I banter with Melissa Harris (no relation to Rick) Perry on MSNBC

This was so much fun. Last night, I got to join friend, awesome person and America's Substitute Teacher Melissa Harris Perry as she covered in for Lawrence O'Donnell on MSNBC's The Last Word. They invited me on to talk a bit about The Onion's political coverage. It felt like an on-air tweetup. I wish we could do this on every Whiskey Friday.

I also have to add that doing cable news segments in which I'm in the same room and at the same table as the host is so much more fun and human than the disembodied, Futurama, talking head-in-a-box method. I don't mind being a talking head. I'd just prefer not to be a talking head in a box.

BTW, you're going to want to mark your calendars. Tuesday October 4 at 10pm is the return of Onion News Network on IFC. This year, the news is even less merciful.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

I'm in Philly for the National Association Of Black Journalists conference

It's my first NABJ, and it's so far so good. I had no idea there were so many black journalists! And by and large, they're amazingly attractive. Like, really. Everyone here looks good. 

I'm on a panel today on the subject of politics and race. Hopefully I can think of something to say though I'm still figuring out the get paid part, but who isn't? 

THE POLITICS OF RACE: GET PAID, IT’S NO JOKE

Room 121C // 2:15 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. 

When President Obama had to produce his birth certificate for Donald Trump, political comedians hired themselves to trump, Trump. Whether serious or through satire, delivering political news is an art. This entrepreneurial panel shares how to use your journalistic skills to create a political enterprise for capital gain.

• Moderator: Roland Martin, CNN and TV One 
• Baratunde Thurston, The Onion and JackandJillPolitics.com 
• Danielle Belton, The BlackSnob 
• Toure X, Author of "Who’s Afraid of Post-Blackness? A Look At What It Means To Be Black Now.”
• Melissa Harris-Perry, Professor, Tulane University

#KeynoTunde: It's true. I'm delivering the opening keynote address at #SXSW Interactive 2012

Full details here. And by "full," I mean "a few." The exact topic of my talk is not yet settled.

Will I announce more details about the new #BaconWhiskeyFreedom political party? Maybe. Will I spend the entire hour reading from my book, How To Be Black? Possibly. Might I just sit on stage, project my laptop screen to the audience and force them to watch me place contacts into my Google+ circles? Definitely.

Whatever the content of the talk, I'm genuinely honored and excited by the invitation. SXSW is my "home conference," the one I must attend every year. Here's a blog post and video I made for SXSW 2011 offering advice and explaining more about why I love this conference and always return inspired, newly connected to awesome humans and exhausted. 

So thanks SXSW people! Hope I don't bollocks it up!

#IndependenTunde. @Baratunde reads the Declaration of Independence and Frederick Douglass (July 4th 130pm ET)

Live video by Ustream

Click to read more ...

My Mikwaukee Public Radio interview with Gideon Yago

A few weeks ago, Marquette University brought me out to Wisconsin to join journalists from Fox, MSNBC, CBS and others to discuss the future of journalism. While out there, I tought an intro class on media studies, met with the campus chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists and headlined a campus comedy show. It was a great trip!

Among all this greatness, however, a highlight was getting to hang out with Gideon Yago, formerly of MTV News. One of the journalism panelists commented something along the lines of "Why are we getting schooled on journalism by the guys from MTV and The Onion?"

Gideon and I got to share the mic in a fun interview on "Lake Effect" hosted by Mitch Teich of Milwaukee Public Radio. Their description of the segment is below:

We talk with two journalists about whether entertainment has eclipsed news coverage. Gideon Yago was born in Madison, but raised in New York. He worked as a correspondent for MTV News, winning awards for his coverage of the war in Iraq. More recently, he has worked as a screenwriter. Baratunde Thurston is the director of digital for The Onion. They spoke with Mitch Teich while they were in Milwaukee for a forum at Marquette University about whether entertainment has eclipsed news.

SxBaratunde: How To #SXSW. #video #SXSWi

This is my how-to-survive/thrive/enjoy/win SXSW post. But first, here is my SXSW Origin Story.

Yesterday I found the initial email from a friend introducing me to SXSW and urging me to go. I received the email on September 2, 2004. The friend is Kevin Smokler, and he's a big reason I love the event and the reason I know about it. Kevin and I met at BookExpo in Chicago during the summer of 2004. It was a dinner organized by Bella Stander who is awesome.

Kevin and Baratunde at SXSW 2006 (Photo by Flickr by neilio)

Kevin and I stayed in touch, and I hired him for a "virtual book tour" phone-based consulting session focused on marketing my first book. Over the course of exchanging emails, Kevin, as another self-described "conference whore," suggested we swap conference recommendations. On his list was something called "South by Southwest Interactive" which he described thusly:

The mardi gras of the online world. Anyone who's doing anything interesting online is there. I've spoken there the last 2 years. You so should go. I'll introduce you to everyone.

I couldn't make it to SXSW 2005, but when 2006 rolled around, I sent Kevin a followup asking if he still thought this was a place I needed to be. He did and reminded me that he would "introduce me to everyone."

So I went, and Kevin indeed introduced me to everyone, extending his group dinner plans, letting me tag along to cool parties and funky storytelling events, breaking bread with brad and more. During that first SXSW danah boyd played a similar role. They were my SXSW big brother and big sister, and through them I met amazing humans like lynne d johnson and George Kelly and too many to name right here.

I exited the conference/convention/pilgrimage/BBQ pit with a recommitment to these digital arts and an extended family of beautiful, world-changing geeks. Every time I return, it's a family reunion. Every time I return, I get a little less stressed about having the latest app, getting into the hottest party or attending the buzziest (yes, buzziest) session. I want you to try to keep that spirit in mind as you review my very short list items for your consideration at SXSW Interactive.

Video! 

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Slides from my talk at Digital Directions in Sydney. #DD11

Baratunde at Digital Directions Conference in Sydney

View more presentations from Baratunde Thurston

Me with student members of @NABJ_MarquetteU

Wednesday, February 23, 2011 at 19:30 | baratunde | tagged Marquette, Public Appearances, photos

I'm in Boston Saturday night hosting #Soozapalooza2 and #WhiskeyFriday at the Middle East

That's right, Boston. I'm baaaaack! For a few hours only. This Saturday night I'll be the MC and comedic guide to an evening of pretty incredible music organized by Sooz (aka Susan Kaup). It's known asSoozapalooza; it's at The Middle East downstairs, and it's gonna be great. 

We begin with a special, extended #WhiskeyFriday (48-hour edition) at 8pm upstairs at the Middle East. Consider this an office hours/meetup/drinkup. No charge for this part. Come by, say hi, stay for the show. As for the event itself...

Soozapalooza is the annual spectacle of awesome hosted by Sooz featuring music, bourbon and hashtags. This year's bands include a special reunion show by Mistle Thrush, the first band Sooz became a fan of when she moved from Nebraska to Boston in 1994. Kristen Ford Band, The Lights Out and The Candles will also perform. The Soozapalooza Supergroup, a big group of local rock heroes, ends the night with inspired performances of six cover songs selected by Sooz.

Advance tickets are available for $10 at the Middle East Box Office in Central Square, Cambridge and online through TIcketWeb. Tickets will cost $12 at the door. This is an 18+ show.

Twitter Hashtag: #Soozapalooza2

My greetings for the ACLU of Michigan annual dinner attendees

This weekend, I'll be speaking/performing at the annual dinner for the ACLU of Michigan as they celebrate folks doing amazing civil liberties work in the state. We're going to have a funky good time. Here's a one-minute greeting I made for the attendees. Hope to see you there!