Writing for Peanuts and Loving It:

The Internet is full of words written for no money at all, just for passion. And it’s veined with pieces (like this one) written in someone’s regular line of work. Now, though, more and more online copy is being cranked out by a hybrid class: people like Papple, happy to serve as ultra-low-cost freelancers for sites that — unlike many personal blogs — actually get readers.

Greasing the wheels are sites like Helium, ThisIsBy.Us and Associated Content, which dangle micro amounts of pay to amateur writers willing to contribute material. Virtually any topic is open, from advice about child-rearing to an exegesis of mood rings.

I’ve been doing a bit more writing for MousePlanet lately and I find that the more I write, the easier it seems to flow, but when I don’t write anything for a long time it seems to be difficult to get the first words out. So I’m considering trying one or more of these services to see if, even if I don’t actually make any money, I can do some topical writing that will be reviewed and commented on.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rovjqLVzM94]

(bok bok!)

The long-awaited firmware update for the Sprint-branded HTC Mogul is finally available:

Sprint said Monday it was releasing a software update for the Mogul phone, made by HTC Corp. of Taiwan, that will enable the phone to connect at Rev. A speeds. Downloads speeds should be 600 kilobits per second to 1,400 kbps, up from a range of 400 kbps to 700 kbps with Rev. 0. It will be capable of uploads of 350 to 500 kbps, up from 50 kbps to 70 kbps.

Firmware download link — it’s taking a nail-bitingly long time to download, probable due to every Mogul owner trying to grab it all at once. Isn’t this why BitTorrent exists? I’ll report on the upgrade experience and performance gains when it’s done.

I first saw one segment of this clever compilation over ten years ago. Funny how it still resonates.

http://www.glumbert.com/embed/baddayoffice

I also really like the accompanying song–Rachel Maddow plays it whenever some hapless Republican gets indicted or loses another election.

In celebration and recognition of the fact that this year’s Wyoming Democratic primary election (Saturday) will actually matter:

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