "Think outside the newsrack." He played some clips and showed some slideshows that had every voice silenced. It was absolutely captivating. What better way to illustrate the power of multimedia? His points:

• Choose the right medium to tell the story.
• What do readers/consumers want to see or hear or read?
• Don't be a one-trick pony.
• Be Swiss Army knife of journalism.

Friday keynote: Farai Chideya of National Public Radio (formerly of MTV News, Oxygen and Newsweek) and also of Pop and Politics was absolutely fascinating. She said, "Journalism is about wanting to know, not thinking you know everything." Wow. Better yet, she described how truth and imagination aren't that far apart. She said, "You need a lot of imagination to tell the truth in a way other people will understand."

Live blog: I considered live blogging the keynotes, which would have been cool. But, I settled for listening and just writing some notes. Maybe I am thinking about live blogging because I went to a great session about the Paly Voice, an online outlet from the students at Palo Alto High School. It was fascinating. Awesome stuff. I want to be like them. I want my students to do what they do.

Learning: Seems like all my students have, for the most part, attended the required number of sessions. I think they all made it to their contests this afternoon, and I look forward to debriefing with them tonight. I'll be judging and then attending the benefit auction for the Student Press Law Center. I have vowed to spend less than in years past. Tomorrow: a marathon of meetings and sessions to present as well as announcing the Best of Show winners. In the evening, perhaps a musical that's in town. Should be a great day.

-- San Francisco