Next Wednesday, craigslist founder Craig Newmark will be visiting Georgetown University. Given that my thesis examines craigslist extensively (with a particular focus on Missed Connections, of course), I have been given an incredible opportunity to interview Mr. Newmark. I am currently compiling a list of questions, but I wanted to let you do the same:

What would you ask the founder of craigslist?

Leave it in the comments, or twitter me. If the question is good, I am happy to get you an answer.

Update: For more information on the lecture, check out the event on Facebook. It is open to everyone, so if you are local, free up your calendar and come!

“Kittens, inspired by Kittens!” == instant Internet classic.

Sure this came out last fall, but I am obsessed. I can’t stop watching it. Perhaps this is what happens when we let children go wild on I Can Haz Cheeseburger. Let’s just hope I don’t go write a journal article about it.

Last night I got an acceptance letter to Michigan State University. <Little happy dance.> I know it is still early in the admissions process, but it is nice to have a firm yes from one of my top school choices.

With the prospect of moving quickly approaching, I have found myself imagining what life might be like at any of the seven schools to which I applied. Honestly, I have to admit that East Lansing (where MSU is located — about 1.5 hours west of Detroit) has been the greatest mystery. So for the last 24 hours or so, I have found myself browsing housing ads on craigslist (it is psychotically cheap).

However, as a gay man, there is an entire other set of social variables that I am trying figure out. (more…)

A new book has just been released by cartoonist Julia Wertz, entitled “I Saw You…: Comics Inspired by Real-Life Missed Connections“. Wertz gathered up some favorite Missed Connections and handed them to some of her favorite artists in order to give life to the anonymous posts anxiously hoping to be discovered online.

According to the NYT:

Ms. Wertz writes that she started reading Missed Connections not because she wanted to post an ad herself (oh yeah?) but because she was “intrigued” by the idea of “a subculture of people who feel they missed something great because they didn’t have the courage to speak up.”

I have always felt lucky studying Missed Connections. They are stories that tell themselves, and so I can only imagine how beautifully they must turn out once illustrated. Besides, this way I can justify reading some comics for my academic research! I have One-Clicked it, and will let you know how it is once it arrives next week.

(Thanks Barbara for the heads up!)