Blogs and Beagles

Russ Choma

I was lucky enough to be assigned Jim Brady as my alumni mentor. He's one of the SOC's most accomplished alums - until very recently, the executive editor of Washington Post Newsweek Interactive. In fact, it was the day after I was notified he'd be my mentor that he announced he was leaving the Post.
 

AU SOC alum Jim Brady's pet beagle, Fred. (credit: Joan Brady/fredandhank.typepad.com)

I can't tell you what he's planning to do next, but I can tell you what he's doing now - driving cross-country with his wife Joan and two beagles, Fred and Hank.

 
They did something similar in 2003, and Jim sent emails to a circle of friends that grew larger and larger as they drove. This time, he started a blog - Fred and Hank Mark America - and it's grown bigger and bigger.
 
It may be the antithesis of David Johnson's suggestion to keep these as brief as possible, but it's very effective - Jim started as a sportswriter at the Post and he evidently has not lost any of his writing skills. I've never found the deep South this fascinating.
 
I know I've talked with several of my classmates of our general disdain for the bubble-gum flavored blogs that are all puppy-dogs and smiley faces, but in this case I'm pretty sure that's half of the blog's charm. Cute pictures of beagles have also helped build his following: the original political blogger Andrew Sullivan apparently has a soft-spot for beagles, calling Jim's blog "Beagle Crack."
 
To be fair, the blog is so much more than cute dog pics - it's a travelblogue and great record of where our country is today.
 
So I take back everything bad I've ever said about bubblegum, blogs and puppy dogs.
 
Cross-posted at Blog/19 and AmericanObserved.