Watercooler

mb’s editors pick their favorite blog of the week, and catch you up on five days of news in thirty seconds.
This week: FishbowlNY

mb’s editors pick their favorite blog of the week, and catch you up on five days of news in thirty seconds.
This week: UnBeige

mb’s editors pick their favorite blog of the week, and catch you up on five days of news in thirty seconds.
This week: TVNewser

mb’s editors pick their favorite blog of the week, and catch you up on five days of news in thirty seconds.
This week: GalleyCat

mb’s editors pick their favorite blog of the week, and catch you up on five days of news in thirty seconds.
This week: FishbowlDC
Monday: Rood Joins ‘The Blotter’ at ABC News
Tuesday: Managing Editor Steps Down At Politico
Wednesday: Roll Call Hires Wodele
Thursday: Meet The Press Wins Again
Friday:Hill Goes Four Days

Even if it means being called a ‘dog’ when you change your column photo? Tales of the thick-skinned kind here at the Plain Dealer (via Romenesko)

Hanukkah is still happening, and Christmas and Kwanzaa are around the corner (Boxing Day, too. Thank you, DayMinder.) Bellascribe has some tips on additional gifts for writers, plus how to keep that brain moving even when you’re suffering from cookie-induced brain drain.

Is the changing newsroom eliminating a crucial journalist resource–the mentor? Check out the thoughts from Jeffrey Dvorkin at the Committee of Concerned Journalists (via Romenesko.)

How do you exact revenge on someone while at the same time ensuring that they won’t come after you suing for libel? Other than claiming that their entire gender is sans sense of humor? Paint them as a small-dicked child molester in your next book. (TNR)

If you’re struggling to figure out what to buy for your writer friend or what to tell your loved ones to get you, try some more of these (and forget things like “printer paper”–I’m trying to include things that are both fun to give and get):
Membership to AvantGuild, Freelance Success, Ask Metafilter, Lexis Nexis, Journalist Express or their favorite magazines.
A certificate for a massage, after all that time in front of the computer.
A paper shredder.

Noise-cancelling headphones.
Writer’s Block wine.
And a few others, based on suggestions I got from Upod: a cool messenger bag/satchel like one from Timbuk2 for out of town assignments, digital recorder, a copy of the Slang & Euphemism Dictionary; Lojack For Laptops: “If your computer gets pinched, stolen, snatched, lapjacked or otherwise it will contact Lojack the next time it’s connected to the internet and (secretly) provide IP info so they can track the culprits”; A copy of “Please Understand Me” by Keirsey and Bates “to help you deal with challenging clients (or to learn how to spot and avoid them at all costs)” and “The Panasonic KX-TG5672 phone, which talks and slows down incoming
conversations.”