Bryan Keefer

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Bryan Keefer is a bestselling author and Director of Product at The Daily Beast. [read more]

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Online

My other book

Amazon.com is apparently now selling my “first" book. Actually, it’s my college honors thesis. As Amazon says, it is most definitely “Out of print—limited availability”—I think I made about a dozen copies of the thing, most of which I handed over to the history department.

I’m guessing they picked up the listing from the catalog of the Mountain View Public Library, where I dropped a copy as a thank you for letting me raid their clippings files and microfilm for my research, though why Amazon would suggest it might be available for purchase is beyond me.

Ah, the Internet—where every silly thing you’ve ever written lives on forever in virtual infamy. Coming soon: excerpts from my eighth grade report on the Kennedy assassination!

‘Tis better to give than to receive

7-Eleven yesterday put out a press release headlined “Shoppin’ ‘Round the Clock.” It thoughtfully provides a list of 11 ideas for gifts you can purchase at the chain’s stores, but one stands out:

8. Jerky Gift Pack

It wouldn’t be the holidays at 7-Eleven without jerky. This year, 7-Eleven—the store considered by some to be the jerky capital of the world—has come up with the perfect gift for jerky-lovers everywhere, Jack Link’s Taste of America Beef Jerky Holiday Gift Pack. The $19.99 gift pack includes seven varieties—Mega, Slab, Original, Teriyaki, KC Masterpiece, Pepper and Nugget.

I have no idea how that beat out number nine on the list, “Portable CD player & Jessica [Simpson] CD.”

The press release also informs us that, “7-Eleven non-foods category manager Tom Gerrity thinks customers might give a shout of ‘Oh Thank Heaven,’ when they find out just how much holiday shopping they could wrap up at 7-Eleven.”

I couldn’t agree more, Tom. After all, there’s nothing like a stocking full of dried, shredded meat to let your loved ones know just how you feel about them.

Barney Cam reviewed

The White House has released its annual Christmas video starring Barney, the president’s Scottish terrier. It’s kind of surreal; the way they use a Steadicam to follow the dog around the White House reminds me of that eerie scene with the kid on the Big Wheel in “The Shining” right before Jack Nicholson goes nuts.

Odder still: In the second scene, President Bush, kneeling on the floor of the Oval Office, tells the dog (who is about ten inches tall), “Barney, I know you wanted to be in my Cabinet. But I’ve already given you an important job! Your job is to take care of Miss Beazley [the new White House dog]. ... And I don’t want you chasing Willie [the White House cat] around the house any more, you understand that? I’m countin’ on you.” I’m thinking there’s a hidden message in there about Bush’s second term ("I’ve given you a very important job, Jonny—take care of Miss Beazley!").

And then there’s a scene in the press room where Barney yelps to get called on to ask a question, and then just growls at Press Secretary Scott McClellan when he gets picked. I think that pretty much speaks for itself ...

Update: I have more on the press angle at CJR Daily.

Feeding the beast

CJR Daily (nee CampaignDesk) has my take on the whole journalist-coaching-soldier-to-question-Rumsfeld bit that’s been in the news (quick verdict: Not guilty!).

I also have a new piece over there about cable news recycling work by print reporters and presenting it as their own. (Kind of like having a blog, minus the links to others.)

The Smoking Gun points itself in my direction

Assuming I haven’t been left on the cutting-room floor, I’ll be making a brief appearance on “Smoking Gun TV” this Thursday at 10 PM on CourtTV. I have no idea what sound bite they might have picked out, though it may well involve the interviewer asking me “But is it possible?” and me saying “Anything’s possible”—just like real-life journalists do it!

500 reasons Rolling Stone is no longer relevant

I probably shouldn’t dignify this by commenting on it, but Rolling Stone has a list out of the “500 best songs of all time.” All it really does is tell us Rolling Stone thinks music stopped being good in about 1975 (the top 100 includes only 2 songs from 1990 or later, the higher-ranked of which is “Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana, which as a friend argued vociferously, isn’t even the best Nirvana song).

I mean, really, people—I think we all know that the best song of all time is “My Posse’s On Broadway” by Sir Mix-A-Lot, though “Holiday in Cambodia” by the Dead Kennedys is a close second.

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