Lasting Impact.

I wrote a book about concussions, a topic I thought was boring and overblown until I started researching it. There's a lot going on, and a lot worth learning, especially for everyday athletes and kids playing sports.

Check out some blurbs that describe what it's all about on NESN.com.

Download the book from Barnes & Noble here, or from Copia or Scribd for other e-formats.

Read This Stuff.

This is a great article on what makes a true team. This is a great article on what makes a true human (hint: It's about Michael Jordan). Both should be read, the sooner the better.

Journalists are stellar complainers.

The old adage about journalism is that it's there "to afflict the comfortable and comfort the afflicted." What it doesn't mention is that journalists are often afflicted (real or not), and of the few places they find true comfort, one is when they are griping about their problems with each other.

That's what made me smile the most when I read this article about the New York Times' editor, Jill Abramson, and this quote especially (she was asked what the biggest drag was of being the executive editor): "I don't get to complain anymore. It's just true. Some of the most delicious time that you spend as a journalist is like, complaining. At no times have I had fewer actual friends to gossip with, and kind of complain with, or at least commiserate with. That is a hard part of being the boss. Newsrooms are just full of cantankerous complaining people. It's so enjoyable to be part of that."

Well said, Ms. Abramson.

Journalisms.

I found some fun stuff on Poynter today. First up we have the war journalist action figure. He's got a pretty serious camera and nice duds, but let's be honest -- no man worth his salt is taking a goatee into a war zone.

The other find is this lovely piece that explains why I no longer have a job as a copy editor. It includes this video, which I have embedded for your viewing pleasure. One note, though -- the animosity between reporters and copy editors (and day people and night people) isn't just a byproduct of a newsroom. It's the larger life case of people who do it right vs. people who don't, or two sets of people who do it right but don't communicate. Newspapers are just awesome places to see it get really bad before people combust.

Andy Pettitte

Any Christian or Yankees fan is a huge supporter of pitcher Andy Pettitte, who has been a class act for New York while carrying Christ into the world of Major League Baseball. I interviewed him the last time the Yankees were in Boston. Read the story here.

Awesome archives

One of the best things newspapers have to offer these days is their incredible wealth of knowledge, information, and ability to capture and explain history.

The reason we still have journalism is because you can't just report the news -- you also have to give it context. Two of the best ways to do this are through exceptional photography and superior analysis, which is why I've always been a fan of the New York Times.

Now, paywall-free, the Times is offering a look at a bunch of its archive photos. Not only are the photos incredible, but the captions offer enough of a context that you can tell there's a whole different world out there.

The Boston Globe has jumped on board with its own archive series.

Truly interesting journalism

It was a package so well done that I actually felt the need to buy the entire magazine this time.

This month, from New York magazine:

• A fascinating collection of New York living spaces currently embracing a "new old" trend, from neo-Victorian to neo-British and more. You can hardly do justice to these amazing photos on the Web, but this link should get you started for some great home design ideas. My favorite? NeoVictorians, by far. Check out their olive oil holder.
  
• If you want to be sufficiently creeped out yet enjoy a fantastic piece of journalism, check out this piece on bedbugs in New York's richest sections. Great writing, great facts, great story.
• And a great essay on the essence of skyscrapers, complete with a wondrous package of photos that show the city's skyline throughout the years. The writing captures why skyscrapers are more than just tall buildings (they speak to the heart of the city and where it's going rather than being a travesty to the landscape like the many mid-level buildings that pack the city do, which attract tons of people, obscure views, and are altogether ugly). The art gives you a glimpse into the world they've make New York City become.
  

If at all possible, buy the issue. It's what a magazine should be.

Ah, the life of a freelancer

Check out this hilarious bit in the New York Times today, adequately describing the life of a freelancer.

More good stuff from NY Mag

New York magazine is fantastic, and the September 28 issue proved no different, with a few great articles. My personal favorite was this feature called "Vu," which highlights different apartments and such available around the city. The best part is their little slideshow on how all that empty office space left over by the recession can be turned into places to live, much like the loft-style apartments rose out of old factory buildings. It's mostly funny, sort of interesting. Oh, and buy the magazine to support journalism; as nice as it is online, it's better in print.

Great Letterman piece

New York magazine (one of those magazines I love and will subscribe to when I'm making enough to splurge on glossies about the Big Apple) ran a great article on David Letterman, and what he means to late night and comedy.

I've always been a Letterman fan, and although I can't completely understand what he's done to the landscape over the past few decades (I only started sneaking downstairs to watch him within the past five years or so), I can appreciate the anointment of his humor over Jay Leno's.

The article is long, which means you're better off just buying the magazine so you can really enjoy it and all the cool graphics. Go ahead, support journalism.

A new way for the White House to snub the press

Call it one act in a list of many, but the White House's choice to cancel newspaper subscriptions as a cost-cutting measure is just another shot to the heart of journalism.

Obama supports the press

Read Obama's speech to journalists at the White House Correspondents Dinner here.