Jack Bauer Fixes Everything

Writing Elves

“You need some serious distractions.”

Those were the wise words of my older sister after she read my last blogpost and spoke to me on the phone. Kind of ironic, because distractibility is pretty much my calling card. You’d think I’d have it down to a science.

But clearly I needed a nudge and a reminder that instead of trolling the internet searching for random articles and research studies that had some vague connection to myself, I needed to just find something mindless to keep my brain occupied (ironic as that might seem).

Enter Jack Bauer.

Now, I was a huge 24 fan back in the day, though I came to it a bit late. To catch up to the shows on TV, I watched seasons 1-5 on DVD. Watching those shows was probably the closest thing I’ve ever had to a serious addiction. It was like cocaine. I…

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Field Notes: European Beer Bloggers Conference

WordPress.com News

Automatticians, the people who build WordPress.com, participate in events and projects around the world every day. Periodically, they report back on the exciting things they do when not in front of a computer. This week, editor Ben Huberman shares his experience from the annual European Beer Bloggers Conference, an annual gathering of brewers, beer lovers, and bloggers who are one or the other (or both).

One of the best aspects of my work is that I get to interact with bloggers on a daily basis, whether it’s in an email to a Freshly Pressed blogger, the comments section at The Daily Post, or the Blogging U.Commons. Still, meeting WordPress users in real life is a particular pleasure. It’s a real privilege to see the faces and hear the stories of the people who bring our software to life.

This year’s European Beer Bloggers Conference was held in pint-obsessed Dublin, Ireland. The…

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Around the World (Cup) in Eight Photos

WordPress.com News

Whether your country is playing in Brazil this year or not, joining in the fun of this monthlong global festivity is hard to resist. Thanks to bloggers and photographers on the ground in Brazil and around the world, we all get to have the best views.

Copacabana during the World Cup.

Just before their team dispatched the outgoing champion, Spain, these Chilean fans found time to hit the beach in Copacabana, where they were captured by Rio-based photoblogger Cristina.

Watching the game in Acari.

Across town, in a favela called Acari, Dutch student Steef Fleur watched the Brazil-Mexico match with some new friends. This photo is part of Steef’s ongoing project to document the World Cup across local communities in Brazil.

Public viewing in San Francisco’s Civic Center.

Fans on the other side of the equator watched the same game between the Mexican and Brazilian teams. Blogger Vonn Scott…

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