Well, I suppose before I really start to delve into new and interesting topics, some of you might want to know who I am. Even if you don’t, I am a huge ego-maniac and I would like to take this time anyways to investigate where I am professionally and how I ended up in New York, where it is currently 40 degrees. — picture below of me running the NY Marathon.
Besides how often does a guy really get to sit down and ponder how he got where he is and archive that information in 1’s and 0’s?
I grew up and attended public schools in Los Angeles. This was a fun time. In fact, I suspect if anybody ever does read this, it will be people I know from back home, either looking for fodder to make fun of me, or actually interested in my whereabouts (either way directed here via MySpace).
For college I went to U.C. Berkeley where I majored in philosophy and rhetoric (Both useless). I have decided that I will include a running segment of this blog entitled “stoned ramblings of a philosopher” where I will insert text from my rhetoric honors thesis. Taken out of context this stuff will perplex and annoy. I’m excited about putting it up for all of you to read while stoned — causing many hours of hmmmm-ing.
After graduating I moved to San Francisco, where I became a biking fanatic despite being hit by a car. While in SF I started my career as a professional intern and somehow during the course of it I like to think that I became a professional writer as well. I worked for the Nob Hill Gazette (pay=$0), the Commonwealth Club of California (pay=$45 a month) and Wired News (Pay was decent). I continue to freelance for Wired and its a good thing too, cause that’s where I still get a good portion of my money. During this time I also started blogging for LiveDigitally.
But the real dream was to go to Columbia for Journalism School. So when I got an internship at Columbia Journalism Review (pay=$8 an hour) I had to take it. And alas here I am. If you look at the November/December issue of CJR you’ll see me on the mastehead and on page 18 you find a cute little 250 word piece on current events in journalism written by yours truly. Go ahead, I dare you to even find a magazine shop by you that sells Columbia Journalism Review. But hey, if you do get a chance to pick it up and read my little piece, feel free to send a note to the editor telling him how amazing it was and that this young David Cohn could be the next best thing in journalism.
My application is in at the school of journalism so now I’m just freelancing and working and waiting to hear back from Columbia. I will of course keep you all posted (as if you cared).
Well that seemed like a long rant didn’t it. I intend to make future posts quicker, lighter, more productive. Along with “Stoned Rantings of a Philosopher,” I think I will also include “Lessons from Interning as a section, since that has been my occupation for over a year now. I get coffee better than anyone else I know.
Currently reading: Blog! How the Newest Media Revolution is changing politics, business, and Culture by David Kline and the November/December issue of Adbusters.
Much Love