Dave Maass

OK, sure, I admit it. When I run out of words, I just start plagiarizing The Who. So what? Why are you complaining? At least I’m blogging at Maassive.com again, right? Shut it.

Anyway, so I’ve been going threw a bit of slothful phase for the last month or so, which is why I haven’t checked in and updated you. Here’s the need-to-know of what you missed.

I’m not longer blogging for Film.com, which isn’t really a reason to shed tears (except that I was supposed to interview Michel Gondry before I finished, an opp that never fruited). They’re restructuring (again) and almost everyone I started with has left, so I’m not picking my heart shards off the floor or anything.

The Annual Association of Alternative Newsweeklies contest has come and gone; the SF Reporter racked up a heck of a lot of awards, though I only pulled in two, and my name wasn’t even on the certificate. Project White House picked up a 3rd place for Innovation and SFR’s Bill Richardson Blog won an honorable mention (the three posts submitted were mine). I’m shrugging it off; had my stuff from the Current been eligible, I think I would’ve done much, much better. That’s not to knock my work at the Reporter (which is the best its ever been), but that I had much larger body of work to choose from in San Antonio in 2007 (particularly “Paper to Pen” my special issue for inmates).

What else, what else? Oh, I have had two cover features since “Broken Rings”: “Gas Up“, a feature breaking down the $4-gallon-gas, and “Journey Home,” a double-profile of two Native American mothers who’ve been screwed by the system.

I’ve also been playing hardball in the Public Regulation Commission campaign race, uncovering previously undisclosed criminal charges by the Democratic nominee (which had to be followed up by the two dailies, with front-page stories) that same candidate’s potential unethical ties to a regulated telecom, and debunking that candidate’s father’s claim that his Green Party opponent is a “woman beater.”

It’s still too early to tell whether my reporting will have a tangible impact on the race, but I’m not holding my breath. Northern New Mexico voters, from what I hear, vote Democrat straight down the ballot.

Our election blog, SwingStateofMind.com, is progressing nicely thanks to the help of two pretty decent summer interns. Our YouTube channel has also been rolling. If you have 40 seconds to spare, screen my short film about Rep. Heather Wilson’s Senate bid.

Am I forgetting anything? Oh yeah, I’ve moved to Second Street, a hip little neighborhood that puts me in walking distance of several music venues, a pizza/pool joint, a coffee/crepe place, an independent ice cream shop, a Mediterranean late-night restaurant, a brewery, an indie rock art space, a world-music space, a Tai Chi studio, the best brunch place in Santa Fe and a Thai restaurant. Yup, it rules, but the best part is that Marlowe finally has a little backyard to piss in. She even gets to use my window as a doggy door. My roommate, Serene, is pretty damned punk rock. She’ll be fixing my hair if the alopecia comes back.

One last thing: I’m covering the Democratic National Convention in Denver. I’m so stoked. History being made, y’all.

OK, that’ll have to do for an update…I’ll blog more later, promise.