Help me Unify my Blogs

I want to unify my current (and any future) blogs under one banner with a similar look and feel. To do so I'll need a brand identity, a good webhost, and a web programmer who can help me put my thoughts for design onto the web. If anybody knows where I might find such a person. Someone who might be willing to work for peanuts now and some equity later (equity that will probably never come unless Blogs suddenly go IPO crazy, which I doubt) , please let me know. Perhaps a student or recent graduate who wants to bulk up their resume.

I'd like to standardize on Movable Type or Wordpress. Wordpress is free, which is an advantage. MT seems to be easier to understand for intermediate level HTMLer's, like myself. I'd like to model this on Weblogs, Inc or Gawker Media. The recognized leaders in the field. I have no aspirations of every reaching those kinds of numbers, but I think the model works scales down well even for authors with just 5-10 blogs in their stable (and could scale up if needed).

Anyone? Bueller?

Peter Jennings, Signing Off

I've written a longer post on The Disney Blog about the passing of ABC News Anchor Peter Jennings. But I wanted to say that I'm finding myself a little suprised at how much this has affected me. He was never just a talking head to me. He was a voice I turned to when I needed to learn. If there was a major event, I always turned to ABC News first. His 24+ hours of broadcasting at the Millenium was legendary. His coverage fo 9.11 and subsequent events helped redefine journalism. I have a father that I love and respect very much, but Jennings was a father figure to us all.

It will be a long time before we see his like again (Charlie Gibson and Aaron Brown would both make good,replacements, but neither comes close to Jennings, in my book), perhaps never as the role of broadcast journalism is undergoing a shift in paradigm right now.

I'm sad that Peter Jennings didn't get to utter one last "signing off" from the anchor's desk. I'm sad I never got to meet him personally and thank him for the effort he made to keep America informed. I'm glad his and his family's personal struggle with his disease wasn't played out in the media or the blogosphere. I hope that everyone will take this chance to stop smoking, get a check up, donate to Cancer research, or do something to make your chance at a longer life a little better. Jennings gave up smoking 20 years ago, but only had 4 months to fight after his diagnosis of Lung Cancer.

More later, perhaps, when I've had more time to reflect.

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