I just took a look over at Americablog. They are kicking some ass over there. One post after another with great significance to McCain’s pick of Palin, and Palin’s background. If you haven’t checked in over there today, go take a look.
Blue Girl won one of the scholarships to attend Netroots Nation in Austin, starting July 17th. Congratulations to her yet again! My favorite of her many endorsements came from her mother: “She woke up one morning a pleasant toddler, then some time in the mid-morning, had a temper tantrum. It has never gone away.”
Meanwhile, a stand-up comic I know, Adam Hunter, is on NBC’s Last Comic Standing, which airs on Thursday nights. It’s great exposure and a fantastic opportunity. Assuming he continues to progress, apparently viewer votes will play a factor. The show seems to slice up sets somewhat for broadcast, especially in the earlier rounds with so many contestants, which can hurt the rhythm of a routine. Still, I think enough comes through that you can judge his material and delivery for yourself. Here’s his site, MySpace page, and last week’s segment:
Rick Perlstein of The Campaign for America’s Future/The Big Con been so busy recently he needs his own roundup. If you missed it, he’s posted some selections from his discussion with David Frum on Blogging Heads TV (via C&L). The usual pattern is: Frum spins away, states a falsehood, Perlstein calls him on it, and Frum will try bluster his way through, issue an irrelevant qualifier, or pretend that being wrong doesn’t affect his argument at all, and try to move on. It’s really pretty funny (and educational) stuff. As I’ve commented, I think it perfectly captures the wonk versus hack divide, but I wish it played out like this more often.
Perlstein explores the dilemma of how to deal with folks like Frum: Read more »
As reported earlier, Microsoft’s Bill Gates testified in front of Congress on March 12, 2008 by reading off his list of demands for the high tech industry. The crux of his speech is that he claims that we are not graduating enough students with STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) skills, and businesses are forced to hire workers from overseas to fill all of the job openings. (And, oh, by the way, the tech industry can pay these foreign workers less money.)
Via Digby, today’s the last day to vote for your favorite female blogger out of the ten listed. There are many other great female bloggers, of course, but they have to cut the list off somewhere, and it’s a nice way to honor some very good work or maybe discover a new blogger.
Carnival of the Liberals #62 is due out later this week, hosted by A Revolution of One. The theme is “new media,” but apparently submissions are still needed, with a deadline of Wednesday, 4/9. If you can, write a brief post to help out. As A Revolution of One explains:
I’d like to ask for submissions that either include, or are on the topic of new media, with special emphasis on video. I’ll leave it as broad as possible, but topics could include anything from how new media has affected this years presidential campaign, or the war in Iraq, to citizen journalism around the world. As long as it somehow involves new media in some way.
Meanwhile, I’m hosting carnival #63 at Vagabond Scholar on April 23rd (a BH hosting down the line would be cool). I’m happy to read all submissions, but I’d like to concentrate on “Human Rights” posts, which can cover torture, due process, Guantanamo, Abu Ghraib or any of a number of related subjects. Given the recent release of the 2003 Yoo torture memo, Philippe Sands’ new book Torture Team, the upcoming Guantanamo trials, the stances of our presidential candidates, and situations around the world, there’s plenty of angles to take on material that unfortunately needs far more attention than it’s receiving.
Consider submissions open. I’m asking for a Monday, 4/21 submission deadline, but earlier is better and much appreciated. Again, I’m happy to read all submissions, but posts related in some way to human rights are preferred. Thanks!
As we discussed in “The Poetry of War,” our “Deciders” do not understand sacrifice. As Garry Trudeau put it, they believe we must “stay the course. We cannot dishonor the upcoming sacrifice of those who have yet to die.” Death is a tragedy, but an unnecessary death is an atrocity. Stop loss, indeed.
From Zen Flesh, Zen Bones, translated by Paul Reps:
Once a division of the Japanese army was engaged in a sham battle, and some of the officers found it necessary to make their headquarters in Gasan’s temple.
Gasan told his cook: “Let the officers have only the same simple fare we eat.”
This made the army men angry, as they were used to very deferential treatment. One came to Gasan and said: “Who do you think we are? We are soldiers, sacrificing our lives for our country. Why don’t you treat us accordingly?”
Gasan answered sternly: “Who do you think we are? We are soldiers of humanity, aiming to save all sentient beings.”
(This week marks the fifth anniversary of the United States’ invasion of Iraq. This post is for the Iraq War Blogswarm and as part of a ongoing Series on War.)
There is no poetry to war itself. There is, however, some famous poetry about war, some of which depicts it as glorious, while other pieces capture its horror. Let us begin with: Read more »
Nevertheless, I did want to sound the call on two important blogswarms this week.
This Wednesday will be the March 19th Iraq War Blogswarm. The site has suggestions and several badges you can use, but the key idea is that “This blogswarm will promote blog postings opposing the war in Iraq and calling for a full withdrawal of foreign occupying forces in Iraq.”
Meanwhile, this upcoming Easter weekend will be the third Blog Against Theocracy blogswarm, celebrating the First Amendment and “the freedom to worship, or not.” Go here for more information, suggestions, and an online submission form. (The graphic is by Tengrain).
Confused? Read Blue Hussein Gal, Blue Hussein Gal and (going back in time) Melissa Spartacus McEwan. There are distinctions, and this ain’t a candidate endorsement… It’s just meant as an anti-bigotry, anti-BS, solidarity thing. Make your own!
(Oh, and a salaam aleikum, shalom, mir, pace, paix, paz, Friede, om, Mu, Datta, Dayadhvam, Damyata, and shantih shantih shantih for good measure.)
Tuesday, October 7th
