Taking a few days off for a working vacation ( helping my mon-in-law fix up the South Lake Tahoe vacation house so we can enjoy ski and swim outings later!) and sneaking off to a wi-fi hotspot to check on the realworldosphere . . . .

The Canadian startup NowPublic, gets $10.6 million in venture funding to expand a citizen journalism site that, according to an Associated Press story has already attracted more than 100,000 uploads of text, video or photos. I don’t think I’ve ever mentioned nor been aware of this outfit. Thanks to DerCuz for sending me the alert on this. Meanwhile, Cuz-o-mine, are your remembering that it’s been 30 years since we did the Tahoe trip. Ideas????

Here is what Paid Content had to say about the NowPublic deal, and is it just me or do I catch a whiff of being miffed for being so out of the loop on an outfit that appears to be so extensive and so below the radar. I just want to know: what is NowPublic’s technology? Are they selling it or keeping to for their own?

Americans jump the pond for attitude? Here’s a snippet from Paid Content that suggests Americans are clicking on news from British publication . . .  why? Maybe because their anal-retentive, boring-as-a-sermon U.S. newspapers aren’t giving them the ‘tude that makes the news worth reading.

Matchbook universities share writing tips: There is an aura of the less-than-reputable about online and correspondence univerisites that offer what I have heard called “matchbook degrees.” But I am not so sure such snootiness is any longer justified and I suspect that in my children’s lifetimes online education may give brick-and-mortar schools a run for our tuition money. In any event that preamble introduces a note from a gentleman at OEDb.com (Online Education Database) a website that appears to be a co-marketing entity for a group of distance-learning outfits. I am not sure whether these institutions are accredited or not, if that matters to you (it usually matters to employers).

That note, from OEDb founder Jimmy Atkinson, said:

“I’m just writing to let you know that we’ve recently published a feature article, “150 Resources to Help You Write Better, Faster and More Persuasively.” I thought you and your readers . . .  might find it helpful. Let me know what you think.”

I think Jimmy has done a great service by pulling together a concise directory of style guides, training resources and vertical search engines that would be a great assist to anyone interested in bettering their writing (and thinking) skills. Thanks!

Better get back to the home repairs as a son-in-law’s work is never done!