Russ Abbott presents Bush's reaction to the Johnson beheading:
I will attempt to clarify for myself what seems so wrong with Bush's response to the beheading of Paul Johnson. Here is what he is quoted as saying."The murder of Paul shows the evil nature of the enemy we face. These are barbaric people. There's no justification whatsoever for his murder. And yet they killed him in cold blood."
...
The point of all this is simply that by expressing such a warped view of the world [you'll have to read the post to see why it is warped], Bush is making it much more difficult for the American people to understand what is going on. That may be his intent. Or more likely, he himself doesn't have a clue about what is going on in his own mind.
Fuki Blog says Kansas Ain't What It Used to Be:
Apparently the math savvy 8th graders of 1885 have given way to a new generation of moronic jackasses that have taken up residence at the Kansas Department of Revenue.
Jardine Davies is coining a new term: Econopolitik:
I like it to define one's cache of beliefs that predisposes one's political biases toward what is most economically feasible and most beneficial to a particular political agenda.
No Such Blog has The Voynich Manuscript: "In it, I make the case that the Voynich Manuscript, which dates from the 1500s and has been called the "most mysterious of all texts" was actually part of an Elizabethan-era covert action by Sir Francis Walsingham similar to the Iran-Contra scheme. I'm very interested to hear from anyone else who has theories about this strange document."
You have stumbled across my angry little chunk of the web, dedicated
to posting and discussing news that most likely won't be given to you by the "mainstream" media.We are force-fed so much crap regarding the Iraq war, the economy and just about anything that makes our beleaguered President look bad, and I'm completely and utterly tired of it.
Stay tuned and feel free to contribute, no matter what your political views - just please at least attempt to be civil.
(cross posted at Simon World)
Mac Diva from the blog Mac-a-ronies has posted a half-hearted endorsement of the Showcase at Blogcritics.org. It is an interesting article that demands a response.
Firstly let me clarify a misunderstanding. The Showcase differs from its predecessor in that it is NOT a contest. I encourage people to link to posts they like but there will be no weekly "winner" at this showcase. It is literally a display of new blogs and nothing more than that.
However the following is the core of the article:
As I have just explained there is a misunderstanding in that this is not a contest. But that aside there are some serious issues raised that need addressing. Mac has an underlying assumption that all bloggers are attempting to be journalists and that blogging is attempting to become the "new media", replacing "old media". Furthermore Mac alleges the blogosphere revolves around incestuous linkage and sycophantic linkage in a self-deluding cycle. I will address each in turn.
My reservations about a revived New Weblog Showcase are based on what blogs really are, instead of unrealistic bloggers' delusions. The blogosphere has developed into a place where a few people with grandiose, often bullying personalities, have gathered sycophants to them. The networks of sycophants trade links back and forth among themselves. Based on this totally artificial construct, bloggers in the networks develop a sense of importance completely out of touch with their actual status in society. The members of a given network also regurgitate the brain droppings of their 'great leader' on demand. As a result, the blogosphere is an echo chamber of the know-nothings much of the time...The risk with this contest is that it will become another way for the networks to support their participant, regardless of the quality of entries submitted. Awful entries will win votes because they have been smiled on by one of the larger networks. Excellent entries will fall by the wayside because the independent bloggers lack cheering sections. The results will say everything about the organization of the blogosphere, and nothing about thinking and writing well.
So, it is with ambivalence that I link to Simon's New Weblog Showcase and urge people who qualify to consider participating. There are independent bloggers who post entries that are well-researched and ably written. But, based on what I've observed in the blogosphere, we are a minority. If new bloggers adhere to basic standards of journalism, I welcome them. However, there are more than enough bad bloggers already.
Firstly the showcase itself can be compared to a trade fair. It is a display of products (blogs) that may not otherwise receive exposure given the large number of blogs. In true capitalistic fashion the market will dictate which of these blogs will gain a wider audience and which will not. Some will find a particular niche and others will attempt for a broader audience. The Showcase will not make a blog successful. Only consistent and good content by the blogger themselves can do that. The Showcase can help bring a blog broader exposure, something akin to advertising.
The Blogosphere itself is a microcosm of the internet. Some sites are obscure either by design or due to limited appeal. Others have a broader appeal and wider readership. A very few dominate their category, much like Amazon or Ebay. Very few blogs even pretend to be a replacement for established media. They are not disseminators of information and fact nor rivals to big media. Some, and again this is a limited category, act as an adjunct to media. Some act as monitors, finding fault with big media and its reporting of news. Some act as fact checkers, reflecting the author's particular expertise and bringing it to bear for the wider world to consider. Very few pretend to be objective reporters of fact. What blogs do bring to bear is almost immediate punditry and opinions. If others finds certain blogs that reflect or challenge them they will gain in popularity. Blogs gain and lose readership depending on that core ideal of serving the readers what they want. It should be noted that many blogs are not written for an audience, but rather as an outlet for creative writing or opinions to be read by none or all. As I have already said, most do not pretend to be "journalism" so it is difficult to understand why blogs need to adhere to so-called journalistic standards.
That's the thing about the blogosphere. It's a marketplace of ideas and opinions. Like any market some sites are popular and are mass-market products. Others are products filling particular needs. Many of these blogs do not survive for long in the harsh world of the blogosphere as it takes sustained effort to provide content consistently. The ones that succeed are because they have found their market and cater to that market, be it large or small.
As for the charge of incentuousness, the blogosphere is guilty. But again that is to be expected. Firstly the blogosphere acts as its own police force. If someone, especially a "big" blogger, posts an item that is factually incorrect you can be guaranteed that someone will pick up on it quickly. Secondly the blogosphere reflects what happens in Big Media but in a more honest fashion. Few newspapers or TV news shows will admit it openly, but the news agenda tends to be set by the very biggest in the media game. Others follow, often syndicating reports from the dominant players. This is not a surprise. The big players are big for a reason and have the resources to do these stories. Alternatively they have a particular angle or access that others must necessarily rely on (for example Al-Jazeera). This is the big media equivalent of linking, except it is nowhere near as obvious. Thirdly the blogosphere as a whole is far greater than the sum of its parts. The constant linkage is its greatest strength and leads the reader direct to the source, or to alternative opinions, or instant responses, or responses to responses. It is the written form of that most basic human interaction: conversation.
Blogging is still in its infancy. Even given the speed of adoption in the world of IT it is not yet significant compared to greater internet use. But this is rapidly changing. There has been fast growth in readership, blog numbers and influence. Don't believe me? Howard Dean, lauded for his use of the internet in his campaign, maintained a blog. Leading politicians have followed this lead. The Democrats are giving bloggers credentials for their convention. Blogs have forced the New York Times and the LA Times to make corrections and blogs were directly responsible for bring the Trent Lott story to the fore. Blogs' readership may not be broad but largely consists of IT professionals, political types (including politicians themselves as well as political junkies), news hounds, journalists, media types and academics. As a whole this group could largely be called the intellectual class. With such an influential audience blogs can punch far above their weight in readership simply by those whom they influence. Any reader of blogs will find, as I have, that many issues and ideas are opened up to them that they might never normally have considered or even come across. It is this broad exposure in the marketplace of ideas that makes reading blogs such a worthwhile experience. It also acts as a feedback loop: those blogs that enhance the experience develop a greater readership and extend their influence, bringing in more readers and linkage.
In the end, however, the influence of blogs is only as great as the readership allows. Most readers of blogs are aware of the limitations of a single person or small group of people maintaining a website of content on a part-time and voluntary basis. Some are moving to a semi-professional basis such as Josh Marshall and Andrew Sullivan. However these types will always be in the minority. Most blogs are labour of love, not methods of financial gain. When reading with all of this in mind blogs are enriching, stimulating and broadening experiences. They should be enjoyed for what they are while bearing in mind the necessary limitations of their form. Like any modern market the reader has the ultimate tool in exercising their discretion: they can read as much or as little (even none) as they like. It is their loss.
As for me, I will continue to enjoy this new medium and feel flattered to be a very small part of it. The blogosphere will find its place in time and it is fascinating to watch it unfold. Most of all I love the diversity, the broad spectrum of opinion and the instantaneous cut and thrust of it all. If you don't, the newspapers and TV remain there for you to use instead.
Precint 333 has two entries. Firstly Some folks just don't get it!:
Separation of Church and State is a myth imposed upon the United States by Supreme Court edict. It certainly is not in the Constitution. Indeed, the only restrictions that exist regarding religion apply to GOVERNMENT action, not CHURCH action. Churches are, in fact, guaranteed the right to speak out on public issues by both the free exercise clause and the free speech clauses of the First Amendment.While some would argue that restrictions on politicking by churches is part of their trade-off for tax exempt status, the holding in McCullough v. Maryland would seem to imply that churches could never be taxed in any way, shape, or form. After all, "the power to tax is the power to destroy." And it is definitively NOT within the purview of any government entity in the United States to destroy a religion.
Secondly there is From the depths of my hear with love:
My grandmother, Mary Travelstead, passed away this morning after a short illness following a stroke. She was 92. She was on her own until a month ago, but the body just gave out.Grandma always said she would make a terrible invalid, and that she didn't want to linger on if her mind went. She didn't, and I take comfort in that.
If I exclude faith and love (both of which she had in abundance), I would say that her great legacy to the family is education.
Random Pensées actually has three entries. Firstly History Recommendations: "I offer a list of recommended history reading I compiled at a reader's request. My criteria for selection included well written and books
which did not require a lot of previous background."
Entry 2 is Random observations on the Lexington Ave Subway:
"If you do
drugs, don't buy a sundae at McDonald's and try to eat it on the train, people (read: me) will watch you as you try and try again to get the spoon into the container, then get the spoon into your mouth, and then watch as you zone out and let the hard won ice cream drip slowly out of your mouth and onto your shirt which will cause you, like on the shampoo container, to rinse and repeat".
Entry 3 is Youngest Member of the NY Bar: "When I asked my daughter why she was behaving badly while I was gone, she said "First, you were at work so how do you know what I did?"
Seven Inches of Sense has Our World:
"Going in that small restaurant with someone else, would be unthinkable. I would be overcome with loneliness. "
Yuma Tech Consortium presents Browsing better for blogs?
"There are plenty of possibilities, and a lot more questions to be raised
and answered, but search engines are not always the best way to locate what you're looking for. Sometimes you really need to browse."
West Coast Chaos gives us Not anymore, Asshat!
"On the Red Cross document, Saddam listed his occupation as "Republic's President."When I first read this, my thought was "not anymore, you rat bastard!". So my question is this: what should Saddam have written as his occupation?"
Techography has The Roaring of Silence:
Its almost midnight.
I'm chatting with The Commisar.
As we trade quotes of our, Americas', Humanities, past, my mind drifts a bit. And wonders the ultimate question.Why do so many sit in silence, while those with no ideology continue to foam at the common public?
Like a giant baby.
The Terriorists brings you Busted:
"Research Shows Dogs Understand Language"This is something new and different? The only reason ! we're called "dumb animals" is because we can't speak English very well. And where are the pc police on that insult I'd like to know. I'm not too sure I like the idea our cover's been blown all over the news, though.
"As many a dog owner will attest, our furry friends are listening. Now, for the doubters, there is scientific proof they understand much of what they hear."
We've been understanding humans for centuries, which is more than I can say about humans understanding us. Look how hard it was for Lassie to convince humans Timmy had fallen in the well for the umpteenth time. You'd expect they would have figured it out after the first 387 times, but nooooo.
Where the Dolphins Play gives us State Religion:
Most of have grown up thinking that despite endless attempts by the religious right to make it otherwise, we live under a secular government and are guaranteed by the Constitution that our government will not Establish a State Religion. In his offical concurrence with the US Supreme Court in the Pledge Case, Justice Thomas suggests that we may have all been interpreting the Constitution wrong.
Mad Anthony asks would a conservative group sue a Republican VP?
A recent article on Genifer Flower's reaction to Bill Clinton's autobiogaphy refers to her lawyers at Judicial Watch, "a
Washington-based conservative court and government watchdog". This gives the impression that Judicial Watch is one of those crazy neo-con groups that it still out to get Bill Clinton.That seems to be stretching it a bit...
Red Line Rants submits It's A Legal Memo:
"What do you think of placing a black or navy hood over a prisoner's
head, keeping it there except for during an interrogation? How about "wall standing?" You know, forcing prisoners to stand spread eagle against the wall, fingers high above their heads, feet back so that they are standing on their toes and all of their weight falls on their fingers? What about keeping a prisoner in a room prior to his interrogation where he hears a loud and continuous hissing noise? Sleep deprivation? Deprivation of food and drink (reduced diet)? Does this sound like torture to you? Well, somebody doesn't think so."Who is it?
"That's right; the all-loving, all-knowing, compassionate Europeans. The European Court of Human Rights in Ireland v. United Kingdom (1978) concluded that these techniques, whether used in combination or applied for hours at a time, were inhuman and degrading… but not torture. And I happen to agree. But I’m a heartless Republican; of course I would.
"This post has been prompted by the coverage of the so-called "torture memo," something I've wanted to write about for a few days now. What’s struck me as odd about the debates over this – a Justice Department legal memo regarding interrogation methods – is that it is just that: a legal memo. A memo that pulls together all of the disparate sources of information, definitions, and concepts, be they laws or court decisions, on what can loosely be called "torture" or interrogation."
Klaude asks Eco-Challenge, where have you gone?
Produced by Mark Burnett, this was probably one of the first "reality" shows on TV. Apparently he is too busy with all his new "reality" endeavors that he has
forsaken what gave him his start and was some great shows to watch!
Willow Tree submits Um, Thank You:
Yesterday my five year old came home from gan (kindergarten) with a toy from a birthday party. One of these bead thingees; you know the kind. Plastic string that refuses to knot and the knots keep coming out (at least for me they do. If you are actually able to get these knotted without cursing the inventor, please tell me how?)
This blog will be updated Monday to Friday. I am based in Hong Kong so updates will appear during the Hong Kong day. There are likely to be NO updates during weekends. I will endevour to post entries as they come in, but please bear with me if it takes a while. I aim to have most entries posted with 24 hours of receipt.
So if you have sent an entry and are wondering when it will be posted, just trust that it will be done as soon as possible.
Thanks to everyone who's already supported and spread the word about this Showcase. I hope you enjoy the entries below and that they are the start of many, many more.
Before I go on I'm going to slowly compile a list of Blogging Tips and add them to the sidebar. Any suggestions are greatly welcomed. For newcomers please look through these as they contain pearls of wisdom from people who have been there and done that.
There are two admin points that I'd like to bring up here (they will also be added to the Anything and Everything entry). As an aside I have a feeling that slowly but surely this will also expand into a hints and tips section for newer bloggers. If you are unsure of something send me an email I will endevour to answer your question. I will also be putting up some useful guides in the sidebar to help.
Blogroll
At Dean's suggestion I am going to ask that every blog that submits an entry adds Showcase to their Blogroll.
Also if you are an "Established" blogger I also humbly request you add Showcase to your Blogroll. The greater the linkage, the greater the exposure and the better the showcase will be.
Permalinks
Already some newer bloggers are unsure as to what "Permalinks" are. On almost every blogging platform each individual entry has a marker that is the single identifier of that entry. This is called the Permalink and that is what I need to link to your brilliant post. It is often at the bottom of the post, next to the comments part. It may say "Link", "Permalink", "#", or the time or date or something else completely. It is important to find these links as otherwise I have to search your blog to find your post and I don't have that much time...
If you are still unsure, at the very least give me the post title and the date of entry and I will track the permalink for you. But you need to work out Permalinks, for they are the lifeblood of linkage, which is the lifeblood of the Blogosphere.
Terrorism Unveiled has An Open Letter to Younger Readers:
Self-sacrifice for higher ideals means accepting that the road to these goals is often dangerous and uncertain. Bringing peace to the world is not an easy task. We must accept that there are those who oppose
peace, and that no amount of cultural relativism makes that right.
*** THESE LINKS HAVE BEEN UPDATED after an unwarranted attack on this blog. You can read more about it at Harvey's site.
Letters from New York presents two entries. Firstly Tribute to My Fallen Heroes:
To: Mike, Jack, Tony, Larry, Amy, Rick & Nancy
[my best friends who were murdered on 9/11]My dear loved ones,
It's soon to be Memorial Day, our most favorite holiday. I know that I used to love Memorial Day because it ushered in our summer antics. Later I grew to honor Memorial Day as a day to celebrate those who served our country, and who died doing so. When thinking about this day during these past few weeks, I've experienced an ebb and flow of unrestrained emotion that has been a long time coming. And in the process of it all, I've missed you all so much more these past 2 years.It all started just over 2 months ago with Rick's birthday. April 15th is a date that's really hard to forget. For me, Rick's birthday always marks the round of subsequent birthdays, anniversaries or important milestones in our lives that we all celebrated. Now it's a reminder of what will never be. Sighhhhhhhh!
Secondly comes J'accuse:
“The truth, I will say it, for I promised to say it, if justice, uniformly seized, did not do it plainly and fully. My duty is to speak, I do not want to be an accomplice. My nights would be haunted by the ghost of the innocent one, that pays the price, in the most horrible of tortures, for a crime he did not commit.
- Open Letter from Emile Zola to the President of France published in L’Aurore Jan. 13, 1898 [translation my own]My birthday is a time where I re-evaluate, how I’ve either contributed or harmed society through my personal action or inaction.
In looking back over these past 2 years, I've realized that I allowed my grief, to both rule my life and blind my judgment. I no longer have the luxury, nor do I want to live in that level, of grief stricken ignorance. This re-examination of my life comes at a time when I normally look at where I’ve been, in order to forge the path of where I need to go…Par conséquent, Je dois appeler la partie responsable. Jai'Accuse Moi!
Yes, I accuse myself, of political indecision and hypocrisy! Of being too afraid, of extremists on the right or the left, to explore what republicanism and conservatism is all about.
From Total Information Awareness comes The Man From Mukhabarat:
I will continue to maintain that Seymour Hersh is simply the best investigative journalist that this country has to offer for as long as he publishes articles of the high caliber that has become his trademark, especially in recent months. In his most recent work, appearing in the June 28, 2004 edition of The New Yorker, Hersh once again mines his rich lode of sources for information that is seemingly impossible to get from any other media outlet...
From Kayz In comes Terrorist Sponsored News:
As I write this entry, the news has just come on that Paul Johnson's body has been found beheaded.It is, most definitely, a terrible tragedy.
But an even greater tragedy is the "journalism" which has covered this and other terrorist demands from day one...
The very first entry is from Michele at Meanderings with Color Difference:
"Fifty-three years ago 16 year-old Barbara Johns spearheaded a walkout in her all-black school in Virginia. She started a revolution resulting in Brown v Board of Education ruling three years later where the Supreme Court declared segregation unconstitutional.What really struck me as bizarre this morning, when I saw the picture that accompanied the article, is the resemblance between us.
I went to school in southern Louisiana ..."