In this video interview at Livebooks.com, photographer/author/lighting shaman, Joe McNally, talks about the role of his blog and the difference it makes in attracting new clients. Great information here for photographers from an outstanding photojournalist/teacher. Check out Joe’s blog.

Tim Oren, managing director and co-founder of the Pacifica Fund, shared his thoughts on the future of reporting via his blog, Tim Oren’s Due Diligence: Letters From an Inhabited Dataspace.

As Yahoo and AOL morph into media companies that employ both reporters and editors, Oren makes some interesting points on the opportunities and the pitfalls of picking up where MSM is leaving off.

Seems as if everyone is shooting video of their studio shoots. That’s a good thing.

Check this out: “V” magazine’s video of the Maybelline calendar shoot. Dallas native and former winner of the Fashion Dallas/Kim Dawson Model Search, Erin Wasson, is featured.

Check out San Francisco photographer Peter Berlanger‘s excellent time-lapse video of how a MacWorld magazine cover comes together, from studio shoot to finished product.

Thanks to David Hobby at Strobist for posting this.

Here in Texas it’s called, “Calling Bullshit,” and that’s what Malcolm Gladwell does so eloquently in his review in The New Yorker of Chris Anderson’s latest book, “Free: The Future of a Radical Price” (Hyperion; $26.99).

Thank you, Malcolm, for stepping up. I’ll spare you my thoughts on Anderson’s premise, because Gladwell does such a brilliant job of shooting it full of holes.

However, I have emailed Chris Anderson and requested my free copy of “Free: The Future of a Radical Price” because I’m dying to see if this model works for Chris.

I’ll let everyone know when my copy arrives.

“INSITE” arrived unannounced in my email this morning and it’s a typically snazzy Neiman’s presentation. The Jason Wu interview on page 2 is a quick 10-questions that left me wanting to know more. A “shop Jason Wu” link at the end of the Q&A would have been handy. Granted, there’s a half page “shop Jason Wu” image on the same page that links to his wares but for usability’s sake, it needs to be in the Q&A.

Page 3′s “The Definitive Piece This Fall: The Over-The-Knee Boot” sports a quick video intro of a leggy NYC model crossing the street and it’s an eye-catcher, and again, I want more but it dumps me onto a page where I can select from a menu of designer boots. I need more cowbell. Who says the over-the-knee boot is the definitive piece this fall? Seems like an excellent opportunity to quote Anna or any number of fashion high-priestesses who’ll tell me WHY it’s the definitive piece this fall. I’m here, I’m shopping, ENGAGE ME!!!

Which brings us to Page 4′s “Outside the Box: Gift (shouldn’t that be ‘Gifts’???) for the Newlyweds” needs some clever “Daily Candy-ish” banter to liven it up. I’m married, but definitely not ENGAGED!

On page 5, the Father’s Day video, “Of Mouse and Man” is a clever and ENGAGING pitch that showcases a variety of gorgeous manly neckties. It’s so cool I’d like to email it to my friends, but because Neiman’s didn’t give me that option and because it’s a Flash video with no link, I won’t, or can’t. Note to “INSITE” team: Make it viral. Gimme a link I can email!!!

Page 6 is pure advertising, but that’s okay, they’re trying to sell me stuff–it’s Neiman’s and I expect that but if this is an e-zine, then let’s keep a decent content-to-advertising ratio. In eight pages, I’m gonna allow you one or two that are pure sales pitch.

Page 7 is a calendar. Okay.

Page 8 is a teaser to the upcoming issue, but nowhere am I told if this is a daily, weekly or monthly ezine. Why is that? Why doesn’t Neiman’s want me to know when to expect the next issue?

Nowhere in the email announcing the debut of “INSITE” am I told ANYTHING about the publication. It’s simply a VERY DISTRACTING Flash image that quite literally flickers off and on caused me concern that my broadband connection was failing. Lose the flicker. Just because we CAN do something “cool” with Flash, doesn’t mean we SHOULD.

Debut-wise, “INSITE” has descended the staircase without doing a face-plant but she’s gonna need to make up points during the interview and curtsey events. She needs to speak to us and let us know how smart she is. She needs more CONTENT.

She needs more cowbell.

David Simon was bought out at his newspaper, The Baltimore Sun, in 1995 when the newspaper was booking profits of 37 percent. His testimony this week before the Senate Commerce Committee during a hearing on the future of journalism is spot on.

Greed, pure and simple, fueled the industry’s demise. Newspaper publishers had a great ride and experienced phenomenal profits during their heyday, all the while, spending less on research-and-development than any other major industry.

Those wingbeats you hear are the sound of chickens coming home to roost. Read Simon’s full testimony.

My recent trip to Jamaica included a day-long expedition into the Blue Mountains and a visit to two coffee plantations. I hired an excellent driver, Paul, who took me and my host, Elise Yap, owner and proprietor of The Blue House Bed & Breakfast in Ocho Rios, down the coast to Port Maria, south to Kingston and north into the Blue Mountains. We left Ocho at 7 a.m. and, thanks to Paul’s excellent driving skills, arrived at our destination alive.

Anyone who’s visited Jamaica knows that renting a car there is expensive and the driving is treacherous. Rental cars typically go for $200-plus per day because the car agencies have to cover the cost of damage from the roads and collisions. The roads in Jamaica are riddled with potholes you can lose a Hummer in. Coupled with the aggressive nature of Jamaican drivers, it’s a constant gut-check on every turn. Paul said, “You realize, I’m a PhD, right Mon?” I said, “Really, in what?” “Pot hole detection,” he laughed.

Kingston is a bustling metropolis and we stopped there for patties, the traditional meat-filled pastry that’s like a turnover, but tastier. From there we headed north up Highway B1 toward the Blue Mountains. The road is a series of steep switchbacks and elephant-sized potholes that, at 3,100 ft., takes the visitor past the Strawberry Hill resort owned by Chris Blackwell, founder of Island Records and the man responsible for launching Bob Marley’s career. One of the island’s top resort destinations, it’s also a popular venue for Kingston residents looking for a posh dinner or evening out.

We drove through, literally, through the middle of, Newcastle, a military facility built in 1841, where we were stopped on the road by a young Jamaican Defence Force recruit who kept us there until the soldiers just down the mountain finished their small arms target practice. The gunfire stopped, Paul drove on.

We arrived at Old Tavern Estate just before 11 a.m. and were greeted by owner, Dorothy Twyman. Dorothy and her late husband, Alex, founded Old Tavern Coffee Estate farm in 1972.

The family farm is perched on a Blue Mountain hillside some 4,000-plus feet above sea level.

Mrs. Twyman, ever the gracious hostess, invited us in and gave us a tour of her family business. The entire farm operation is run out of the cottage, so we were able to see the hand-sorting process as well as the two commercial roasting machines where Mrs. Twyman personally roasts the estate’s beans. She carefully sorted a batch of the roasted peabody beans and brewed dark and medium roasts for tasting. Fresh beans, roasted by the owner and served piping hot in her cottage overlooking the farm’s 100-plus acres of coffee plants–it’s an unparalleled tasting experience. While we sipped, Mrs. Twyman talked about her late husband, Alex, and his passion for growing what many consider the finest coffee on earth.

David Twyman, Alex and Dorothy’s son, arrived while we were tasting and filled us in on more of Old Tavern’s history and the devastation wreaked by Hurricane Ivan, which hit Jamaica on Sept. 11, 2004. According to David, the farm is still recovering from the storm that destroyed 70 percent of the crop.

David runs the day-to-day operation of the farm and deals with clients around the world. Varying sources estimate that as much as 90 percent of the Blue Mountain crop is exported to Japan.

The cool temperatures, constant rainfall, excellent drainage and altitude of the Blue Mountains all combine to make perfect growing conditions for Old Tavern Estate’s crop.

Despite the city’s 10.1 unemployment rate, visitor volume rates declining by 12 percent, airport passengers declining by 16 percent and convention attendance down by 21 percent from the same period in 2008, Las Vegas hotels and casinos were busy during Easter weekend.

The Las Vegas Art Museum closed its doors on February 28. According to a story in the Las Vegas Sun, “We’ve tried everything to keep this afloat. It’s just a challenging time,” said Patrick Duffy, president of the museum’s board. “The economic climate has eliminated several of our donations or reduced them significantly.”

This AFP story, from April 17, details the events that forced the museum’s closing.

The March index showed gaming revenue fell by 16 percent, taxable sales fell 13 percent, visitor volume fell 12 percent, airport passengers declined 16 percent and convention attendance was down 21 percent from the same period in 2008.

The city’s largest construction project, City Center, a joint project of MGM Grand and Dubai World, is in trouble. According to an April 8, 2009 Reuters story, Dubai World sued MGM Mirage alleging mismanagement.