I’m overdue for some housecleaning.
I originally began the Axis of Ego with the intention that I would be the primary contributor, but that others would generate content intermittently to supplement my work. The idea was for me to create the lion’s share of the writing, but also to bring other folks into the fold. Their purpose would be to provide voices different from my own while also usefully alleviating my personal workload during my busiest times of the year. This would ensure that there would always be at least two or three new items on the site each week.
March 7th, 2012 marked the one-year anniversary of the last time someone other than myself wrote something for this site.
In fact, the subject of that article was a series of gift suggestions for a then-unborn child whose first birthday is (obviously) approaching rapidly.
I think my principle reason for trying to create a website that had multiple authors was my belief that such a site has more inherent credibility. A sole author’s work is merely a blog, of which there are literally hundreds of millions across the internet.
Of course, this is just a blog, after all. I realized fairly early on that I would have to distinguish it from those millions of others with worthwhile content rather than with an attempt to dress up my blog as something resembling a poor broke man’s Huffington Post or Gawker (minus some of the snark or the lefty leanings).
I’ve realized over the course of the fourteen months of this site’s existence that it also functions as an online portfolio of my writing work. Or, if you prefer, an endless audition directed at no one in particular. There’s no reason not to take ownership of that.
The upshot of all this is that there will be a few cosmetic changes made to the Axis of Ego. Those of you who merely frequent the front page and read the newest pieces probably won’t detect any difference whatsoever.
There still may be guest articles from time to time, but I have no plans to seek those out or ask for help. I have more than enough good ideas (or at least “ideas”) to formulate content on a regular basis without any outside input, just as I’ve done for over a year now.
Thank you for your continued readership. Feel free to follow me on Twitter.
Carry on.
Last week’s edition of the adventures of Liz Lemon and company was one of the better-written half-hours of television I’ve ever seen, and perhapsthe best I’ve seen recently. But, with Archer and the Officeboth on something of a roll, will 30 Rock be able to hold off the challenges of the opposition and take a second consecutive win for the first time this season? Or will the Office continue its strong finish to the year as we steamroll towards May?
It isn’t merely the case that heavy rotation on MTV could enhance an artist’s career (especially ones who were visually appealing). MTV also had the ability to shine an unwelcome light on otherwise competent musicians who had faces made for radio. One-time Academy Award-winner and five-time Grammy-winner 
For anyone reading this who happens to be under 20, video stores were physical locations in which customers would travel (often several miles!) in order to peruse a limited selection of films in the hopes that the movie the customer wanted to see happened to be available. If the movie in question wasn’t there, the customer would often select a movie he didn’t want—you know, because he came all that way, after all.
Cutting Through the Corporate Code
The curious leadership style of the board of directors of World Wrestling Entertainment, Incorporated (NYSE/NASDAQ: WWE) has again perplexed the business community and financial experts around the globe.
The company is currently in the midst of something of a power struggle between two longtime holders of upper-management positions, Theodore Long and John Laurinaitis. The board has concluded that the continued employment of both men is an impossibility. Such a scenario in and of itself isn’t all that unusual within the corporate world, particularly in a situation in which the company has a sizable entertainment component.
The unusual part is the method by which the company’s board will resolve the dilemma of which of the two mutually-exclusive employees to release.
The board issued a statement* this morning that I found to be remarkable in many respects. The document speaks for itself, but I’ve provided some annotations below to add context to the underlying substance. The take-home point is that the manner in which the corporate arm of WWE makes critical personnel decisions is totally foreign to the normal conduct of American industry:
I think the smart money is on Laurinaitis. He’s a ranking WWE executive, whereas this Long person holds no executive position insofar as I can tell, although he does have some impressive credentials. I suppose we’ll find out at WrestleMania 28 which employee will be retained. Appropriately enough (considering this company’s laughable business practices), the event takes place on April 1st.
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*Yes, in reality, I understand the actual corporate Board of Directors did not generate this document. It’s a TV show. I get it.
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