I tried something today I thought worked pretty well. It’s something new for LPJ, and I think it will be a great addition to the site. I spend a bunch of time in the car heading back and forth from Glen to Berlin, and now I’ve got a way to put it to better use. Check it out:
I’m putting in two versions to see which people like better as well. One is YouTube and the other is Vimeo.
This is the first installment, I think, but it seems worth continuing. Again, as always, this is my blog, not the Berlin Reporter’s, just for clarity sake, so don’t expect breaking news or a newspaper’s objectivity. I try to be open to both sides, but I’m doing this for fun without an editor looking over my shoulder. Read it for pleasure and feel free to contribute.
I’m looking for a name for the the video segment; if you have any good ideas let me know. I was thinking Logic Gap, because down south notches are called gaps, and I plan to do it over that drive. I am not always logical, but I thought it worked. Let me know your thoughts on the video, which one you like, and your thoughts on the Logic Gap name.
Thanks.
ErikEisele.com 
I'm a fan of both the video blogs and the name.You are also correct, the city seal should reflect Berlin's heritage. The city seal will not be seen by any tourists and would not defer anyone from visiting Berlin.Also, good luck on getting the fellowship in NYC. I hope things work out for you.Matthew
I had trouble with the vimeo version, no problems with the YouTube version…although I use Chrome which doesn't seem to be compatible with certain players & programs…interesting dialogue, your thoughts while driving are so much more cohesive than mine, I am rather peripatetic while driving and I enjoy music so, not much time to video blog! 🙂
YouTube won that battle before it even began. As for the city seal, the whole discussion is a ridiculous waste of time and brain power. I really hope no one is so naive as to believe that changing the seal will somehow change Berlin's image or solve any of its problems. It won't. No one knows or cares what it looks like. I don't even know what the seal of the city I live in now looks like, nor do I know what the seal of the city I lived in for 12 years before that looks like. It's irrelevant. Only politicians and city employees ever see it or care about it, not tourists, not citizens, not potential investors.A seal is not a definition of a city but a reflection of its history and values. IF Berlin's seal does, indeed, need changing, it shouldn't even be discussed until such time as the "re-invention" of Berlin is complete and there's some new history, some new industry, some new aspect that can compete with, if not overshadow, the history represented in the current seal.Berlin has a long history and a lot to be proud of, and the current seal encapsulates that quite nicely. That's something to promote, not run from or sweep under the rug. Instead of wasting time debating seals, the city should be working on tangible ideas to make some change. Whenever I visit Berlin I'm still in awe of the natural resources surrounding that city. Those same resources that built a paper industry and a lumber industry are still there and can still be utilized to build the next generation of industry in town, if only anyone is smart enough to figure that out. If I had any money to invest, I'd move back to Berlin in a heartbeat and start building new businesses to capitalize on those natural resources.
Thanks for the comments and the video suggestions. Not really sure what's up with Vimeo. I've never been all that successful with their site, I'm not sure why.And Matthew, just for clarification, I didn't say I thought it was against the city's heritage. I am not about to weigh in on that debate. I said I understand the perspective that the seal might not matter to the outside world. I kind of agree with Rob: I have no idea what any seal in any city I've ever lived in looks like, nor any I've ever visited. I'm just not sure it's that big a deal.That the council is actively discussing the city's image, however, is a good thing. Maybe money and energy would be better spent elsewhere, but I think it's an important conversation.Thanks again for your comments.
What difference does it make to remove a smoke stack on a city seal, when you fail to protect your population by the removal of the real one in the middle of the city?Get off the track of meaningless, silly subjects such as a city seal and dig your feet into the real issues. 80 + toxins going into the air if the $!ing thing goes on line, trucking every three minutes of the day. And a company that screws people left and right at the helm. Pull your pants down Berlin, you're about to get the licking of your life.
LLEG is about to build a plant and destroy a City. God you have to love America. And, people like Eric don't see how a biomass plant in downtown Berlin is bad for the City. Bad politicians, bad reporters and an ingorant electorate all add up to a crumbling America.
In talking with a retired logger yesterday, he agrees that this is an area stripped of the golden wood supply of long ago. He echoes wood study concerns. The likes of Barry Kelly, who has a lot to gain with some of the few remaining unspoiled forest tracts outside of the National forest, is being used by a reporter for information regarding wood supply, while New England is now sounding a red alert over large biomass operations ruining sustainability and ignoring carbon neutrality. What a subject to cover, yet locally, it is being completely ignored by the media under the guise they have too much to do over a city seal and shouting matches at city hall over attendence.