My story for In These Times' July edition revealed some tactics that whistleblowers of a national security bent might have to use in case they want to remain anonymous. It appeared on the back cover, where the nonprofit that runs the magazine prints stories, not ads.
Tales from the crypt(-oparty)
My story on Chicago's CryptoParty scene appeared on the cover of the Chicago Reader last week. Thanks for reading, folks. It's a long piece, so if you get through it, kudos to you. And bravo if you somehow manage to not get lost as you go, with all the techno-terminology. We tried to make it as friendly … Continue reading Tales from the crypt(-oparty)
A glimpse at the ideas re-shaping building design from the science up
I wrote the cover story to the special September edition of "Green Building + Design," a design-porn glossy that doesn't shy away from hard questions about its subjects. (I, for one, balk at the consumerist trend to "be green.") I wrote about the mantra--and standards--called Passive House, which uses modelling and analysis to incorporate remarkable … Continue reading A glimpse at the ideas re-shaping building design from the science up
Protected: Chicago police and their wobbly definition of “search”
There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.
I helped break who Chicago police were spying on
Kristiana Rae Colón, center with the red scarf, leads a "Brown Friday" protest in a Chicago shopping district. This reporter broke the news that Colón, daughter of an Alderman, likely had her phone surveilled by Chicago police trying to learn where the protest was headed. Photo credit: Bryant Cross. This story of mine, published on … Continue reading I helped break who Chicago police were spying on
One’s work and one’s art
I definitely need art in my life to thrive. And I need non-art work, too. This is nothing new for anyone, I suspect. But I'm happy to be at the point where my weekend pursuits, in food, are both satisfying work and hella artful. Three Sisters Lentils, Mint Creek pork shoulder, Genesis squash and onions, … Continue reading One’s work and one’s art
The past few months in photos, minus all the computers
Afraid to cook? You shouldn’t be.
Broccoli in a wok. The key to the wok is crazy, crazy, jet-engine heat. But don't worry about that for now. (Creative commons photo from Flickr's anotherpintplease) I recently heard someone say they did well following strict recipes—baking, for example—but that spontaneous cooking, without an exact recipe, frightened them. Maybe they tried it before and … Continue reading Afraid to cook? You shouldn’t be.
Roadblocks en route to the world’s thinnest watch
Chicagoan Jerry O'Leary, wearing the watch he designed and helped engineer—the world's thinnest. His company is called Central Standard Timing. Photo by Zbigniew Bzdak, used with permission from Chicago Tribune. A year ago, when I read news stories on the Kickstarter hardware phenomenon of the millimeter-thin watch, I latched onto the catchy company name and the … Continue reading Roadblocks en route to the world’s thinnest watch
eBay entrepreneur could make the powerful and corrupt shiver
If the stories are saying what I think they are, one of the biggest barriers to doing important journalism—heavy security protecting your sources and research—will soon be less about cobbling together your own ragtag system and more about buying into a proven solution. Let's just hope they open the source code. I'm excited about Greenwald … Continue reading eBay entrepreneur could make the powerful and corrupt shiver
A judge rules
It's not the last word, but a hint of rulings to come. Below are excerpts from the Times' story about a federal judge ruling against one NSA data-siphoning program. In a statement distributed by the journalist Glenn Greenwald, who was a recipient of leaked documents from Mr. Snowden and who wrote the first article about … Continue reading A judge rules
Business cards
I'm excited about my new business cards, created with design help by my friend Matt Albacete. Here's the back: My name is set in different versions of the typeface ZXX, all designed by a former NSA staffer to thwart optical character recognition. And yes, it's purely for show. But the security suggestions aren't. With some … Continue reading Business cards
Newsroom security beefing up…
From a Times article featuring The Guardian's editor testifying before a British Parliament committee: Since the revelations, newspapers, particularly those that have dealt with Mr. Snowden’s material, have also had to adjust to a harsh new reporting environment, security experts and journalists said, as governments and others seek secret material held by reporters. “The old … Continue reading Newsroom security beefing up…
SecureDrop in my house? You’d never know.
I'm well on my way to the prerequisites to install SecureDrop, the new anonymous submission system for those who would receive and publish things that might endanger the sender. Originally coded by the late Aaron Swartz with help from Kevin Poulsen, the Freedom of the Press Foundation has taken up the mantle, updated the code … Continue reading SecureDrop in my house? You’d never know.
Wisdom from people who live in cabins
Tiny-house construction in the Beaver Brook community in the forest of upstate New York. Thanks to the photographer, Jace Cooke, for the Creative Commons license. Head over to cabinporn.com for a real show. (Not that kind, you sex addict. Not that there's anything wrong with that.) The folks behind the site, the residents of Beaver … Continue reading Wisdom from people who live in cabins
Blue Sky innovation; work for Chicago Tribune
Take note: graph the number of tech startups in Chicago the past five years and you'll very nearly get a parabolic function. (No, this isn't an actual graph of it, but it does closely represent the data.) Most startups employ just one or two people full-time. Maybe the more-developed ones have a third person part-time. … Continue reading Blue Sky innovation; work for Chicago Tribune
Adversarial journalism part 2
Did you see the New York Times op-ed debate between Bill Keller and Glenn Greenwald? It's about "the future of journalism," and the Times doesn't use that language lightly. If you're interested in the press, you should at least read a short commentary, like this one. But for a more thorough selection, see my relevant … Continue reading Adversarial journalism part 2
Adverserial journalism part 1: disclaimer
DISCLAIMER: If you're a source and I want to interview you or someone else you work with, there's almost no chance (0.00%) that the story I'm writing will be an adversarial one. I've done some work in this vein, but what I do today isn't it. The nature of my recent freelance contracts isn't to … Continue reading Adverserial journalism part 1: disclaimer
Information anarchy as naiveté?
Below I've copied an excerpt from an Esquire piece mostly about Deric Lostutter, the primary Anonymous member behind "hive justice" actions in Steubenville. I may not agree with the columnist's every sentiment. But he implies a good question: what steps need to be taken before whistleblower-type reporting—easier than ever these days—sees the light of day? … Continue reading Information anarchy as naiveté?
Smart commentary
One of my favorite journalists—one I hope to meet some day—Mort Rosenblum. Photo thanks to the International Journalism Festival, whose chroniclers used a Creative Commons license. I read Rosenblum's book shortly after its release a few years back. What a great piece of wisdom. Wisdom: that's what journalism (and by necessity, journalists!) needs these days. … Continue reading Smart commentary
Brandon Smith 