Rise and Grind: 5 Links to Get You Through Your Morning

Rise and Grind is a daily roundup of essential Internet curated by the editorial team of Complex City Guide.

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Good morning! Well here you have it, another installment of City Guide's daily roundup of essential Internet reading. I'm your host and I had too much to drink last night. Anyway. Shall we? Don't forget to send your tips, photos, news developments, love letters, and hate mail to cityguidetips@complex.com should you feel moved to do so.

Wait, Jill Who? 

You've got to give it to Ira Glass for being real on this one. He was interviewed by New York's Daily Intelligencer blog while at the Peabody Awards. For whatever reason, the writer asked Glass about his opinion regarding the New York Times' unceremonious firing of the first woman to head the paper's newsroom, Jill Abramson. His response was priceless and can be summed up in two words: Who dat? Not sure why the writer expected him to know about the news. Sure "everyone" on the Internet is talking about it. But by "everyone" I mean media geeks like myself. Just because you're a journalists or reporter, doesn't make you a media geek. In fact, I think the less you care about the inner machinations of newsrooms and mastheads, the better. Just do your job—tell stories that matter. 

Stop Confusing Me

I love Sean Penn as much as the next woman who watched him fall to pieces in Mystic River. That said, why is he in this video trailer thing with these people? I'm definitely a fan of Beyoncé. Elevatorgate was a very sad and strange event, but this video has left me scratching my head. I don't get it, I don't want to get it, I think it's corny, and I think it's way beneath Sean Penn. If you have not watched it, check it here. (I hope the Beygency doesn't come after me for this one.)

Europe's All, "Fall Back, Google!"

A European court just decided that individuals in the EU have a right to demand that Google remove unwanted, irrelevant information about them in Internet search results. The only problem is, it's going to be a very difficult law to put into practice. It's probably not possible to put into practice at all. Mostly, it's the court's way of telling Google that they need to recognize. Privacy is an issue that is important for all of us, as is freedom of speech. Censorship is for China. It will be interesting to see how this all plays out. Read more about it here: European Court Lets Users Erase Records on Web.

Goodbye to All That

Since you didn't ask, I just finished reading The White Album by Joan Didion and I'm currently reading Underworld by Don DeLillo. I also want to read Goodbye to All That: Writers on Loving and Leaving New York. It's a collection of stories and essays about hating and loving New York City. I think this city is the most horrible and fulfilling passive-aggressive relationship that ever existed so I'm sure I'll enjoy this book (which takes its title from a different piece by Didion.) Anyway, want to read it with me? Check out a review of the book on Popmatters and then hit me up if you're interested. #cityguidebookclub

Everything Chirlane McCray

She is the First Lady of New York City and she's a hero to black women all across America. Do yourself a favor and get to know Mayor de Blasio's fearless wife Chirlane McCray. You should read the New York feature, the New York Post smear (if you must) and the New Yorker's take on the current media blitz. No matter what your politics are, it's important that our leaders are a reflection of the city they represent, not of special interests and big money. For me, that's what Miss McCray is—a champion for unsung voices and poets everywhere. She's such a badass.

Tell it To My Cannon

This is my jam for the week. Hope you enjoy! Have a good one.

 

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