Comments and Trackbacks Down

I've shut down comments and trackbacks in preparation for moving TAM to WordPress. When the new weblogging platform is in place (later today I hope) commenting should be easier to do on both your end (no more warnings about using words like "info" and blogspot.com will probably be kosher again) and mine (reduced spam). Just as important, I hope WP is more robust than the old version of Movable Type I've been using for over three years. My inability to quickly publish updates to the Cory Lidle plane crash last week pushed me to make the move. Publishing when I want to is one of the best aspects of weblogging.

If you really have the itch to comment on a post send me an e-mail (sean--at--theamericanmind--dot--com) for my consideration.

TAM Technical Issues

The lack of hard-hitting commentary is due to technical issues. I'm working on the new version of TAM (3.0 I think), and it's going slower than I'd like. I hope to get it all working soon so I can focus on writing and my special announcement instead of dealing with website design, moving megabites of posts, spam blocking, etc. etc.

Similar Web Hosting Problems

John Hawkins uses Dreamhost to host his popular weblog. He hasn't been too keen on their service:

My hosting company, Dreamhost, used to give good service. However, for the last couple of months they've been absolutely horrible and up and down like a yo-yo. I've been raising hell with them about it and they've moved me to a different, supposedly more reliable server, but my confidence in them is shot.

On the upside, I do have a back end upgrade of my content management system coming up soon and by the time that is completed, if I don't see an immediate and significant improvement in their performance, I'm changing hosts.

Blame the Spammers

TAM has been getting hit so hard by comment and trackback spammers that comments had to be shut down. I'll get them up and running again in a day or so to see if this was a temporary situation. When I move TAM to WordPress I hope that really eases the problem. Sorry for the annoyance.

More Proof that Webloggers are Geeks

There's been way too much talk in the blogosphere about ABC's lame Path to 9/11 miniseries. Uh, guys, yesterday was Week 1 of the NFL. I watched my Packers get trounced. Sunday night, the Manning brothers faced each other for the first time and too many of you were watching a melodrama about a story you already know the ending to.

Priorities, people. Priorities.

"Video: “Path to 9/11″ Update: Side-by-Side Comparison"

TAM's Back

Did you miss me?

DreamHost finally got things fixed and TAM is up and running. This was the worst outage in the many years I've been with the host. They tell me they'll be doing some network upgrades Monday night. I hope that prevents future problems.

I survived the quiet time without enduring the shakes. I now know I'm fully capable of surviving weblogging withdrawal without need too much methadone.

Donate to Dean

While I'm on a donation kick think about sending a few bucks Dean Esmay's way. He's dealing with some unemployment insurance problems and hasn't "seen a paycheck in the Esmay household for over a month." Ouch!

"Pledge Drive"

Free from Blogger

Chris at Spotting Horse 2 has thrown off the shackles (and occasional outages) of Blogger and moved to WordPress.

I hope to be joining him in the near future.

Ticket to Ride... er Weblog... er Whatever

If Glenn Reynolds ever hosts an open house I know where he can get tickets made.

New TAM Features

If you look closely I'm "uglifying" TAM with the addition of social bookmarking links to del.icio.us, Digg, Furl, reddit, Spurl, and Yahoo's MyWeb.

If you have no idea what social bookmarking is let me give you the rundown. All these services allow people to share webpages they find with others. Furl (my fave), del.icio.us, Spurl, and MyWeb are all online bookmark sites where you can jump from computer to computer and always have access to your bookmarks. The services aggregate the choices of all their users and show you what's hot on the web. Digg and reddit are news sites where the users are the editors. Anyone can sign up and post stories. Other users vote on them and the ones with the most votes go to the front page. It's a way to glimpse what thousands, if not millions, of people are interested in. Both are ways to find interesting stories that might fall through the cracks of orthodox news sites controlled by formal editors.

So if you like a TAM post you can now easily save it with something like del.icio.us or Furl, or you can submit the post to digg or reddit and see if other people like it.

Behind the scenes at TAM HQ I'm preparing for some major changes. I'm moving TAM to new, up-to-date weblogging software (WordPress) and allow for easier design and feature improvements. I hope the software will help me combat the comment and trackback spam that wastes my time. I will have a new redesign to go with the software improvement. Let me know if you have any suggestions.

Conservative Weblogger Discloses a Little Late

Patrick Hynes of Ankle Biting Pundits when he isn't posting is a political consultant. One of his clients is Sen. John McCain, and he's been Hynes' client for a few months. All this time Hynes didn't tell his weblog readers who was paying him. Jim Geraghty exposed him, and got Hynes to come clean.

Hynes made a mistake in not being as open about his political consulting dealings. His blogospheric reputation took a big hit, especially after remembering how he bashed Markos Moulitsas for being paid to plug Howard Dean, M.D. on his weblog. His consulting career may be in good shape, but he'll need to put in some effort to fix his blogosphere standing.

"Straight Talk, Unmarked Bills"

"McCain Hires Hymes of Anke-Biting Pundits, but Disclosure is Delayed" [via OTB]

Weblog History Lesson: Robot Wisdom

Ever heard of Robot Wisdom? Well it's back on the TAM blogroll. I'm guessing over 90% of webloggers and their readers have never read or heard of the weblog. It wasn't mentioned in Hugh Hewitt's book Blog so it's understandable if unfortunate. Robot Wisdom is published by Jorn Barger and according to Wikipedia will be nine years old in December making it two years older than TAM though with interruptions. Wikipedia also gives Barger credit for coining the word "weblog." That's a good and bad thing. What's good is "weblog" sounds better than "online journal." What's bad is from "weblog" came "blog," an ugly word that caught on and is forever attacted to this medium.

Barger can be described as eccentric with refusing employment that violates his "gigantic psychological block against Mammon-in-general." He's also been strongly critical of Judaism.

Robot Wisdom is one of the original weblogs. From this we've arrived at Instapundit, The Huffington Post, Daily Kos, Wonkette, and millions of others. Know your history. Respect your (weblogging) elders.

TAM is Sick

Posting on TAM has been frustrating lately. I've been running into server troubles when trying to publish. I'm not sure if it's due to spammers or the increased traffic load the weblog has been having. Behind the scenes at TAM HQ I've been planning some changes. I may have to make some drastic software changes soon if my problems continue.

I Do Have a Last Name

A minor pet peeve of mine is being called only by my first name when I'm mentioned with my weblog--I'm talking to you Sykes. "Sean of The American Mind" bugs me. I have a full name that I want out there. Call it my small attempt at branding. Jessica McBride mentioned a New York article I e-mailed her about adults who try to remain locked into their 20s, and she used my full name.

Now, we have to do something about her ever-expanding blogroll.

Blogroll Down

Anyone know what's wrong with Blogrolling.com? My blogroll isn't up and there's an odd Tucows (parent company of Blogrolling.com) page up.

Return of Trackbacks

Last year I had to ditch trackbacks because spammers were hitting TAM so hard my webhost complained. I've learned Dreamhost has ended their cpu minute restrictions. So I trackbacks have returned. If the spammers hit TAM again Dreamhost won't be happy and trackbacks would be temporary. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Much of the problem is I use an old version of Movable Type. Its spam-blocking capabilities are not state-of-the art. In the future I plan on upgrading to new weblogging software, but that will require a new template. Since my design skills are zilch I'll hire outside help. Putting a little something in the tip jar or buying a Blogad would speed up the process and be appreciated.

Happy Anniversaries

Those youngins at Power Line are four-years old. Boots & Sabers turned three. Keep it up. Someday you might get as old as TAM.

Kos Jumps Shark

It's really, really weird (even "surreal") seeing Markos Moulitsas AKA "Daily Kos" peeking (stalking) into someone's house then charging in with a few of his cult followers friends. People in Connecticut after seeing the ad will we wondering, "When did Jon Cryer care about our state's politics?"

Allahpundit is right. Ned Lamont, unintentionally, made a Mentos ad.

A Damn Expensive Post

While not as expensive as the Power Line post that lead to Dan Rather's demise the CEO of Raytheon took a hit to his wallet because of this weblogger.

"Chief's Pay Is Docked by Raytheon" [via Instapundit]

A Note About the Blogosphere

English isn't the dominant language. In fact, "English isn't even the primary language of one third of all posts that Technorati tracks anymore."

Just blame the Japanese.

"State of the Blogosphere, April 2006 Part 2: On Language and Tagging"

Vlogs as The Future

Pamela AKA Atlas vlogs [and here] (UGH! A word uglier than "blog!"). Two observations:

1. She sounds a little like Michael Savage only slightly saner.

2. She's hot so who cares what she sounds like.

Seriously, it's sort of interesting that people are playing around with video, but don't view the blogosphere as a place kick back and veg out like a couch potato. I can consume a lot more information via text and audio. On the production side writing text is easier than making a podcast. I can't imagine the complications producing a vlog entails. No, vlogs may be the "wave of the future" (great we'll have one million channels with nothing on), but I won't be surfing too much of it.

More Spice Boys Slapping

Folkbum delivered a solid smacking of the Spice Boys:

Maybe covering the blogs (so you don't have to!) just isn't as much fun as trafficking in political gossip. Maybe they just don't have any respect for people like me (and Althouse) who don't get (or want) a paycheck for writing every day. Either way, their scorn couldn't be more clear. Thanks, Boys, for all your efforts to marginalize us.

I don't deny I'd love a professional writing gig. Before I die I want to have a few books with my name on it. TAM might help me reach that goal. But understand I've been weblogging over six years. If TAM was all about me going mainstream then I should have shut this place down years ago and tried something different like *gasp* journalism school. There's something very satisfying about getting an idea, stringing some words together, hitting "publish" and knowing the end product is available to anyone on the internet.

"Spice Boys Almost Decapitated by the Point as it Whizzes Past" [via Badger Blogger]

Attacking Weblogs

All the "cool kids" use Hosting Matters to house their weblogs. And every few months the company gets hit by DoS attacks. Thus I'll never move TAM to their servers. Big-name weblogs are targets for crackers or politicaly-motivated script kiddies. I don't want to be collateral damage. I'm sticking to DreamHost. I've been with them since TAM got its own dot-com (the end of 2000), and I've only had two or three serious problems, none lasting longer than a day. The service has been good and the price is right.

[Hey, Spice boys, this is more weblogging navel gazing. Have a problem with it?]

"Blogs Down: Hack Attack"

Clueless

The Spice boys are weblogging goofs. The Journal Sentinel should just shut them down for being such an embarassment. How long have then been zipping around the blogosphere? It must not have been long since they're surprised Ann Althouse would be posting on a weblogging conference she's attending at Harvard. Hello! Webloggers do navel gazing often. Part of it is webloggers are exploring how this new medium (which really isn't that new; it's just writing) intersects with society and institutions. Webloggers are curious folks. Another part is "Blogging: It's all about me." What, webloggers are the only ones who have egos? How about snarky newspaper investigative reporting duo?

Another thing, when has Ann Althouse written deeply about gas prices, the war, or what goes on in Madison? She doesn't. She's a law professor who writes a lot about legal issues, Amercian Idol, and pop culture. If the Spice boys actually read Althouse enough they'd know that and not toss in those straw men. All they are are punching bags for webloggers who know what's going on.

"Navel Gazing" [via Ask Me Later]

Podcast Blunder

The Pajamas Media gang goofs up again. The idea of a "Blog Week in Review" is sound, but there's no RSS feed available on the web page. Quick tip to PJ Media: There are podcast programs other than iTunes.

On-the-Scene Vs. Phoning It In

Jeff Harrell's coverage of a Washington, D.C. immigration rally was good enough to be quoted by Molly Ivins. Jeff doesn't mind Ivins telling her mass of readers he's full of "provincialism." In fact, he notes the irony:

The irony here is so flagrant that calling attention to it almost makes me feel cheap. I went out, immersed myself in a large-scale event, witnessed it and in real time wrote what I thought about it. Meanwhile, a columnist sat in her comfortable house in her comfortable neighborhood and chastized me for my “provincialism.”

Weblogging Nostalgia

Last week, Ann Althouse wrote,

Don't cave into nostalgia for a Golden Age, especially one that got its golden glow from the horror that was 9/11. Things were bound to change and shake around, and some bloggers that you liked then may put you off now. But there are always a million new bloggers, and blogging is a beautifully fruitful format. The great power of blogging is the way it releases the creativity of the individual mind. That sense of not being able to predict your own opinions and observations -- that feeling of writing to discover your own ideas and interests -- is the great intrinsic value of blogging.

There are some things about weblogging I'm bummed about. I don't like the desire of many to seek a "gotcha" moment. Power Line and Little Green Footballs got a rush and minor fame from helping to take down Dan Rather. Ed Morrisey had a blast publishing coverage of a Canadian trial that was banned to our northern neighbor. Being always on the hunt makes one anxious to not miss any news. One is constantly reading RSS feeds, refreshing Memeorandum, and scouring oodles of news sites. There's pressure to get be the first so everyone else can link to you. Real scoops are moments of serendipity along with the skill to adequately convey or analyze that moment's importance.

Along with that is the need to get a trophy victim. After Trent Lott there was Dan Rather. After Rather there was Eason Jordan. When Jordan went down it felt like some wanted a Wall Street Journal editorial page editor Brett Stephens to go too. Destruction was the goal.

Then there are the annoyances:

• Updating a post with "Welcome Instapundit (or fill-in-the-blank A-List weblogger) readers!!!" Don't make a big deal of it. Act like you've done it before.

• Updating and bumping a post. Go to the trouble to write a new post if the new news is so darn important. Then link to the previous post. That way you tell your readers (and remind yourself) when you started writing on the subject.
  

Michele's Back

It was pretty smart of me not to take A Small Victory off the TAM blogroll. She's baaaaack!!

New FEC Rules on Online Political Speech

The FEC's proposed regulations of online political speech do not look too draconian:

The Federal Election Commission last night released proposed new rules that leave almost all Internet political activity unregulated except for the purchase of campaign ads on Web sites.

"My key goal in this rule-making has been to make sure that the commission establish clear rules to exempt individuals who engage in online politics from campaign finance laws," said Chairman Michael E. Toner, a Republican.

"We tried to craft a regulation that would allow the maximum amount of freedom for people as possible," said Commissioner Ellen L. Weintraub, a Democrat.

Most bloggers, individual Web users, and such Web sites as Drudge Report and Salon.com are exempted from regulation and will be free to support and attack federal candidates, much as newspapers are allowed.

Here's the summary [PDF].

It appears I won't be shutting down only to have my Russian cousin (*wink* *wink*) start it up on servers in his motherland.

"Proposed FEC Rules Would Exempt Most Political Activity on Internet"

Conservative Weblogger Doesn't Last a Week

Ben Domenech didn't last a week as a weblogger for washingtonpost.com. It wasn't the bile-spewing Left or Intelligent Design critics that got him. It was his past. This post at Obsidian Wings is pretty damning. Such criticism must have been damning to Domenech. He resigned.

Lefty webloggers may want his head on their trophy wall. If I were them I wouldn't. First, no body outside the political blogosphere knows who Domenech is. Second, he didn't last a week. That's far from taking down an institution like Dan Rather.

Domenech has written far more than I have. Part of that comes from him being an ex-speech writer. When a young writer is cutting their teeth they will make mistakes. Is past plagerism unforgiveable? Does it have a statute of limitations? When writers are seeking a new gig should they admit the mistakes in their past and hope their recent track record can make up for it?

TAM has existed since 1999. Before that I wrote occasional op-eds in my college newspaper. In all that writing I don't recall ever copying someone elses work, but I might have. Say the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel wanted to take weblogs seriously and wanted me on board. How would I deal with a potential time bomb sitting in my archives just waiting for rabid partisans to detonate?

UPDATE: Domenech (AKA Augustine) posted his explanation to plagerism charges and his resignation. The story made it on The Drudge Report so the RedState servers are under a lot of stress. They're reasonable explanations. More reasonable than the hateful responses of his Leftist critics. They are still errors of judgement, but being young (he was 17 at the time) is about making mistakes and learning from them. It makes me ask the question, "When does a writer's past mistakes no longer hurt him?"

Here's something to think about: had Domenech been caught drinking at 17 he would still be writing Red America. If he would have been caught smoking pot he might be praised. Some youthful indiscretions are more forgivable than others.

UPDATE II: National Review Online admits Domenech plagerized, and it wasn't for a college paper. "A side-by-side comparison to another review of the same film speaks for itself. There is no excuse for plagiarism and we apologize to our readers and to Steve Murray of the Cox News Service from whose piece the language was lifted."

With that Domenech would have been booted from the Red America weblog had he not resigned. That's understandable for an institution like The Washington Post who has a reputation to maintain. I would like to know is Domenech scarred for life? Will editors reject job opportunities or even free lance articles when he's 40, 50, or even 80 because of what he did in his teens and 20s? With the internet as a permanent archive we all should wonder how long our past mistakes will haunt us.

What's really disappointing is washingtonpost.com will be "likely to look for someone with a more traditional journalism background." Domenech's flagrant copying tarred the reputations of conservative webloggers everywhere. Thanks a lot, Ben.

[via Michelle Malkin]

The Bile Toward Ben Domenech

A few people don't like Ben Domenech writing a conservative weblog for The Washington Post. Instead of ignoring him or actually challenging his ideas some decide to play quote-pulling (some from as far back as 4 1/2 years ago), insult him (and all others like him) for being home schooled, and call him an idiot for believing God created the universe.

At least Steve Verdon puts some real thought into his challenge of one of Domenech's points about intelligent design. Others should take notes from Steve on how a serious debate is done.

James Joyner collects a number of Domenech-bashing posts and observes:

And am I the only one who sees the irony in a bunch of 40- and 50-something bloggers with advanced degrees resorting to name calling and over-the-top rhetoric to attack someone on the basis of being too young, immature, and lacking in nuance to blog?

Let them waste their time and energy. It's better than having this shreiking part of the Left doing things they think are actually helpful or productive to their political cause.

Weblog Addiction Syndrome

Business Week's Stephen Baker joins me and thousands of others and admits their problem. We're addicted to weblogging. While Washington Post reporters wonders if they should be paid extra to post (and wonder if the newspaper can "compel employees to blog") Baker would do it for free.

"Should Mainstream Bloggers Be Paid Extra? Should I?"

Blogger Bounces Betsy

One of my favorite webloggers (who I don't link to enough) Besty Newmark is having Blogger troubles. It's still not fixed even though Blogger says it's fixed. Blogger's problems was the reason I moved to Movable Type a few years ago. Their service wasn't reliable enough for me. When Google bought Blogger I had hopes their infrastructure and software would get fix and be stable. That hasn't happened. A company can't do everything well, but Google has had a good run. A stable, reliable Blogger/BlogSpot would get more people to write weblogs which would mean more real estate for their ads. Why the company never has gotten Blogger fixed is beyond me.

My advice: go with weblogging software that's on your server. My host, Dreamhost, lets you install WordPress with one click so you don't have to deal with UNIX commands, FTP, or PHP. If you want free try WordPress.com.

"Bloggers, Back up Your Work"

UPDATE: Betsy's weblog is back, and she's not pleased with Google. I don't blame her.

Weblogger Protection Bill Pulled

Mike Krempasky reports the House Rules Committee couldn't agree on how to proceed on HR 1606, the Online Freedom of Speech Act. "[I]t's been pulled until after the recess."

We now have more time to put pressure on our Congressmen to protect online political speech.

"HR 1606 Pulled for the Week"

To Protect Online Speech Call Congress

It's time to turn the blogosphere's albeit limited power onto meatspace. Tomorrow, HR 1606, The Online Freedom of Speech Act, comes to a vote in the House. As Mike Krempasky puts it it "simply puts into law the existing status quo. It preserves the system under which we operated for the 2004 elections - WHEN THERE WAS NO CORRUPTION OR SCANDAL. It's supported by bloggers left and right. "

This is about maintaining lively, pointed, passionate political speech on the internet. Call these people who voted against the bill when it came up last year under special rules. For my Wisconsin readers that means making Rep. Tom Petri explain his stance on online political speech. Petri's Washington, D.C. office number is 202.225.2476, his Oshkosh office number is 920.231.6333, and his Fond du Lac office number is 920.922-1180.

Stop reading TAM for a few minutes and get on the phone.

"Get on the Damn Phone"

Huffington Post Dishonesty

Want another reason to not read The Huffington Post? Arianna practices intellectual dishonesty. George Clooney's "post" about being proud to be a liberal and how weenie Washington Democrats are wasn't his post at all. Clooney's ticked:

Oscar-winner George Clooney may make politically provocative films like "Syriana." But he doesn't write politically provocative blogs.

So imagine his ire when Arianna Huffington used some of his recent answers to political questions in a way that makes it look as if he wrote one for her Huffington Post blog site.

"He doesn't object to the quotes," says Stan Rosenfield, Clooney's valiant rep. "He said those things and those are his views. Arianna asked for permission to use the quotes and he gave it to her. What he didn't give permission for was the use of his quotes without source attributions to make it appear that he wrote a blog for her site. Which he did not. When he saw the posting Monday, we called and asked her to make the change, to simply attribute the quotes and make it clear that he did not write a blog. But she refused. And it's now Wednesday."

Rather than keep waiting, Clooney got pro-active and issued this statement:

" Miss Huffington's blog is purposefully misleading and I have asked her to clarify the facts.

I stand by my statements but I did not write this blog. With my permission Miss Huffington

compiled it from interviews with Larry King and The Guardian. What she most certainly did not get my permission to do is to combine only my answers in a blog that misleads the reader into thinking that I wrote this piece. These are not my writings - they are answers to questions and there is a huge difference."

"Clooney to Arianna: I Did Not Blog" [via Alarming News]

For What It's Worth

. . . Harrell's back. The Shape of Days is live, from Washington, D.C.—a town that is, for many reasons, dear to my heart.

A "Journalist's" Take on Blogs

Steve over at Letters in Bottles has a great post up fisking a ridiculous article about blogs and the mainstream media. Check it out.

Wal-Mart and Webloggers

Professor McAdams has put together a string of interesting posts [and here] on how webloggers are getting pro-Wal-Mart information. He then compares that to how the MSM works. Webloggers are more transparent.

I Feel Better...Sort of

I'm not the only one to have been challenged this week by a WTMJ radio yapper.

"A li’l backtrack…"

Best Weblog Post Ever?

I only called Tom McMahon's beautiful post the best of the year. John Podhoretz declares it "might be the greatest blog entry ever written."

Weblog Post of the Year

If there was an award for best weblog post of the year Tom McMahon's would be on the short list. As a matter of fact, I'm declaring it already. It's touching, timeless, moving, and full of wisdom.

"What I Have Learned In 15 Years"

Weblog Snob

Call me a weblog snob. When someone like J.B. Van Hollen is running for statewide office and their weblog is on BlogSpot I think a few things: 1) they haven't thought much about weblogs and wanted to get something up to make it appear they "get it;" 2) they're too cheap to integrate the weblog with the rest of their website which means they either have money problems or care more about tv and radio ads than an online strategy.

There are a few big-time webloggers who have used BlogSpot for a long time. With my experience using it as a member of the Badger Blog Alliance I have to think Google has set it up so they don't have the same problems as ordinary, peon webloggers. Free places like BlogSpot are good ways to get your feet wet in the wild world of weblogging but serious people should move far away from it as fast as possible.

A Pet Peeve

It's bugged me when I go to a weblog linked by Glenn Reynolds only to find "Welcome Instapundit readers." I thought, "Act like you've done it before." Kevin Aylward had the guts to say it. I'm just the tag-along.

"Our Baby Is Growing Up..."

*Blush*

Thanks, Jessica.

The Pioneers. Lakeshore Laments (http://www.lakeshorelaments.com/), the American Mind (http://www.theamericanmind. com/), Tom McMahon (http://www.tommcmahon.net/wisconsin/ index.html), Badger Blogger (http://badgerblogger.com/), and Jiblog (http://jiblog.blogspot.com/) were doing this a heck of a lot longer than the rest of us. They’re thought provoking. They are the true pioneers.

"Blog on for Fresh Insights"

Same Name, New Address

Leaning Blue now has its own domain name. Please change links accordingly.

Feel the Burn

Peakah's Provocations... hosts this week's Bonfire of the Vanities. I don't think he's completely sane.

It's Alive...Again

After hours of Blogger technical issues the Badger Blog Alliance is up and running. Definitely check out Chris' post on making every state legislature race a state-wide one.

#1 Google Search

"best political websites"

I'd like to thank the fine engineers at Google for this honor. I don't know what I did to deserve it. Really, I'm clueless, but I'm not complaining.

Dear Abby: Weblog-Style

Me thinks Wizbang's advice column, Dear VK, will be a winner. Read this Q&A:

Dear VK,

I accidentally clipped a homeless guy driving back from a bar at the beach last weekend. I'm pretty sure he's dead because his head hit the bumper like a Gallagher melon. No one saw this, and I cleaned the car up real, real good. I feel bad now, but not bad enough to risk prison time. Should I just try to get over this, or do you recommend therapy? If I don't pay my therapist, can they tell the cops?

Signed, Guilty in Guilford

Dear Guilty,

It is just me, or does it seem like homeless people ought to stay under bridges and in soup kitchens where they belong? I guess I'm trying to understand why you feel bad now, when you clearly didn't at the time. If it's for the homeless guy's sake, don't bother -- he's not feeling a thing, and wherever he is it's either a damn sight warmer or nicer than the box he'd previously called home. So why waste the money on therapy when you could be spending it on something far more productive, like buying me a drink.

Besides, the real question here is: how's your car?

Soberly,
VK

"Dear VK"

SRLC Taking Webloggers Seriously

Webloggers are still looked at as the red-headed stepchild of media, but they're being taken seriously. This year's Southern Republican Leadership Conference are treating them just like newspapers, television, and talk radio.

Bonfire #132

The Business of America is Business hosts this week's Bonfire of the Vanities.

Help Out Kevin

Kevin Holtsberry is asking for donations to get him to NYC for a National Review fundraiser. Give him a hand. All the money will go to helping NR remain the vital conservative institution it is.

"Send Me to New York!"

Washington Times' New Weblogging Policy

Looks like I won't be writing for The Washington Times anytime soon. Their new non-work weblogging policy is pretty strict. You not only have to "request and obtain permission from senior editors" but you can't "report on or publish anything concerning The Washington Times itself." After six-plus years of having the freedom to write whatever I want whenever I want to it would be hard to enter an environment with any restrictions.

"The Washington Times' Policy on Bloggers"

2005 TAM Weblog Awards

As the weblogs become more known weblogger's numbers increase. That makes for tough choices for the coveted (I would like to believe) TAM Weblog Awards. My criteria is simple: 1) it must be on my blogroll; 2) I have to think it's good for whatever reason I choose. It's the most subjective weblog awards in the blogosphere. Here we go:

1. Captain's Quarters

   For the first time in TAM Weblog Awards history we have a repeat. Captain Ed sealed the deal by being the conduit to get news about a Canadian political scandal around a judicial gag order. That news led to new elections for our neighbor due north. Ed has also been on the forefront of the Able Danger story. Still, that's not all. He consistently puts out lengthy posts filled with insight and solid argument. All the while he values the community that has grown around his weblog.

2. Boots & Sabers

   When Wisconsin politicians want a glimpse of the thoughts and feelings of passionate local conservatives they turn to B&S. Owen Robinson comments on the latest news with a consistent conservative viewpoint. Party means squat to him. It's ideas that matter. His good writing and thinking has made him a great spokesman for the conservative blogosphere in the Badger State.

3. JustOneMinute

   Tom Maguire followed the Valarie Plame case like he had Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. He parsed stories line by line. Such detail drove me batty at times. Still, he kept you informed of all possible angles.

4. RedState.org

   Sure, it's a giganto-mega-weblog made up of lots of diaries. But they were the center of the blogospheric dissent to Harriet Miers' nomination. Add to that so many good writers take on issues to philosophy to political strategy. You can be sure some future strategist will come from this group.

5. Charlie Sykes

   The radio yapper fully embraced the blogosphere using them/me for ideas and a gauge of opinion. Without him the Wisconsin conservative blogosphere would not have become the growing force it is today.
   

Why I Can't Rip on Instapundit

Not only is Glenn Reynolds a weblogging superstar, but he's also a nice guy:

CHRISTMAS/HOLIDAY ADVICE to blog readers: Don't do this here, as I don't need it, but go to one of your favorite blogs and make a donation or send an appreciative email. Especially one of the smaller blogs, where the attention is especially likely to be noticed and appreciated. There are a lot of blogs out there, and the bloggers with low traffic often work just as hard as the ones with big numbers. Let 'em know if you like their work.

Hooray!

*That's a subtle hint to tell other weblogs to link to TAM.

More Blegging

My goal of catching Meryl Yourish is fading. I'm again worrying about falling into last place. Give this poor weblogger a hand and vote today, then tomorrow, then the next day. I won't cry if you don't support me, but I will be very disappointed.

A Tight Web They Weave

Here's some quick inside baseball weblogs stuff: Only Pajamas Media weblogs are linking to the PJM site. Without Glenn Reynolds they'd hardly have any links. PJM might be bringing in readers (no Sitemeter so who knows) but they certainly aren't winning over webloggers.

"Pajamas Media - Building A Better Echo Chamber"

It's That Time Again

I'm asking for your votes again. I'm not getting any closer to Meryl Yourish, but TAM also isn't getting closer to last place. Your vote would be just lovely.

PJM Isn't Fast

When you think of weblogs you think of ordinary people who can quickly comment on a breaking story. That's what I did when I heard about the Hemel Hempstead fuel depot fire. I quickly put together weblog, Flickr, and Technorati links. I kept that up with further updates. I did this without any funding. Pajamas Media with its $3.5 million in venture capital didn't have anything up until later Sunday morning. If I were operating a weblogging company I'd have someone awake at all hours of the day waiting to pounce on breaking news. Let's face it, they got scooped by the MSM. That shouldn't happen to a company that wants to outdo them.

"Sleepwalking In Pajamas"

Ho-Hum

Michael Crowley's NY Times Magazine weblogs article is out. That tiny thing garnered too much attention. All Crowley says is the conservative blogospheres uses uses weblogs for "eliciting strong emotional responses from their supporters" while the Left supposedly "air[s] ideas and vent[s] grievances with one another" and is too busy "examining every side of every issue." Crowley offers nothing to support that statement. If he's comparing Free Republic, which isn't a weblog, to Crooked Timber that would be unfair. Looking at the big boy of the liberal blogosphere, Daily Kos, we have this "interesting" post: pictures of four Republicans with them labled "bad guys." is that "examining every side of every issue" or "eliciting strong emotional responses from their supporters?" How about calling Iraqi elections as "The Myth of the Purple Finger?"

Then there's the assertion that conservative webloggers are part of the right wing media conspiracy. Well, I'm still waiting for Karl Rove's orders.

Crowley's piece has no point and no evidence. He's just using the pages of a major American newspaper to smear conservative webloggers.

Here's Michelle Malkin's response as well as Captain Ed's and Glenn Reynolds'.

"Conservative Blogs are More Effective"

The Blegging Continues

TAM is solidly not in last place. I thank you all for that. The next weblog infront of me is Meryl Yourish's. The unemployed Jewish writer (help her out) is a great writer with a distinct Israel angle to many of her posts. She's good. That's why I want to beat her. Help me out, ok?

Conservative Weblogs Rock

Michael Crowley will be arguing in the NY Times Magazine that conservative weblogs are more politically effective than liberal weblogs. That's quite debatable. What may be making conservative weblogs politically effective is how other conservative media, especially talk radio, use weblogs for ideas and to comprehend future political currents.

"NY Times Sunday Preview: Conservative Blogs Rock!" [via JustOneMinute]

Ouch

"The Twelve Days of Things that Make Baby Jesus Cry (#2)"

[via Hog on Ice]

UPDATE: Earlier this week Moxie put PJM into perspective.

I Might Have to Stoop This Low

Lucky me. I don't have to compete with Jane Galt in the Weblog Awards. She's threatening to cry if you don't vote for her. And it's working.

Remember for vote for TAM. You can vote once every 24 hours.

Vote Begging

Voters can vote once every 24 hours in the 2005 Weblog Awards. I'd love your vote. TAM is not dead last just second-to-last. It's progress. Thanks for all your support and tell your friends about TAM.

Vote for TAM

It's Weblog Awards time. TAM is in the running for "Best of the Top 251-500 Blogs." As of this moment my little hunk of cyberspace is running dead last! I guess that makes me the 500th best weblog. At least I know of one reader who loves me. I'd like to say be like someone in Chicago and vote early and often, but I think Kevin Aylward got that bug fixed. I'm happy to be a finalist. With the likes of Austin Bay, a real journalist, and Betsy Newmark, one-time TAM Award winner, competing with me I'd be shocked if TAM won. Still, I'd love your vote.

While you're at it give Nick Schweitzer (The World According to Nick) some love too

At PJM's Expense

"Flannels Media" is the new competitor to Pajamas Media. Their had their first "Flogjam" a few days ago.

"Flannels Media: Flogjam #1" [via Jiblog]

CotB Submissions

Leaning Blue will host this week's Carnival of the Badger. Get your posts in by 8 pm tonight.

PJMer Goes Overboard

Tim Blair's announcement that he's leaving the Pajamas Media Editorial Board was a surprise. I didn't expect that. He writes, "PM needs people who can devote themselves full-time to rescuing the project after a launch that was, to say the least, problematic."

But I'm sure they had a good party.

[via Ann Althouse]

Comment Philosophy

A lengthy discussion that started with my post on Howard Dean, M.D. not mentioning God in his Thanksgiving statement moved to how I don't actively engage commenters. Here's my response:

Thanks DJ. The family is doing fine.

Here's my approach to comments: I feel the need to respond to every one of them. Usually I stand by what I wrote in the post. I don't see the point of restating it in a comment. If I do develop a new argument I like to write a new post so it doesn't get buried in comments. (This post was just going to be a comment. It's become more deserving.)

I appreciate all serious comments and commenters. When I'm drafting a post I try to envision what the response will be. I think that strengthens my writing. Your responses are not ignored even though I don't respond.

The purpose of this weblog is for me to write. Its my running commentary about the weird, wild, wacky world around me. I allow comments to let others continue the discussion. (I'll hopefully get my Trackback problem fixed so that discussion can more easily be extended to other weblogs.) Like I wrote above, I won't respond to every comment. For me it's about adding value to the discussion. If I think a response is valuable I'll offer it; if not I won't.

I'll try to do a better job, but I make no promises. There's too many things to write about. The world is in constant flux. Something new always grabs my attention. I won't sacrifice good ideas for new posts to make the same point I made in my original post. To me that's a waste of pixels. There will be many points where we will have to agree to disagree.

P.S. Does having to write an almost meta-post like that mean TAM is evolving into a community even if a tiny one? I shudder at the thought.

Catching up on Your PJM Reading

When not consuming mass quantities of turkey or staring one's Christmas shopping, many have been talking about Pajamas Media. Here's some stuffing sure to fill you up (or make you sick of the whole topic):

• There's a PJM Death Pool. I picked May 12, 2006 for the company's demise.

• Some members of the PJM Editorial Advisary Board yapped about the company's problems. I'm amazed venture capitalists put in $3.5 million before this discussion happened.

• Jeff Jarvis gives the PJMers a project:
  

  Finish this sentence in no more than 10 words: Pajamas Media is _________________.

  
  Of course, this should have been done before Roger Simon flipped the switch.

• Over at Baldilocks, Ann Althouse, John Cole, and Jeff Goldstein are just going at it over Ann's reaction to PJM's lame coverage of Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. None of them look good in the verbal battle.

• Laurence Simon is doing constructive and set up a discussion forum for PJMers and outsiders looking in.
  

Weblogging Featured Next Sunday

The next Sunday Insight hosted by Charlie Sykes will discuss weblogs and the internet. Webloggers on the show include Jessica McBride, Professor John McAdams, and Owen Robinson. I hope they mention TAM often. ;-)

PJM Advice

Shouldn't a weblog porter resemble a weblog? That's a huge design error with Pajamas Media. Get rid of the cold whiteness. Be inspired by the nice Blogjam logo. Then actually make yourself a weblog portal by sucking in content from your associates. I thought that was one reason you wanted them to join. Or if you were really smart you'd buy Memorandum.

No Pajamas

President Bush is accused of wanting to bomb al-Jazeera and OSM Pajamas Media (a dumb name but without the tinge of theft) has nothing on it. Instead they have a post about an ugly dog. Changing the name was good, but it's the content what will ultimately decide the new company's fate.

Spam Attacks

Bad news. My web host has been informing me TAM has been using too much of its share of server resources. The main culprits are the files that handle trackbacks and comments. In other words, TAM is under spam attacks. I've turned off trackbacks and disabled the file to see if that helps. I don't want to close up comments unless I absolutely have to.

What I really have to do is upgrade my weblogging platform, something I've dreaded of doing. Moving from Blogger to MT had me yelling and spitting at my computer. I still have emotional scars.

If I decided to move to Movable Type 3.x could I just cut-and-paste my MT 2.6 templates with no trouble?

There's a nice list of anti-spam plug-ins for WordPress. That may be where I should go. However, I'm not thrilled with the UI. Or I could use one of the many weblog clients available. Oh, do I remember the old days when I used w.bloggar with Blogger.

Roger Simon Strikes Back

He counters Kenton Kelly AKA Dennis the Peasant ceaseless OSM bashing with a calm, almost CEO-like response:

He is indeed correct that we had several discussions with him and one meeting in Los Angeles. After that nothing substantive occurred. No contracts were ever signed. No investment was made. Nothing happened. Communications dwindled to zero. It was like the many preliminary business conversations that peter out before fruition in most of our lives, certainly in mine and probably in yours. Then Charles and I developed a different approach to the business. We found investment elsewhere and Mr. Kelly, when he heard about it, turned into an online stalker. He has threatened to sue me on several occasions. I invite him to go ahead and do it. I look forward to the contents of his website being read aloud in court.

Now, with Kelly responding we'll see if this turns into a juicy mano a mano weblog war.

"This is So High School"

An OSM Positive

Pieter Dorsman, an OSMer makes some good point about the weblog start-up. First and most importantly, he mentions, "any content-based venture that is able to raise a significant amount of early stage financing in the post-internet boom world is pulling off a significant feat." People who are smart enough to have $3.5 million to invest in start-up aren't going to flush it down a toilet. [Like a Koran? --ed] OSM investors think there's money to be made in weblogs. Of course it's an educated guess, but putting one's money on the line forces people to think seriously. That doesn't mean OSM will succeed. Success is never guaranteed.

What venture capitalist bring to the table along with money is business accumen. That's what makes The flap with Chris Lymon's Open Source so puzzling. Presumably the VCs are on OSM board of directors. Did any of them advise Roger Simon and Charles Johnson that picking a similar name could bring up legal as well as PR headaches? The name issue is embarassing but not fatal to the enterprise. If the business plan was dependent on the name the I'd consider OSM the poster child for the new internet bubble. More important than a name is lining up advertisers and getting contributors to continue writing good material that increases their readership. That will be a tall order with highly-independent nature of webloggers.

My biggest fear of OSM is it will be the continuation of the disturbing pattern I've seen of A-list webloggers linking to other A-listers. The blogosphere has grown so much that it's harder for voice to stand out from the crowd. Someone like me who sees relative weblogging newbies with great amounts of readers hang out virtually with other high-traffic relative newbies is frustrating because I've toiled longer than probably any OSMer with no where near the success. While I haven't seen any evidence of OSM becoming a linking circle jerk there is always that potential. I will trust in the integrity of people like Glenn Reynolds and Dean Esmay. They're both good men so that's not asking a lot.

I hope my critical posts on OSM read better than petty jealousy. I admit I'm envious of the OSMers. They're on the path of becoming professional webloggers. Someone like me who's been writing his screeds for almost six years (before the blogosphere had a name) would love the opportunity to make a living through words and ideas. This is a character flaw I'm always working on. My readers should hold be accountable when it appears to be acting up.

Here's a challenge to OSM critics: write a post saying something positive about the new company. There has to be something good from this. Here's mine: OSM is giving writers I respect the possibility of earning money. That means they'll be able to spend more time on their writing and ideas. It may not change the world, but it will still be great.

"OSM - Early Validation"

More OSM Criticism

From Hog on Ice:

I made fun of OSM for failing to register their own domain name (back in the PJM days), "pajamamedia.com." That wasn't a booboo. That wasn't a slip. That was a monumental screwup worthy of monkeys. It was unbelievably stupid and irresponsible. In a real company, doing something that dumb would be a firing offense.

When I started Huffington's Toast, the FIRST thing I did, before I wrote a word, was to check the availability of the domain. Then I registered it. Then I bought huffingtontoast.com, without the "S," just in case people typed the domain name wrong. And I redirected it to huffingtonstoast.com.

Now, let me remind you. I'm not an embryonic media giant like PJM. I'm a forgetful, disorganized goof who was legendary at Blockbuster for failing to return videos on time. I've been on Ritalin, Cylert, Wellbutrin, Prozac, and even massive doses of coffee, and I'm STILL absent-minded. BUT I'M NOT A BIG ENOUGH DUMBASS TO FORGET TO REGISTER A DOMAIN.

I made fun of OSM for failing to register their first domain name, and then I made fun of them for failing to register their SECOND domain name, "opensourcemedia.com." That, I thought, was proof that this operation was basically a tail-chasing contest that would end in ruin.

Then a reader corrected me. It turned out "opensourcemedia.com" belonged to OSM's lawyer. So they got it right, right? I thought so. I posted an erratum. Well guess what? They got the domain name, but they didn't get the COMPANY NAME. Jeff Jarvis has the story. It almost hurts to read it.

I'm going to go to thesaurus.com and look for a word stronger than "stupid." Sometimes people say they're "at a loss for words," and then they come up with words anyway. I can't. "Stupid" seems so kind in this context. I don't know what to say.

Moxie does Pajama Club redux.

I don't want to be completely negative. If someone found a positive post on why OSM/Open Source Media will be a success let me know so I can link to it.

UPDATE: It's getting bad for OSM/Open Source Media when the CEO's wife has to quasi-anonymously defend him.

UPDATE II: Dean Esmay, OSM contributor, is returning fire to critics in his comments. Also, here's an earlier post by Dean.

I wish no ill will on Dean and the other OSM contributors. Making money is a beautiful thing. I hope this new start-up works out. However, I call things like I see them.

OSM/Open Source Media

Roger Simon turned on the OSM/Open Source Media machine Wednesday. From what I've gleened the company's business model reads something like this:

1. Get high traffic weblogs like Instapundit and Little Green Footballs on board
   
2. Use them to steer traffic to a weblog portal;
   
3. Sell ads on portal and associated weblogs;
   
4. Hope and pray;
   
Rinse. Repeat.

Earlier this year when OSM/Open Source Media was still Pajama Media (a truly bad name) I was sent a non-disclosure agreement and brief on the company. My accountant/business advisor and I looked through it. She was more optimistic. I was scratching my head. How does OSM/Open Source Media allow me to monetize my weblog better than BlogAds? The brief talked about how the company would get big-name advertisers to buy ads on weblogs. In order to build confidence this could happen I would have liked to know who would be running the business and doing the sales. Roger Simon and Charles Johnson didn't show me any history of running a successful business. Tossing around the names of A-list webloggers didn't build confidence.

The new company already is flubbing their name. Chris Lyndon has an outfit in Massachusetts called Open Source Media, Inc. which produces a public radio show with a sister weblog. Brendan Greeley, one of the show's producers, is covering OSM/Open Source Media's name problem.

• Part I
  
• Part II
  
• Part III (This post is very damning.)
  
• Part IV
  
• Part V
  

Sadly, the big names associated with OSM/Open Source Media aren't talking much about the name problem. "Accidental" CEO (huh?) Roger Simon writes, "we're going to be flopping around for some time, much like a kid learning to ride a bicycle." Trampling on somone else's name is more than a new company flop. He offers no explanation or defense or even his side of the story. Charles Johnson just links to a sarcastic post by fellow OSMer Iowahawk. Michelle Malkin is quiet. She's traveling and hawking her book, but had time to post about the Iraq War vote in the House.

A big fear was Glenn Reynolds would start linking only to the OSM portal and weblogs creating a blogosphere-within-the-blogosphere. He links to OSM wire copy and weblog roundups, but I haven't seen a real OSM bias. That's good.

A good barometer of successful, good media is Jeff Jarvis. The guy has too much experience to take his opinion lightly. If they could have won him over instead of having him scratch his head and wonder what OSM/Open Source Media is I'd say Simon, Johnson, et al had a shot. Jarvis is now "cringing as I await the sound of trains crashing."

After the Huffington Post hype I'm not optimistic about OSM/Open Source Media. Being only two-days old I know I'm not giving it a chance. But OSM doesn't feel organic, alive. Even with cool people like Glenn Reynolds associated with it it doesn't have a personality. On the business side the the company founders may have completely misconstrued how advertising works.

UPDATE: James Joyner collected responses about OSM/Open Source Media. Long-time critic Ann Althouse lays into Roger Simon's Jesus Christ pose.

Weblog Awards: Nominations Open

The 2005 Weblog Awards are upon us. Nominations are now open. I've already nominated TAM in the "Best Conservative Blog" and "Best of the Top 251 - 500 Blogs." If you think TAM fits in another catagory be my guest and nominate me.

Two Years Old

LaShawn Barber has been weblogging for two years. I met her a CPAC earlier this year. When I met her again at BlogNashville it was like seeing a friend I haven't spoken to in a few weeks. She can be a terror (in a good way) in the blogosphere, but she's great face-to-face. Congrats.

"Two-Year Blogiversary"

Congrats

Patrick's Badger Blogger is one year old.

New TAM Sponsor

Welcome The Markesan Group, TAM's first Wisconsin-based sponsor. They handle public relations, political consulting, etc. If you need some help getting your message out talk to them.

*Sniff*

Michele has shut down A Small Victory. She'll need to focus on writing her novel. I hope we seen ASV again.

Trackback Spam

In the past few weeks the amount of trackback spam has really shot up. Now, it appears Jay Allen is done updating the MT-Blacklist. Too bad. Other than the trackback and comment spam MT 2.661 has been good for me. My philosophy with software is "If it ain't broke don't fix it." Upgrading for the sake of upgrading seems pointless to me. But I'm going to have to think about it. WordPress will deserve strong consideration since it's free, open source, and let's me have unlimited authors. With MT 3 I'm familiar with its weblogging interface, and it might, might let me move my template without much fuss. Maybe it's remodelling time for TAM. Rip out its guts and put on a new coat of pixels. Any thoughts?

Zilch. Zero. Nada.

That's what my weblog is worth according to Business Opportunities Weblog.

House Republicans' Valiant Attempt to Woo Webloggers

Michelle Malkin posted an invitation for webloggers to come to the Capitol to post and talk with Congressional Republicans about "the House Republican record of successful economic policies, their commitment to fiscal responsibility, and the details of the historic proposed budget amendment that is expected to reach the floor later this week."

It's nice to offer the invitation but it misses a couple points about weblogging and webloggers. First, who besides the independently wealthy or someone living within driving distance of D.C. will attend? Most of us who toil at this hobby obsession can't adjust work schedules with the snap of our fingers to run off to Washington. Second, in our ever-increasingly connected world distance becomes less meaningful. Through the internet and talk radio I know more of what's going on in Washington than I do in Madison. Face time with Congressmen is great, but not necessary. If the House Republican Conference is serious about dealing with webloggers they should be sending e-mails asking for interviews. (I'm waiting for your e-mail Mr. Sensenbrenner.) That's how the White House has been treating conservative talk radio to support Harriet Miers. They haven't been inviting hosts to the White House.

I give the House GOP an A for effort, but a C for not fully thinking about the wide expanse weblogs offer. They should be talking to Patrick Ruffini.

"Pork-Busting Progress"

UPDATE: My quip about only webloggers "living within driving distance of D.C. will attend" was slightly off. Matt Margolis got invited. He lives in Boston and is taking the train down to D.C. I forgot about the only part of Amtrak that's worth anything. The essence of my point remains: if the House GOP wants to reach out to webloggers they should think beyond the small portion that live in the Northeast Corridor. Outreach means going west of the Appalachians.

Carnival of the Badger #8

Check out the posts from around Wisconsin's little corner of the blogosphere.

Blogometer Mention

TAM got it's first mention on the National Journal's Blogometer. That could explain a couple of traffic spikes in the middle of the day. Can someone give them some permalinks. It's like Kaus. I'd read more if I could easily link to items.

Carnival of the Vanities #158

Conservative Cat hosts this week's Carnival of the Vanities.

UPDATE: Hmm. There's controversy with the CoV this week. So much that Laurence Simon posted his own version.

UPDATE II: Kevin sets me straight. The original host, who deserves no link, did such a horrible job both Conservative Cat and Laurence Simon went to work. The question now is will any of them get an Instalanche?

Aniversary Congrats

On the BorderLine is one-year old. Congrats.

Carnivals Galore

Patrick hosts this week's Carnival of the Badger while Sortapundit has the Carnival of the Vanities #155.

Steve's Back

It's been some time but Steve of Norway is back weblogging. All it took was a natural disaster and too many playing the blame game.

It's amazing really, the President could've had 10,000 troops stationed outside of New Orleans; had FEMA ready to go and could've had $50billion earmarked for the initial wave of rebuilding/rescues, but it would not have mattered one iota. This hurricane would've blown through New Orleans and would've still flooded 80% of the city. Lake Pontchartrain still would've blasted through the levees and the looters & shooters still would be causing the havoc that they are. Because a hurricane is a hurricane...it causes an ass-load amount of damage. Is that too simple to grasp? No amount of pre-planning would've saved New Orleans. Kyoto would not have saved New Orleans. The Governor of Louisiana could not have saved New Orleans. Haley Barbour, although being blamed for causing Katrina, could not have stopped it from tearing apart Mississippi. It's mother nature and in the case of the blogosphere, it's natural to bring politics into the mess. And in some cases, call the President names to make themselves feel better about their little lives. Well bravo...bravo.

"Katrina..."

BoV #112

Don Surber hosts the best of the worst with the Bonfire of the Vanities.

Carnival of the Vanities #154

INCITE hosts this week's Carnival of the Vanities. It's a "small" one, only 48 posts.

Enjoy CoB

Widgerson Library has this week's Carnival of the Badger posted.

Carnival of the Vanities #153

The Big Picture hosts this week's Carnival of the Vanities.

Good Advice

Stephen Karlson is getting into his teaching mode:

With the new semester starting, it is time to review some fundamentals of policy making and argumentation. The extremists of any stripe (and I apologize for the excessive abstraction of "Left" and "Right;" nativists are not necessarily royalists or capitalists, and pacifists and war resisters not necessarily republicans or socialists) do not affect public policy unless they are able to move the marginal decision maker. And that marginal decision maker is somewhere in the middle. Why? Review the median voter theorem and the principle of minimum differentiation. (The closing paragraph of Harold Hotelling's "Stability in Competition" notes that Democrats and Republicans, or Methodists and Episcopalians, are quite similar.)

So, should prospective students be reading these pages, kindly be advised that discredit-by-appeal-to- argmin[Michael Moore, Rush Limbaugh] will not fly. Evaluate immigration policy, or war, or gasoline prices on the merits, and be particularly sensitive to those arguments attempted to move the median rather than to shore up the base.

"The Company You Keep?"

Carnival of the Badger

Nicholas Schweitzer has put together the first-ever Wisconsin weblogger linkfest. Dumb name (no more "carnival" linkfests please; need something original) but great idea. Find some new weblogs and see what some very smart Badger Staters are thinking.

"Carnival of the Badger Edition 1"

Great Moments...

Great moments in (alternative) weblog history. Sounds like inspiration for a Harry Turtledove novel.

[via Instapundit]

What's That Smell?

Napalm? Well, then it must be the latest Bonfire of the Vanities hosted by WunderKraut.com.

New Home for Milt

WGN is doing the smart thing and hosting Milt Rosenberg's fine weblog.

TAM is Hot

It's currently #336, ahead of Betsy's Page, Opinion Journal, and The Huffington Post. Thanks to all who've put TAM on their blogrolls.

Happy Anniversary

Instapundit is four-years-old today. Wow, it feels like Glenn has been posting forever. Then that makes TAM older than dirt since it will be six(!) in December. Congrats, Glenn even though you're on vacation and not reading this.

[via Badger Blogger]

Help Out a Weblogger

A bicycle accident had really thrown a wrench in Kate's dental plans. She has daunting dental bills and is asking for donations. Kate's good people. Please help her out.

Daily Blog Roundup

TAM is featured on today's Daily Blog Roundup.

Blogsphere Screw-Ups

Charlie Sykes wasn't the only one to make a mistake. Chris Muir, creator of Day by Day--the unofficial official comic strip of the blogosphere--blew it twice in one strip. Both men have made amends, and a lot faster than most MSM.

Getting Torched

Practical Penumbra hosts this week's Bonfire of the Vanities.

Four Years Old

Patrick Ruffini is celebrating his four-year weblogging anniversary. Congrats! But he's still a young whipper-snapper in the blogosphere.

Two Years of Burning

The Bonfire of the Vanities is two years old. For this anniversary it's returned to its original home at Wizbang.

Carnival of the Chillin

Trackbacks are wonderful things because that's how I found out about the Carnival of the Chillin (now in its second edition). I'm sure the last thing the blogosphere needs is another carnival (maybe don't call it a "carnival") but here it is for your late-Sunday reading.

MIT Weblog Survey

An HuffPost Non-Highlight

Over at The Huffington Post Arianna recaps the past week of posts. No mention of her "scoop" that V.P. Dick Cheney was in the cardiac section of a Colorado hospital. Could it be because she was talking out of her ass?

Burnt to a Crisp

Basil hosts one of the more biting (and funny) Bonfire of the Vanities in some time.

Weblogs Threat to ChiComs

Communist China will be requiring webloggers to register with the government. The communists may claim they want to protect their citizens from "sex, violence, and superstitions," but common sense knows it's about controlling political messages. Peter Glover (TAM sponsor) writes,

The Cybercast News Service which broke the story quotes a recently released study of Internet filtering published by the OpenNet Initiative, a collaborative partnership between universities in the US, Canada and Britain. It described China's online censorship as "the most sophisticated effort of its kind in the world...pervasive, sophisticated and effective."

China also practices what is known as domain name hijacking. "This redirects unsuspecting users away from sites it deems problematic, to alternative sites or to an invalid address", reports CNS.

Reporters Without Borders describes China as "the world's biggest prison for cyber-dissidents".

So for those of us who have believed that now the Internet Jack is out of the box it cannot be gotten back in - with the journalistic freedoms it has brought - a warning: it can be done.

"China Clamps Down on Blogs"

Advertising on Weblogs

Weblog cliques get their own advertising network with angel investors.

[John Battelle] said he's using his own editorial judgment to decide which bloggers to invite to join the network, but added that his judgment is informed by the community of bloggers that link to each other.

"Wired Co-Founder Nears Launch of Blog Ad Network" [via Jeff Jarvis]

Frank, Thanks for the Traffic

It's funny how a simple link to a picture of a church years ago can really get some traffic. But if that church is the distinctive Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in Wauwatosa, WI and its designer, Frank Lloyd Wright has a birthday today no more explanation is needed. Here's the Wikipedia entry for Wisconsin's greatest architect.

According to CNN TAM is "Civilized"

Between the "Moonbat Ocean" and the "Wingnut Hordes" lies TAM and the Coalition of the Chillin. I'm a little worried. TAM is pretty much that bastion of stability known as the Balkins.

How Purdee!

Lakeshore Laments has grown up and ditched BlogSpot. Nice looking site.

More than Money

Mike Krempasky makes a great clarification about webloggers' political contributions. Taking ads or campaign contributions aren't the only thing the FEC is thinking about regulating:

If you sell advertising on the open market and then give an ad away to a regulated political entity - you're stuck. Worse would be the FEC determining that favorable blog posts were the equivalent to advertising.

"Sigh. More on the FEC"

Sayonara

mtpolitics.net is no more. Bummer.

All the best to Craig and his meatspace-only life.

[via Zombyboy]

How Obnoxious

The FEC regulating webloggers seems to be in order.

Draft rules from the Federal Election Commission, which enforces campaign finance laws, would require that paid political advertisements on the Internet declare who funded the ad, as television spots do.

Similar disclaimers would be placed on political Web sites, as well as on e-mails sent to people on purchased lists containing more than 500 addresses. The FEC also is considering whether to require Web loggers, called bloggers, to disclose whether they get money from a campaign committee or a candidate and to reveal whether they are being paid to write about certain candidates or solicit contributions on their behalf.

These rules would not affect citizens who don't take money from political action committees or parties.

Here's how I'd get around these rules:

1. Publiclly announce I'm ending all weblogging and turning things over to an anoynmous writer.
   
2. Move TAM to an off-shore web server far away from the FEC's clutches.
   
3. Post anoynmously through annonymizers.
   
4. If I'm questioned by government officials I won't lie to them. That's the one lesson everyone to take from Martha Stewart's trial. Instead, I'll simply plead my Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.
   

"FEC Treads into Sticky Web of Political Blogs" [via Scared Monkeys]

Bad Timing

Roger Simon is asking some good questions regarding weblogging as an original news source. They're good questions but why ask them during an American holiday that's about being outside and away from stuff like computers? Odd.

"Pajamas Media Question #1 - What Is 'Fair and Balanced'?"

"Pajamas Media Question #2 - 'How Can We be an Online Joe Friday?'"

MOB report

Well, yes, I did stop by my favorite St. Cloud Watering Hole, Granite City Food & Brewery to participate in the first outstate Minnesota Organization of Blogs get together. I did talk to Our Gracious Organizer a bit, as well as Kevin Ecker (with whom I share a mutal friend, small world, eh?) and had the opportunity to at least meet Mr. & Mrs. Westover, I spent most of my time talking with Mitch Berg and Gary Gross.

The conversation with Mitch and Gary started off with me stating to Mitch that I don't get my politics or religion from the movies I see (i.e., "Star Wars: Revenge Of The Sith"), the books I read (i.e., "The DaVinci Code") or the pop I drink (i.e., Pepsi). From there, the conversation evolved (or, devolved) to any number of topics.

A great night had by all, and Annie got my mug club membership renewed. Thanks, Annie! I eagerly await the next gathering.

Publically Embarassing Oneself...Again

Surprise, surprise. Dave Winer is having another fit. This time he's attacking podcasting evangelist and ex-MTV VJ Adam Curry. He claim's Curry has been saying "really nasty shit about me personally." What that "shit" is I don't know because Dave doesn't link to anything. I've been listening to Curry's Daily Source Code for a few weeks and don't know what is really going on. It's probably nothing since Winer has a history of going goofy for no apparent reason. Adam's response to Dave's initial attack is his 05.16 podcast.

"More Adam"

Cuba Nostalgia

Val Prieto will be at Cuba Nostalgia covering the festivities and also letting people in on the wild world of the blogosphere. Val is taking weblog beyond news and politics and merging it with ethnic culture. The medium is extremely flexible so I expect good things from Val's efforts.

"From the Mailbag: Cuban Convention"

Flaming Kitty

Conservative Cat hosts this week's Bonfire of the Vanities. Sadly for you all there is no TAM entry.

Not So Terrible Two

Eric Scheie's Classical Values is a weblog I'm sad to admit I don't read enough. It's bad enough that it took me meeting him last weekend at BlogNashville to get him on my blogroll. His mind goes in unexpected directions which makes a wonderful antidote to conventional wisdom from all ideologies. Give Eric some love for reaching the two-year mark as a weblogger.

"Me Two?"

THP: A Weblogging Experiment

Steven Taylor writes, "post stuff people want to make fun of, and your linkage will soar." He dubs this "Huffington's Law." How long can a weblog survive when all its incoming linkage is of the mocking variety? How many of Ariana's 250 writing buddies continue to post when they know there are a few thousand readers ready to rip them apart? We shall see.

"New Blogging Advice: Huffington’s Law"

It's All about the Ego

About The Huffington Post's slew of new webloggers, Ann Althouse asks,

Why not blog low-profile for a while and get a feel for what your voice is going to be, what makes a good post, how to mix up the subject matter? Then one day when you've got a particularly good post on a subject some prominent blogger would want to link to, send out an email on that post.

"WaPo on HuffPo and Some Blogging Advice."

Huffington's Toast

Huffington's Toast is the best HP parody I've seen so far. The Dave Winer-Glenn Reynolds battle is worth the price of admission.

[via Professor Bainbridge]

Best of the Worst

Pirate's Cove hosts this week's Bonfire of the Vanities--Star Wars: Episode III edition.

New TAM Sponsor

Regular TAM readers may have noticed a new sponsor. Check out Jason Johnson and his book Wake Up America!.

Huffington Post Up and Running

The Huffington Post has begun publishing. It's a cross between a group weblog and the Drudge Report. The celeb webloggers' post are along the left side with stories and Drudge-style exclusives on the right. So far, the weblog posts are typical Lefty junk. The hot stories are what might make me come back once or twice a day. I already found this story about the NY Times considering starting a weblog.

Vote! Vote! Vote!

You can still help TAM become MKE's "Blog of the Week."

Help TAM Win

I've just found out about this contest put on by the "hip" division of the Journal Sentinel, mke. The winner will be announced tomorrow at 5 pm so hurry and vote early and often.

UPDATE: I was wrong. The voting didn't end today. So you will have to put up with my campaign for a few more days. Lucky you.

New TAM Sponsor

I want to welcome Peter Glover's Wires from The Bunker as TAM advertiser. Peter has a weblog and a book, The Politics of Faith.

Find a Better Way

Power Line and Captain's Quarters have dropped in my daily weblog reading. Their content is still fine. It's just that I hate the obnoxious ads both have in the most recent posts. They're big, gaudy, slow down page loads, and have annoying effects when my mouse passes over them. What's going on? Aren't BlogAds selling? This is a weblog trend I hope dies quickly.

Let It Burn

File it under hosts this week's Bonfire of the Vanities.

Some Noticable Attention

CNN has recently pointed out the wonderfulness that is TAM. The effect on traffic was unnoticable. CNN's sister company AOL has a "Blog Zone" featuring my post on the right to disappear. This time I'm noticing a traffic bounce. Just goes to show a brief mention on a floundering cable network doesn't mean much for web traffic.

Ripping Reynolds

What an interesting start to the day. I'll be ripping on Glenn Reynolds. Well, kind of. I'll just point to Ace's post on Glenn's double standards. No one's perfect, especially not a Tennesee law prof who happens to be the biggest fish in the pond.

Let me note that you know the Islamist War is going well when we find the time to debate non-war issues.

"Instapundit Plays the Same Tired War-Card" [via The Corner]

Fatigue

Rick at Stones Cry Out writes about "blog fatigue" and how he solved his:

I'll admit that the current SCO format is largely the result of blog fatigue. I appreciate many things about the new SCO and my partners, but most of all, I appreciate the fact that blogging is more enjoyable without all the pressure to perform daily. We're all very busy guys, and although there is still a bit of pressure to keep insightful content on the page for our readers, for me, the pressure is nothing in comparison to what it was a few months ago. I can focus on family, work, and school, and still blog. That's fantastic!

Rather than asking yourself if blogging is something you really want to be doing, perhaps ask yourself if blogging the way you are currently blogging is really something you want to be doing. I like the group blog model and although it's not for everyone, perhaps it is a happy medium between stressing out and giving up. It worked for me.

The whole purpose of TAM is to force me to make me write daily. I have succeeded. Since I like to write it makes sense to allow myself to be read. In an ideal world someone would pay me to write articles, books, weblog posts, etc. Until then, TAM is the center of my writing enterprise. No fatigue seen on the horizon.

"Blog Fatigue"

TAM Got Torched

Boxing Alcibiades hosts this week's Bonfire of the Vanities.

Third Party Exposure

Indirectly TAM made Google News. I cross-posted my Putin post to Redstate.org, and Google's computers picked it up and put it on the front page:

What a Combo

A Reid-Colburn double team. No, it's not a sign of the Apochalyspe. It's just two Senators trying to protect webloggers. Mike Krempasky has the details.

"Online Freedom of Speech Act Update"

The Chicago Report is No More

There's a funky weblog called Kapitalisimo in its place.

Advertise on TAM

TAM now accepts Blogads. To help me figure out how this works and how to best format ads I'm offering a freebie. E-mail me (sean at this domain name) for the offer code. Then just click on the "Advertise here" link or click here.

Drudge vs. Weblogs

Drudge is complaining about weblogs. They're too "loud, ugly and boring." We know The Drudge Report isn't boring, but it certainly can be loud and ugly--find something new than that 1996 flashing alert light.

Matt has an ego. He's a pioneer who thinks other "citizen journalists" are just following in his footsteps. Weblogs are "competition." Someday, there will be a big time weblogger who loses perspective and complains publically about too many lesser weblogs clogging up new media's pipes.

Drudge jumped the shark a long time ago with his book the Drudge Manifesto. It wasn't so much a book as a collection of beat poet journalism for the 21st Century. It was incoherent and unreadable. It sold copies, but there hasn't been a hint of a follow up. Matt just sticks to his web site and radio show. That's what he's good at. Drudge will continue to make waves and be a big fish in a ever-growing online media ocean.

"Drudge Retort"

"Matt Drudge is an Ass"

"'The World is his Laptop' ... and His Laptop is His Muse"

Hell Just Froze Over

Mike Krempasky has a post a DailyKos.

Seriously, I'm glad Kos and Krempasky are making this bipartisan just like the bill in Congress. I pretty much ignore Kos' daily screeds but I don't want the FEC shutting him up. We webloggers are just little fish in a huge, ever-growing media ocean. We shouldn't be silenced just like Time, the Washington Post, or Fox News shouldn't be silenced. Call your Congressman and Senator and tell them to support Rep. Jeb Hensarling's Online Freedom of Speech Act and Sen. Harry Reid's S.678.

"Online Freedom of Speech Act introduced in House"

To Wisconsin Webloggers and Weblog Readers

Plans are in the works for an invasion of Miller Park in June. GBfan has sketched out some details.

"The Blogosphere Get Together It Begins :)"

It's About Time

A TAM mention in Slate. Welcome, Slate readers.

Get the Fire Extingisher

Give some love to MY Vast Right Wing Conspiracy. Not only is it the host of this week's Bonfire of the Vanities but Beth put up with my incoherent submission.

Terrible Two

Not as old as TAM Wizbang has reached its second anniversary. For some reason it feels like Kevin's been weblogging longer than that. Congrats.

"Wizbang Turns Two"

Congrats, Dean

Dean's World is three years young. If you haven't read him lately go there now. Dean has been a great supporter of TAM. His links and advice have been very helpful. Bravo! I wish him many more years of weblogging pleasure.

Dowdification and Our Discontent

Weblogs rise and fall because of their reputation. If a writer publishes material readers think is credible, entertaining, and/or informative they'll come back and even tell others about it. If the writer fails to be an effective writer readership will go down.

Josh Marshall has consistently put out accusations with a veneer of truth but full of high pitched bravado. He's still hoping the Valerie Plame story will stain President Bush. Now, Bryan Preston has caught him "Dowdified" a quote by Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX). He's calling for an ostricization of Marshall. Good call. Ineffective writers should be punished. I'd like to say TAM not linking to Marshall will have any effect, but I don't have him on my blogroll, and I rarely read him.

"My Own Private Fatwa Against Dowdification"

Alabama Weblogging Panel

Two of TAM's favorites, James Joyner and Steven Taylor tried to enlighten the unwashed weblogging masses.

Sullivan's Lack of Reaction

I wanted to know how the most famous Catholic in the blogosphere thought about the loss of the Pontiff. I don't really know what Andrew Sullivan thinks because it's "all theoconservative all the time." Two mentions of of theocons and I'm tired. Someone let me know when he gets off this kick so I can consider reading him again. What a waste.

TAM's Top 15

Inspired by John Hawkins here's my list of my fave weblogs:

• Captain's Quarters
  
• Boots & Sabers
  
• Sykes Writes
  
• My View of the World
  
• Red State
  
• Engadget
  
• InstaPundit
  
• Lakeshore Laments
  
• Michelle Malkin
  
• Hugh Hewitt
  
• Outside the Beltway
  
• PoliBlogger
  
• Professor Bainbridge
  
• Wizbang
  
• Althouse
  

A TAM First

There's a person who comments daily at TAM. I don't think I've ever mentioned Chet by name in a post but have took him on in the comments. I don't mind him around. He can be obnoxious, but he occasionally keeps me on my toes and adds entertainment to the comments. Tee Bee has written the first post I know of solely about a TAM commenter. Looks like Chet has found a new place to comment.

"Bending the Blog Rules: Talking Terri Schiavo with Trolls"

Sign Up for BlogNashville

BlogNashville is almost a third of the way filled. If you want to attend a weblogging conference that actually has conservatives in attendence sign up now.

New Finds

Here are two new weblogs to sink your intellectual teeth into.

• Right Reason proclaims itself to to be a "weblog for philosophical conservatism." And for the most part it lives up to its proclaimation. But why did Francis Beckwith have to link to an Ann Coulter column? What a let down.
  
  
  
• Next up is the Globalization Institute's weblog. GI sees globalization as the key to relieving poverty. The organization's mission is to educate "the public as to the consequences of globalization. But our role goes further and includes devising how to work around the political pressures for restrictions on globalization. We work towards practical policies that governments and international institutions can adopt in order that whole world can benefit from the benefits of globalization."
  

FEC: Fun Educating Clucks

In the words of those two Guinness characters: "Brilliant!"

"Annoying the FEC: Fun and Educational!"

Not Much of a Boost

Congrats to Jib for having a post mentioned on MSNBC. Looking at his Site Meter stats a mention on the third-place cable news network was a minor boost. I wouldn't mind a national mention for TAM but traffic-wise I'd rather have Charlie link to me.

Congrats, Power Line

No official word from the Power Line guys, but Matthew Yglesias lets us know The Week named the "Rather-slayers" the Weblog of the Year.

"It's Just an Honor to Be Nominated"

Light One Up

Basil's Blog is the host of this week's Bonfire of the Vanities.

Regulating Webloggers

The FEC regulating webloggers? Commissioner Bradley Smith worries that may happen. I remember talking to Cam Edwards about this on his show when I was at CPAC. I thought the notion was absurd, and there was such an easy work-around. If the FEC decides to limit what webloggers and write about or link to I'll move TAM to a server outside the U.S. I'll then start using annonymizer services to connect to that server. Then I'll dare the FEC to lock me in jail for speaking my mind. I'll be like John Kerry and tell the FEC to "Bring...It...On!"

I will not be stopped engaging in free speech. Sens. McCain and Feingold and take their free speech restriction law and shove it up their asses. You won't take away my weblog or my voice unless you pry the keyboard out of my cold, dead hands.

Mike Krempasky is so ticked he's bashing the President and trying to join forces with Kos. [via Michelle Malkin]

This isn't a partisan issue. There are those on the Left who are concerned too.

"The Coming Crackdown on Blogging"

"Yet Another Reason to Never Vote for Feingold, McCain"

UPDATE: Erick at Redstate offers up an opposing view. There may be more nuance to this issue than Bradley Smith let on.

Who's Hotter?--Blogosphere Edition

At CPAC when Cam Edwards showed me the picture of his weblogging cohort I knew what I had to do. So I ask for your judgement. Who's hotter

Farrah

or...

Michele?

WTF

James Joyner and some weblog called The Bones of Contention link to a weblog so foul I won't even give you its name. The premise seems to be to toss as many f-bombs as possible while ripping on public figures.

To use Kevin's term WTF.

Libertarian Girl, Redux?

Abigail's Magic Garden appears to be just a brand-new Lefty weblog. However, this has Libertarian Girl written all over it. Most obviously, "Abigail's" picture looks a little too professional. It screams "Russian mail-order bride." Second, she lists her interests as "politics, working out, museums, helping the less fortunate." Not one mention of pop culture. No one wanting to write a weblog is that lame. Third, why would a liberal weblogger put TAM on her blogroll along with Matt Yglesias, Kos, and Kevin Drum?

But what's convinced me is the Gender Genie. I put this post into the contraption, and it popped out a female score of 454 but a male score of 807. I then put in a series of posts (avoiding quotes from other websites). I got a female score of 1482 but a male score of 2195. So, Gender Genie thinks Abigail is really Gaylord.

I wonder if the person or persons behind "Abigail" are also behind Sigmund, Carl, and Alfred. Either they're in cahoots, or they're easily fooled. As for the comments on the S,C,&A post, they're either ironically playing along or oblivious to the obvious.

Clash of the Titans

Oliver Willis vs. Patrick Ruffini in a no-holds barred edition of C-SPAN's Washington Journal.

A High Price to Pay

Strangely, I've read few comments on the NY Times' purchase of About.com. Here's a negative post by John Ellis:

In fact, the deal is an embarrassment of overpayment and reveals a kind of strategic ennui. The "metro" strategy of marketing the newspaper has failed. The television strategy has failed. The great Internet opportunity of 2000-2001 has long since passed (the NYT company could have acquired Yahoo! for a relative song in 2001). Having failed to even comprehend the turbo-dynamics of Blogger, the NYT Company now throws $410 million at 500 weblogs.

"500 Weblogs" [via Instapundit]

An Instant Hit

Someone from the Child of Reagan weblog stopped by Bloggers Corner. I clicked on the site and was immediately impressed. Any weblog that gives us "Your Daily Dose of Whittaker Chambers" is cool in my book.

Keep Them in Your Thoughts

The "Instawife" is in the hospital. Captain Ed's wife is improving. This is one kind of medical weblogging I hope doesn't become the next big thing.

Peggy Praises Webloggers

The same op/ed page that disparaged webloggers publishes Peggy Noonan's high praise of them. This proves the Wall Street Journal Editorial Page has no axe to grind.

"The Blogs Must Be Crazy" [via Alarming News]

Ooo, Toasty!

John C. A. Bambenek takes the torch and hosts this week's Bonfire of the Vanities.

After Jordan, Who's Next?

Humor when done well offers insight better than straight talk. In the aftermath of Eason Jordan's resignation Jim Geraghty writes,

I have a feeling that the discussion of the "blogs as a lynch mob" is going to get a lot of coverage in the coming days.

ScrappleFace gives us this wallop:

Even as embattled CNN chief news executive Eason Jordan announced his 'resignation' tonight, the ad hoc consortium of unedited writers known as the blogosphere met online to discuss which journalist should be the next to fall.

Still riding high from its role in the 'memogate' firings at CBS and the demise of two editors at the New York Times, the blogosphere took less than two weeks to turn rumors from Davos, Switzerland, into a pink slip for the 23-year veteran of CNN.

In a brief statement just after the networks' Friday evening newscasts, Mr. Jordan condemned the "targeting of journalists by bloggers."

However, some bloggers contend they have not gone far enough in their attacks on the mainstream media.

"So far, we've just weighted [sic] for some one [sic] to say or do something stupid before we ride them [sic] like a coal car into the ground," wrote one unnamed blogger. "But now it's time to get proactive. We're going to pick the next soon-to-be-former journalist and then force him into some career-ending vortex of deception and denial."

The blogosphere will get burned. It's not a question of if but when.

I felt a bad twinge while reading Captain Ed's attack on Brett Stephens. It seemed to me Ed was taking seeing a conspiracy when none existed.

A mob mentality is the opposite of conservative political philosophy and temperment. I'm reading Edmund Burke right now, so I'm riveted on the damage mobs can do. A mob destroys. Rarely does it create. Is it the intention of some in the blogosphere to destroy the MSM? If so, they should be clear about their mission to their readers. Or do they want better, more accurate news?

UPDATE: Howard Kurtz has a front page story in Saturday's Washington Post. He writes,

Blogs operated by National Review Online, radio talk-show host Hugh Hewitt and commentator Michelle Malkin were among those that began slamming Jordan last week after a Davos attendee posted an online account, but the establishment press was slow to pick up on the controversy. The Washington Post and Boston Globe published stories Tuesday and the Miami Herald ran one Thursday. Also on Thursday, Wall Street Journal editorial board member Bret Stephens, who was at Davos, published an account accusing Jordan of "defamatory innuendo," and the Associated Press moved a story. As of yesterday, the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune and USA Today had not carried a staff-written story, and the CBS, NBC and ABC nightly news programs had not reported the matter. It was discussed on several talk shows on Fox News, MSNBC and CNBC.

Gergen said last night that Jordan's resignation was "really sad" since he had quickly backed off his original comments. "This is too high a price to pay for someone who has given so much of himself over 20 years. And he's brought down over a single mistake because people beat up on him in the blogosphere? They went after him because he is a symbol of a network seen as too liberal by some. They saw blood in the water."

[Added to Wizbang's The 10 Spot.]

"Welcome to the Broadcast"

Today, I wondered to myself if Charlie Rose ever had webloggers on his show talking about the new phenomenon. Since Andrew Sullivan has been on his show in the past I figured he did that already. Guess I was wrong.

I do wonder why Sullivan is on there. Isn't he on weblogging hiatus? I guess he isn't when it comes to getting on television.

[via Croooow Blog]

Hugh is Wrong

Today's the day I point out errors by conservative internet titans. Earlier, I pointed out Matt Drudge's editorial opinion about a wonkish White House statement. Now, I challenge weblog evangelist and radio yapper Hugh Hewitt. On Kudlow & Cramer he said this about weblogs:

Larry, in 1999, there were two dozen blogs. Today, there are seven million. David Sifry of Technorati says 40,000 new ones a day are being created.

Let Me Stand Next to Your Fire

Sophistpundit hosts this week's Bonfire of the Vanities.

Thank You, WisOpinion

WisOpinion now has a page full of local and national weblogs from both the Left and Right. TAM's listed along with the BBA gang.

We are webloggers, hear us roar!

Sorry, Charlie

Since Charlie Sykes started powering the Wisconsin weblogger bandwagon I've been waiting to use that line from commercial's past as a title. Anyway, Charlie praised the Journal Sentinel's token conservative columnist Patrick McIhleran for mentioning local webloggers. Charlie writes, "As far as I can tell, this is the first time the local MSM has taken note of the bloggers... it's late to the party."

On 01.18 the BBA's favorite Journal Sentinel reporter Greg Borowski wrote, "Local bloggers and others, including talk radio hosts, have labeled the gap as evidence of more than 10,000 illegally cast ballots."

Why Little Posting

Working late + picking up sis at airport + watching 24 = few posts.

Thanks, TAM Readers

As of this moment TAM is #240 in visitors on TTLB's weblog list. Wow is an understatement. I want to thank all my readers plus my fellow webloggers who think TAM is valuable enough to deserve a link.

I'm grateful to achieve this much of an audience, but I want more. If you're just a reader, tell your friends about TAM. If you're a weblogger add TAM to your blogroll. If you've done both you can always drop something into my tip jar. All your goodwill is appreciated.

Watching the Weblogs

I didn't know a research firm was monitoring weblogs to gauge reaction to SB ads. Hi, everybody!

"Bloggers Tackle the Super Bowl" [via LiveBlogging.org]

Inhale, Exhale

I'm illin' but I also have to take my sister to the airport. There should be no posting for a few hours. To keep you occupied check out how two webloggers ripped apart a 13-year old. What the kid did was wrong, but the reaction was WAY over the top.

Even if Glenn Reynolds had dental work done today after reading about people arguing over an Instalanche I'd want to take a break from weblogging too.

"Adolescent Blog Wars" [via A Small Victory]

Flame On

I'm feeling a tad chilly today. Perfect, then I can warm up with the Bonfire of the Vanities.

Charlie's Questions

Charlie Sykes poses two questions to the Wisconsin blogosphere:

Query One: Why no interest in Doyle's handling of school choice in the blogosphere?

An occasional e-mail nudge would help me be aware that it isn't being covered. At the very least a link to someone else covering the story would give it some much needed attention.

Query Two: What's the next step in promoting the new -- very active -- WI Blogosphere? I'm open to suggestion.

Marketing and promotion is one of my weakest traits. I have an introverted personality and grew up in a Wisconsin German Lutheran environment where one's merit was shown through actions. I'm not comfortable bragging about my success--whether TAM is a success, I don't know.

You'd think Hugh Hewitt's book Blog would give you some tips on how to promote a weblog. It really doesn't. It's more of a case study/evangelist book. Hugh tells you why you should weblog rather than how to get your weblog known.

What can always draw attention is noticing goofyness in the MSM. I'm sure Power Line's war with a Minneapolis Star Tribune columnist helped many to learn about weblogs. Who wants to drive Eugene Kane so crazy to get a mention in his column?

Since the MSM (and a certain corner of the New Media) almost completely ignore the WI blogosphere we can just bypast them. An example of detouring the MSM is starting a radio show like the Northern Alliance in Minnesota. The Milwaukee radio market is different from that of the Twin Cities. It seems to be more dynamic with new stations popping up, and old ones changing formats. The NA's birth coincided quite well with the up-and-coming AM1280 The Patriot. Right now, I don't see a hungry, chance-taking station interested in putting a bunch of webloggers on the air.

More realistically we should use Charlie's show to get the word out about this parallel media universe. This leads into a question I've been wanted to ask Charlie for a while: How should webloggers call into your show? Yesterday, I called Charlie to talk about ethanol. I called and got on but was hesitant about telling the call screener what weblog I wrote. Charlie was kind enough to have me in the studio so I also didn't want to assume he wouldn't mind turning his show into a mini weblog commercial. Charlie could also take 10 minutes a week to talk to a weblogger. Radio is a powerful medium. We just have to remember that in order for it to work webloggers have to be interesting. That's the tradeoff. We have to add value to Charlie's show in order to deserve the attention.

As for me personally, I'll continue to follow stories that interest me and (hopefully) interest my readers. Later this month, I will be a fully credentialed weblogger covering CPAC (by the way, please donate). Getting to talk to some conservative big-wigs as well as searching for the conservative wackos who will be there should draw interest. I hope to get promotion ideas from my fellow webloggers. What I can do as an everyday thing is make linking to my fellow BBA members a daily habit. One aspect of the "power of the link" is sharing is good. When I link to another weblog I'm sharing my traffic with them. That valued interconnectedness helps both sides of the link.

Patrick, Owen, and Jib also take up Charlie's questions.

Reaction to Judge Green's Ruling

Not much comment from any big name webloggers on Judge Green's ruling. That doesn't mean there isn't any interesting commentary. Here's Rand Holman's take:

And the very people she is seeking to protect are not Americans, they were not captured on American soil, and they are suspected terrorists, or have fired upon US Troops in an overseas military operation.

And "their" rights are not what American troops have fought and died for, your Honor.

The State Of... writes, "I think Judge Green's ruling is rightly decided. It makes no sense to say somebody is not protected by International Law." There's one HUGE problem with this thinking: The U.S. is governed by its constitution not international law. Yes, the U.S. must hold to treaties that have passed the Senate, but the integrity of any nation-state requires its own laws to be paramount.

Lyle Denniston offers his analysis that points out the Geneva Convention aspect of the case:

Second, she decided that at least some of the detainees – those captured as fighters with Taliban forces in Afghanistan – have a right under the Geneva Convention to an independent tribunal’s decision as to whether they are entitled to the protections due a prisoner of war. She rejected the Bush Administration argument that President Bush alone has the power to decide when the Geneva Convention applies. She did accept Bush’s conclusion that the Convention does not apply to Al Qaeda members.

UPDATE: Steven Taylor has no problem with Judge Green's ruling. He writes, "I do adhere to the notion that there are fundamental hunan rights, many of which are, in fact, detailed in the US Constitution." As do I. I just don't think it's the duty of a nation state to uphold the rights of non-citizens.

Weblog Birthdays

James Joyner's Outside the Beltway is two years old, and Michele Catalano's A Small Victory is four years old. I toast you both and hope you don't stop anytime soon.

Thune: Weblog Evangelist

Maybe Sen. John Thune was a little too plugged into weblogs. He had two on his campaign payroll.

"Senators Plugged into Blogs"

Webloggers at Heritage

The Heritage Foundation hosted a discussion on weblogs and the media. Matthew Sheffield from RatherBiased.com, Paul Mirengoff A.K.A. Deacon of Power Line, and Kevin Aylward of Wizbang talked about Dan Rather and how the MSM is affected by weblogs. A great part of it was connecting a name to a face, especially in Kevin's case. He and I have known each other for a number of years only through the internet. It's nice to finally see what he looks like. It will be even better meeting him in person at CPAC.

"Heritage Panel Wrapup"

The CPAC 19

Here are the webloggers CPAC was dumb smart enough to give press credentials to.

• Ana Marie Cox, www.wonkette.com
  
• Kevin Aylward, www.wizbangblog.com
  
• Erick Erickson, www.redstate.org
  
• Kevin McCullough, kmc.crosswalk.com
  
• Robert Cox, www.thenationaldebate.com
  
• James Joyner, www.outsidethebeltway.com
  
• Chris Nolan, www.chrisnolan.com
  
• Steve McCutcheon, www.ace.mu.nu
  
• Bryan Preston, www.junkyardblog.com
  
• Pat Hynes, www.anklebitingpundits.com
  
• Robin Burk, www.windsofchange.net
  
• Karol Sheinen, www.alarmingnews.com
  
• LaShawn Barber, www.lashawnbarber.com
  
• Hugh Hewitt, www.hughhewitt.com
  
• Laura Thomas, www.terrorismunvelied.com
  
• Radley Balko, www.theagitator.com
  
• Ryan Sager, www.nypost.com
  
• Ryan Zempel, www.townhall.com
  

Maybe the best part of this for me will be meeting those webloggers I read and connect with on a daily basis. BloggerCon I showed me how great it is to put a face to a weblog.

This is also a good time for me to ask for donations to help defray some of the costs of the trip. You can donate to TAM by hitting the tip jars below:

Since I can't find a way to know who sends me a donation please send me an e-mail so I can thank you personally. If you don't then I thank you in advance.

A Pleasant Surprise

At the bookstore last night, I helped a couple find knitting books. After taking them to the section, the gentleman asked to see Sean Hackbarth. I told him that was I only to be informed that he was none other than triticale. That's the first time a TAM reader has found me at work. Both he and his wife are pleasant. I was glad to meet them.

A Tip of the Hat

Michele is celebrating four years of her weblog. She's more surprised than you it's lasted that long:

This is the longest I've ever stuck with a hobby/obsession. I usually treat my hobbies like flings, throwing them out the door the minute I realize they are taking up my precious time. What makes this obsession different? I'm not sure. But four years later, I'm still at it. Ok, maybe it's the friends I've made, the audience I've built, the give and take that comes with having comments and yes, the ad money, which isn't a whole lot but last month's take paid the electric bill.

"Four More Years!"

Fighting Comment Spam

Google and others in the weblog software community have come up with a way for the search engine to ignore comment spam. There are plenty of big names involved which means this has a good chance of working. My question is how can those of us who use old versions of Movable Type get the fix? Will I have to upgrade to MT 3.0 (with its restrictions) or will a patch be made?

"Preventing Comment Spam"

[I expect some of you to just tell me to move TAM to WordPress. But with my previous experience in changing weblogging platforms I'm a bit leary.]

A Reminder

I'm headed to Washington, D.C. next month for CPAC, and I could use your help. Details in the post below.

Also Going to CPAC

Ace, who has an unhealthy obsession with Ann Coulter--ANY obsession with her is unhealthy--will be at CPAC.

"CPAC Credentials; Radio Appearance Tonight"

BlogNashville

Hmmm... a BloggerCon in a Red State. It's about time. I'm going to have to save that date.

"BlogNashville: Save The Date"

Mr. Hackbarth Goes to Washington and Needs Your Help

I've been invited to cover the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) next month in Washington, D.C. Following the path the Democrats and Republicans blazed by inviting webloggers to their shindigs, CPAC is giving a select number of webloggers the same credentials as other media. TAM was deemed worthy enough.

Here's where you come in. Going to CPAC won't be cheap. There's the flight and accomidations. Since TAM is a labor of love, a hobby, and not a money-making operation, I'm asking for your help. Along the left column of this weblog is a tip jar button. It's also below.

Another option is to buy items from Amazon through TAM. If I write about a book or music I try to make a link to Amazon. There's also an Amazon ad along the left side of the weblog.

Would anyone consider buying a BlogAd? TAM is starting to get some serious attention with the Milwaukee voter fraud story. Plus local radio yapper Charlie Sykes sees local webloggers as a rising force. Covering CPAC should also garner eyeballs. So for anyone interested in promoting their product or website to a Wisconsin or political junkie audience TAM might be perfect.

If you don't want a BlogAd, I'm willing to promote your website or product. Any promotional posts would be disclosed. I have no desire of becoming the next Armstrong Williams.

UPDATE: Robert Cox and Karol of Alarming News will also be at CPAC.

Thanks, Charlie

I must not have sounded like a complete buffoon last Thursday. Charlie listened to my request for linkage (off the air) and delivered.

Kos' "Other Clients"

Kos-Teachout yapping continues with a Friday night Slate article. (I guess Chris Suellentrop doesn't take it easy at the end of the week.) Suellentrop goes after Kos, not for his disclosure about being on the Dean, M.D. payroll (he says "those disclosures would be woefully insufficient" if Kos were a journalist), but for those unnamed people he won't tell anyone he worked for.

DailyKos raised money for a dozen congressional candidates this past election. Which, if any, of them paid Moulitsas for the honor of directing his grassroots minions to part with their wallets? If you gave one of Moulitsas' preferred candidates money, wouldn't you like to know if Moulitsas' endorsement was purchased?

...

If Moulitsas takes money from political candidates in 2006 and 2008 without telling you who's paying him, stop giving his recommended candidates your dollars. Here's what Moulitsas wrote about payola pundit Armstrong Williams' assertion that "There are others" on the government dole: "Until names are named, we can assume every conservative pundit is on the White House's payola rolls." That's questionable logic, but let's take Moulitsas up on his challenge: Until names are named, we can assume every Daily Kos candidate this past election wrote him a check for his consulting work.

"Blogging for Dollars" [via My View of the World]

Kill that Meme

Yesterday, I was hard on Kos over the "revelation" that he was on the Howard Dean, M.D. payroll. Kos is no Armstrong Williams because, unlike Williams, Kos made his arrangement known.

New new meme: Kos ≠ Armstrong Williams.

Earlier in the week Kos linked to the David Corn article where Williams claims there are other conservative pundits on the take. Kos' conclusion: "Until names are named, we can assume every conservative pundit is on the White House's payola rolls." I wish the White House was paying me to promote its message (calling Karl Rove!). Unlike Williams, I'd tell you straight up there was an arrangement.

Glenn Reynolds has plenty of give and take.

"'Zephyr Can Go to Hell'"

UPDATE: The Wall Street Journal story that quotes Teachout is freely available. [via Jeff Jarvis]

Post-Show Report

Talking about weblogs with Charlie Sykes and my fellow Wisconsin webloggers was fun. As I mentioned in my live posting it's tough being on with a bunch of other people. I had things to say, but I was a little nervous and didn't want to talk over anyone. I also wanted those not in the studio to get their say in.

As Kevin points out, I won the coin toss and got to post from the same computer the weathermen sit at. In a way that might have been a distraction. I know I spaced out at least one time either looking through some of my past posts or from seeing something in the Journal Sentinel sitting right in front of me.

Charlie opened the show to calls but either we were just too interesting or his audience was wondering, "Who are these guys?"

Having an audience of thousands was terrific, but just a great was putting weblog to face. Kevin, Owen, and I hit it off immediately. It shouldn't have been hard since we kind of know how one another ticks by reading each other's weblogs. I can't forget the weblog newbie Patrick at My View of the World and Blog General at BRAINPOST. Unfortunately, it was impossible for me to really connect to them via the phone. Someday we'll all get together in one physical space. You know Lefties will be shaking in their boots at the thought of that.

Here are some points I'm taking away:

1. Charlie Sykes actually reads his e-mail. I know he occasionally reads an e-mail from a listener on-air, but he and Owen e-mail each other often.
   
2. Since Charlie reads his e-mail I should be able to get his attention if I notice something he hasn't. This two-way will only help Charlie's show and potentially boost TAM readership.
   
3. If Charlie and us work together we could build a new, passionate, interesting voice in the Badger State. Kevin quipped that our little on-air gathering "feels a lot like the Northern Alliance Radio Network gang." Charlie Sykes is our big-name champion. He can help us get first-time readers. Our responsibility is to give those readers something interesting to consume. This could be the beginning of a beautiful relationship.
   
4. And my offer of weblogging services to political candidates still stands.
   

Below the fold I have some pictures from just after the show.

Charlie Sykes

Owen of Boots & Sabers

Live from Milwaukee

Hello Charlie Sykes listeners. I'm posting live from his show.

---

I'm holding back. It's tough with so many guests, but I'm trying.

---

Had a brainfart but recovered.

---

Later, I need to write up my thoughts about the "power of the link."

---

Off-air, Owen mentions The Wheeler Report for state info.

---

The Badger Blog Alliance is covering the show live.

---

Charlie is opening it up for calls. This should be interesting.

---

Being so independent also means if you fail it's all your fault. No one to blame expect the person in the mirror.

Another Reason Not to Read Kos

Zephyr Teachout, a ex-Deaniac staffer writes that Markos Zuniga operator of Daily Kos was a paid consultant to the Howard Dean, M.D. campaign. It's funny, I never heard him ever mention that.

New meme: Kos=Armstrong Williams.

"Financially Interested Blogging" [via Instapundit]

Bookseller Fired Because of Weblog

Joe Gordon was a sci-fi whiz for Waterstone's in Edinburgh. After 11 years of service, Gordon was fired for "gross misconduct" and "bringing the company into disrepute." All because of things he said on his weblog. The posts quoted by The Guardian include Gordon calling his boss "Evil Boss," complaining about not getting his birthday off, and referring to Waterstone's as "Bastardstone's." Seems like hardly reasons for firing a long-time employee. I respect anyone who's laste for 11 years in retail. If UK customers are anything like U.S. ones then Gordon has seen his share of days that just grind away. Methinks Evil Boss just wanted an excuse to ax Gordon.

"Blogger Sacked for Sounding Off" [via Blogcritics]

UPDATE: Captain Ed pretty much says Gordon was asking for it.

Free speech means a person is free to say whatever they want without fear of government sanction or prepublication censorship. It does not mean that a person is free from the consequences of his speech, a point that Hollywood stars also seem to miss whenever they feel the financial effects of the political activism that alienates broad swaths of their audience. Gordon has the freedom to call his manager Evil Boss in print and to call Waterstone whatever he wants. However, when his company finds out that he bad-mouths them in print - which, after all, has the added liability of handy proof of his speech - they have the right to terminate him for doing so, as long as they follow the terms of the union contract which governs his employment. That doesn't infringe on his right to speak his mind; it just reinforces Waterstone's right to associate with whom they choose. His speech can reasonably be construed to show disloyalty and an inability to work with his supervisor, as well as defamation and insubordination.

Gordon's comments were a tad childish, but firing him was overreaching by the company. That makes me suspect there was more going on an his weblog was the final catalyst.

"Rule #1: Don't Blog About Work Unless You Own The Place"

Sykes to Feature Local Weblogs

Guess I can't stay up to late tonight if I want to be coherent when Charlie Sykes devotes an entire hour to SE Wisconsin weblogs. Sykes points out, "[T]he local media has never covered the local blogs at all." Oh how true.

"The WI Blogosphere"

UPDATE: I want to point out who will be featured tomorrow: Kevin of Lakeshore Laments; Owen of Boots & Sabers; Patrick of My View of the World; BadgerPundit; Blog General of BRAINPOST; and yours truly. We'll be on at 10 a.m. CST. If you're in the Milwaukee area tune into 620 AM. There is also a webcast available.

There is also a Badger Blog Alliance organized by Jib. The Northern Alliance might have some competition.

The upside is great exposure for all our weblogs. The downside is I don't think any of us will be able to cover it live unless Charlie lets us use one of his computers.

Another Wine Weblogger

If she wanted to Lynne Kiesling could give Stephen Bainbridge a run for his money.

"Wine Review: Edna Valley Paragon Vineyard Syrah 2002"

He Forgot Something

In an article Glenn Reynolds discusses propaganda using the Armstrong Williams affair as well as some historical moments. For some reason Reynolds misses not mentioning the facts that two webloggers were paid by Sen. John Thune to bash the heck out of Tom Daschle. Only after the election did the public find out the weblogs were on Thune's payroll. This most recent instance of media manipulation proves "the blogosphere is successful enough now, and enough people have noticed that success" that it has already attracted "parasitism." We don't need to wait for it; it's already among us.

"Trust -- But Verify"

That Explains That

Instapundit and Wizbang were down to significant times this past weekend. I assumed it was a web hosting issue. RatherBiased.com proved me right. We see a downside to having a number of the most popular weblogs all hosted by the same company. I'm happy with DreamHost so TAM's not moving, but if I was I'd look for a company who didn't have a nice, fat script kiddie target as a client.

"Popular Blogger ISP Target of Hackers"

Weblogging Newbie

Hill Country Views, authored by Darrell Vaughn A.K.A. "Anselm," is a new weblog off to a promising start. There's this post on how a red stater can sound as elitist as a blue stater. It's now on my blogroll.

CPAC Credentials

Unlike the Republican National Convention, CPAC actually has an announced process to hand out weblogger credentials. After a quick search on a few travel websites I could afford to go. So I filled out the form. Since Paul Ryan, a Wisconsin Congressman, is keynoting the event that might give me a slight advantage. Michelle Malkin is plugging it so I have a feeling CPAC has gotten few takers for credentials. That means there's opportunity for lesser-known weblogs.

BlogSpot Down

BlogSpot seems to be down. There's a few Wisconsin webloggers who use that. Bummer for me, and a bigger bummer for them. With the big bucks of Google behind it I didn't expect this to ever happen again.

A TAM Award Clarification

Kevin is happy to get a TAM Weblog Award, but he's confused about the criteria. I should have added this explanation like I did in 2003:

My criteria are simple: the weblogs have to be on my blogroll and I have to consider them insightful, entertaining, or have some good quality to keep me coming back.

To those who didn't win, keep on trying. There were no repeats from last year so you know my opinions aren't set in stone.

"It's a Major Award!"

P.S. I finally watched A Christmas Story for the first time. It's cute. Even better, it's much shorter than It's a Wonderful Life.

2004 TAM Weblog Awards

Weblogs came into mainstream consciousness this year. Even before Dan Rather was taken down weblogs were considered to be important enough to play roles in Presidental campaigns and to cover political conventions. Here's my list of those who made 2004 the Year of the Weblog.

1. Power Line

   Those three took down Dan Rather. Enough said.

2. Captain's Quarters

   This was a big year for Captain Ed. He reported from the RNC convention, and he covers every level of news with fervor. His passion and relentlessness are a tremendous example to any weblogger.

3. Althouse

   Ann Althouse is a weblogging newbie, but her insights into politics as well as her local observations make for fascinating reading. It also doesn't hurt that she was a Wisconsin Bush backer.

4. Political Wire

   Sure Taegan Goddard is a Lefty, but he keeps junkies like me up to date better than no one.

5. Wizbang

   Kevin et al had turned this weblog into an hourly must-read. You don't know what will be posted. Political news, war commentary, media criticism, disaster news, celebrity porn news, anything goes on Wizbang.
   

Lonely Bonfire

Centerpiece is feeling the effect of hosting a linkfest during the interholiday week. Only six entries were submitted to the Bonfire of the Vanities.

2005 Dead Pool

You only have a few days left to get into Laurence's Dead Pool. Here are my picks of who won't be alive in 2005:

• William Westmoreland: general; 03/26/1914
  
• Willie Mays: baseball player; 05/06/1931
  
• Jane Wyman: actress; 01/04/1914
  
• Robert Downey Jr.: actor; 04/04/1965
  
• William F. Buckley: conservative; 11/24/1925
  
• Gene Simmons: musician; 08/25/1949
  
• Muhammad Ali: boxer; 01/17/1942
  
• Bob Woodward: reporter; 03/26/1943
  
• Jann Wenner: crappy magazine publisher; 01/07/1946
  
• Roger Clinton: sibling of ex-President; 07/25/1956
  
• Louie Anderson: commedian; 03/24/1953
  
• Neil Armstrong: astronaut; 08/05/1930
  
• Dick Cheney: VP; 01/30/1941
  
• Janet Reno: ex-Attorney General/ugly woman; 07/21/1938
  
• Rob Reiner: actor/director/obnoxious liberal; 03/06/1945
  

[Blank] of the Year

President Bush was named Time's Man of the Year. I'm not surprised, and it's a good choice. I just think awarding it to Mel Gibson & Michael Moore would have made for a more interesting issue. I followed the election all year so I'm quite familiar with all the twists and turns that reelected Bush. Reading about Bush's successful past year is "old news" to me.

I won't say too much yet about any weblogs of the year. That will be saved for the TAM Awards later this month. Time named Power Line the "Blog of the Year." [UGH! Why, oh why must they call it a "blog?" It's such an ugly word.] The honor's fitting with their work taking down Dan Rather. I just wonder if some of them are getting a little out of touch with the rest of us in the blogosphere. For instance, John Hindraker, A.K.A. Hindrocket calls the initial post skeptical of the Rather memos "the most famous post in the (short) history of the blogosphere." Then in an AP story--ironic since Power Line's most well-known work before exposing the memos was exposing the anti-GOP lies from the wire service) Hindraker said Power Line only made "a couple thousand bucks a month." Heh, some of us old fogey webloggers haven't made a hundred bucks total in the years we've been posting. This is a "Let them eat cake" moment, but without the arrogance.

If weblogging was anything like a serious business Hindraker's statements would signal that the bubble may soon burst. However, what would it mean for the weblog bubble to burst? Servers wouldn't collapse; keyboards would stop working. At worst, advertisers would stop paying webloggers. A few weblogs would then shut down. The blogosphere would still hang around since most of us write in this medium not for money but for the ability to be read.

"Blog of the Year"

Marking the Calendar

A gathering of Minnesota webloggers is planned for 01.22.05. I'm tempted to crash it. It will be post-Christmas, and I'd love to meet some fine webloggers I've been reading (and losing too). For them, they might pick up some tips from and "elder statesman" like myself.

"Minnesota Blogger Gathering Announced"

Tech Note

To prevent comment spam I've installed MT-Close2 that closes the comments on old posts. I've set it so posts older than two weeks will have their comments closed. That shouldn't be a problem except for the occasional person who finds an old post via Google. Let me know if you notice anything wrong.

Move Over MoveOn

RedState has moved beyond being simply a weblog and information resource for conservatives. It's now officially a 527. The Right is behind the Left in online political activism, but their catching up.

It also appears the weblog looks more like a conventional weblog. I avoided RedState before because I didn't want to click on the "Read On" link. I'm a firm believer in posting whole posts on one page (unless it's footnote-type material). I don't mind using my scroll wheel.

"Big News for RedState"

Doing the Sullivan

Stephen Bainbridge and the guys at Marginal Revolution are pulling an Andrew Sullivan by asking for donations. I'll join the crowd too.

I'm Claiming Victory

The voting is over and the 2004 Weblog Awards are history. TAM didn't win in it's catagory, but I'm claiming victory anyway. It's just like Bill Clinton claimed victory in New Hampshire in 1992 even though he took second. Last year, TAM received only 1.4% of the vote. This year, it got a whopping 4.5%!

We have that all important momentum--not "Joe"mentum, "mo"mentum. Next, we must ask--no DEMAND--that Glenn Reynolds put TAM on his blogroll. Let him know he's not doing a very good job respecting his weblog elders. ;-)

Five Years of TAM

Before Power Line helped take down Dan Rather, before James Lileks showed people beyond the Twin Cities how funny he was, before Michele made lists, before Kos said, "Screw 'em," before Andrew Sullivan begged his readers for money, and before Glenn Reynolds first wrote, "Indeed" on Instapundit, there was The American Mind. Five years ago yesterday, TAM started with this post (scroll all the way down):

Jill Stewart of the New Times Los Angeles has a interesting story of how the LA school district is ignoring Prop. 227 which was supposed end bilingual education.

http://www.newtimesla.com/issues/1999-11-04/feature.html

I have no idea what was the first weblog that caught my eye. Back in 1999, I "wasted" hours on the internet filling up on the latest news. I had bookmarks to oodles of news sites. Then I stumbled upon weblogs. Maybe it was an article about the "fad" on Wired News or News.com. However I came upon them I found these running online commentaries to be fascinating. They helped me find new items to read, plus they had interesting commentary.

I seem to recall being inspired by Michael Wasylik who started What's On It for Me? back in 11.99. (WOIFM appears to be on a long-term hiatus; too bad.) I figured if he could write a conservative/libertarian weblog so could I. Really, it was my way of forcing myself to write on a daily basis. My dream job would be to get paid to write books, essays, articles, etc. There's something very heady about crafting a string of words that pursuades people. The initial idea was to write on TAM then turn some of those posts into more extensive pieces. Well, it's been five years, but that hasn't happened. Part of the problem is ignorance. Even with the internet it's tough finding the right person to contact in a publishing operation. The greater problem is just plain personal insecurity. I don't know if my writing is that good. I dread hearing the word "no," thus I take few risks.

If you look carefully, the first year of TAM was hard coded. No permalinks, no trackbacks, and no comments. I handmade archive pages at the beginning of each month.It was just me, a simple text editor, and Angelfire. But that was enough to satisfy my writing itch.

Despite my inability to sell my writing I did get some media attention. During the summer of 2000 I was obsessed with the Elian Gonzalez story. I did not want that child to go back to Cuba. I was especially appalled Janet Reno's decision to used armed troops to remove the boy from his Miami relatives. So I created ElianWatch to cover the story. A reporter for CNBC spotted the weblog and interviewed me for one of the programs Geraldo Rivera had on that network back then.

Another media highlight was this summer when CNN linked to my poll asking: Who's hotter, the Bush Twins or the Kerry Sisters?

What I learned about the blogosphere is it's a meritocracy. Traffic, readers, and now ad dollars go to those who write well, are entertaining, and add value in peoples' lives. However, this lesson is a double-edged sword. If you're not getting as much traffic and readers the only one you can blame is yourself. There have been times I whined publically about not getting credit or a link. There have been even more times I've grumbled privately about young weblogs grabbling attention. It didn't seem "fair" these newbies were jumping ahead of a weblogging veteran like myself.

An example is the 2004 Weblog Awards. TAM's gotten some votes in the category it's nominated for (thank you very much), but it's not winning. I'm also confident TAM is the longest running weblog on that list. It proves age means nothing in the blogosphere. That's painful to me. The final blame must rest with me. Other people are better marketers, writers, and attention grabbers. More power to them.

Despite my occasional frustration with the "unfairness" of a meritocratic blogosphere I don't regret diving into the personal publishing pool. I consume more news than I ever have in my life, I write about what interests me, and I know people read and respond to my thoughts. I've met new people, found allies in common causes, and learned more than I would have without weblogging.

Five years from now, I can see myself still posting, still commenting on political economy, sports, music, and whatever catches my eye. To me, TAM is my version of talk radio only I type instead of yap. (No, I don't see myself podcasting. Maybe once or twice just to see what I'd sound like.) I'd love to have a bigger audience that comments more, sends me e-mail (unlike some webloggers, I get little because of TAM), and bugs Glenn Reynolds to put me on his blogroll. Even if that doesn't happen I'll still write TAM. I need TAM. It's an outlet for griping or arguing or trying to make people laugh. Since I like to write why not do it someplace where someone will read it? Weblogging is still fun, and I can't imagine it not being so.

UPDATE: Darn Floor has proof James Lileks was doing the whole internet thing way back in 1997. I remember he had a website back then because of his pages devoted to the Gobbler. (I've driven past this place, but never stepped inside.)

Keep Voting for TAM

This weblog is still in the middle of the pack in the 2004 Weblog Awards. Do something to change that.

The Commissar Can Spell

And he has the best picture of Lenin I've ever seen.

Ta-Da!

Since TAM is a finalist in the 2004 Weblog Awards I guess I could plaster a pic on here.

Vote Some More

Hopefully Kevin's attempt to better secure the 2004 Weblog Awards voting will return his endeavor to the source of fun he intended it to be. Now, go vote for TAM!

Weblog Awards Update

TAM's not doing so well. It's right in the middle of the pact. Thanks to those who've voted. You can do it once every 24 hours. So if you haven't voted in a while go ahead.

Start Stuffing the Ballot Box

TAM has been nominated in one category of the 2004 Weblog Awards. With zero mention from me TAM's in fourth place beating the very smart 2blowhards. Be like dead Chicagoans and vote early and often.

UPDATE: This is not a good sign. I ask you to vote for TAM, and goes down in the rankings. It's like when John Kerry went up in the polls the less often he was in the media. Oh, well. To those of you who voted for TAM I say, "Thanks." To those of you who didn't I ask, "Why not?"

Silly Man

Erick Erickson is letting a bunch of webloggers, including me, run ragged on his weblog. This should be fun. My first post is mildly political. It does mention the governor of California.

Becker-Posner

Weblogging can be said to have "made it" when the most well-known legal scholar and a Nobel Prize winner are teaming up for their own personal publishing enterprise.

The Becker-Posner Blog [via Professor Bainbridge]

Last Call for Nominations

By the end of this weekend the first days of Christmas shopping will past. More importantly nominations to the 2004 Weblog Awards will be closed. Get your picks in soon.

"2004 Weblog Awards - Nomination Close Sunday"

Turkey Day Carnival

With Thanksgiving tomorrow and Black Friday after that fresh weblog posts may be as rare as empty spaces on couches. So you'll have plenty of time to go through this week's Carnival of the Vanities.

Nominate Your Favorite Weblogs

There will be a second-annual TAM Weblog Awards this year. It's only the opinion of one person. For something more democratic there are the 2004 Weblog Awards. The catagories TAM would have the best chance in (however slim) are the Best Conservative Blog and the appropriate Ecosystem level.

Just Don't Burn the Turkey

Read this week's Bonfire of the Vanities before sitting down for your Thanksgiving feast. Do so afterwards is sure to cause indigestion.

Michele Does it Again

Right now, Michele has one of the greatest pics ever gracing the top of her weblog. Her kid's (I'm assuming) cooler than me since I only have a Packers hat and a couple jerseys from ex-Packers in my wardrobe.

He's Back, but He Never Left

It's weird that Patrick Ruffini is back as a weblogger, but he didn't really leave. Seventeen months ago Ruffini became the webmaster of the Bush campaign. That meant part of his job was to post for the President--there are hundreds of people jealous. So while Ruffini the individual was silent his voice could still be heard. Now, I want to hear some good war stories. He doesn't know what he'll be doing next, but I recommend a campaign memoir. Let's just hope he doesn't save all the best stories for the book.

"Back from Victory"

Little Diversity at BloggerCon

Since I attended the first BloggerCon last year and was a rare Bush backer I have plenty of thoughts on why there is a lack of right-wing voices at these events. Unfortunately I think my BC notes are on an old computer--I hope. Until I can dig them up and make something coherent out of them I leave you with Dean Esmay, Robert Cox, and Ed Cone.

Talking about the Weather

I consider a conversation to be a disaster (especially on a date) when the topic of the weather comes up. It doesn't work much better when one incorporates weather-like attributes to a weblog post. Sorry, Steven. And what does it say about me since I felt the need to post on that post?

"Blogging Forecast"

Fight the Chill

It finally got cold in Wisconsin so I'm getting close to this week's Bonfire of the Vanities hosted by Sean Gleeson. Read the best of the worst of the blogosphere.

The Power of Weblogs

Weblogs moved the market. That's was one Wall Street trader claimed when the market went down on rumors that John Kerry was doing well.

"Exit Poll Talk Hits the Stock Market"

UPDATE: Wall Street wasn't the only market affected by the early exit polls.

An Intergalactic Bonfire

It takes a special person to get a bonfire burning in the cold of space. Overtaken by Events pulls it off.

"The Bonfire of the Vanities (The 69th Post in a Trilogy)"

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The Command Post is looking for state correspondents to cover Election Day. As Michele writes,

What do you get out of it? Well, if you have a blog you get your links in your coverage and most likely plenty of traffic to your site. But the best part is really being part of something bigger than that - you’ll be showing the world just how much the internet has changed the way the world get its news. You’ll be part of the largest information gathering on Election Day. History is made each Election Day. This year, you can be part of bringing that history into millions of homes as people from around the world keep an eye on the U.S. Election results.

"Election Day Coverage: Command Post Recruitment Notice!"

Flame On

Joe Grossberg hosts this week's Bonfire of the Vanities.

Where There's Fire, There's Smoke

Hear that crackling? That's the Bonfire of the Vanities hosted by the Llama Butchers.

Congrats

Yesterday was Captain Ed's one-year anniversary as a weblogger.

"The Blogiversary"

Flames! Fire! Smoke!

For your Bonfire of the Vanities fix, Daly Thoughts is the place to be.

Animals on Fire

Not really, but DeCloah Blog is hosting the Bonfire of the Vanities starring Tigger and Winnie the Pooh.

Meet The Bloggers

The Star Tribune today has a story on Minnesota's Bloggers at the RNC. Captain Ed of Captain's Quarters and John "Rocket Man" Hinderaker of Power Line are the two bloggers in attendance.

Captain Ed certainly cleans up nice when the newspaper shows up with a camera.

Stupid Question Of The Day

As just heard on C-SPAN's Washington Journal. The host (not Brian Lamb) was interviewing Glenn Reynolds, and asked: "Do you update your blog every day?"

Please Send Water

Speaking of dorks, there are some really dorking posts in this dorky-looking Bonfire of the Vanities hosted by mypetjawa.

New Media Revolution

The old adage said: "Never pick a fight with someone who buys ink by the barrel."

That doesn't apply today, in this new media revolution we are witnessing, where the ink is electrons beamed at your screen; they're free (and recyclable!).

The men at PowerLine are in the midst of a fight right now with a deputy editor of Minneapolis's StarTribune. The PowerLine guys didn't start the fight; the editor did. But, since it's his paper, he's the one who gets the last word.

I encourage you, if you're not aware of what is going on already, to check out PowerLine to see what is happening. Too much has happened in this last week for me to summarize here.

Even as recently as 10 (even 5?) years ago, when we wanted news, we counted on newspapers (and television) to investigate. Now, lowly amatuers are investigating and reporting and correcting the newspapers. However the "mainstream" media is not picking up on it; in fact, they still are in denial about the revolution that is taking place.

Guessing Game

Is this or is this not the weblog of Quentin Tarantino?

QT's Diary

Technorati Needs a Hand

Technorati's Election 2004 weblog aggregator can't figure out what side of the political spectrum TAM's on. Anyone know of a way to enlighten Technorati?

Hey Hey We're the Bloggers!

Ladies and gentleman, here is your starting webloggers for the Republican National Convention. (It's also the first time I've seen pictures of these people.)

Knock 'em dead guys!

"Meet the Bloggers, Part Two"

New Finds

Ambra Nykol is a young, smart, pretty wordsmith with lots of potential.

Then there's La Shawn Barber who has a homey, red state feel to her writing, and has the good sense to link to TAM.

Weblog Math

Bonfire + bread = toast.

BloggerCon III

BloggerCon III (Return of the Weblogger?) will be 11.06 at Stanford Law School. Even though it could be a Lefty love fest should John Kerry win on Election Day (the techno-utopianism would be running wild) I'd love to go. I haven't been to California in almost 20 years and never to Northern California. Unfortunately the date is in the beginning of the Christmas shopping season, and my store needs all the able bodies at that time. Dave Winer and friends will have to find another token conservative for their gathering.

"BloggerCon III date -- Saturday, November 6, 2004"

Flame On

Kevin Donahue hosts a disturbing Bonfire of the Vanities.

Happy Birthday Blogcritics

Congratulations, Eric and all my fellow Blogcritics.

"Blogcritics Second Anniversary"

Everyone Has One

From The Onion: "CIA Asks Bush to Discontinue Blog."

[via Daniel Drezner]

A Psychadelic Experience

Seldom Sober hosts this week's Carnival of the Vanities.

Marching Orders

It looks like the kos-ians are trying to stuff the ballot. "Screw 'em" and make sure the hottest women win.

CNN-lanche

More powerful than a link from a sex weblog, even more powerful than an Instalanche is a link from CNN. TAM's "suffering" under one right now, and it's all about my juvenile (yet important) question: "Who's Hotter?"

Nominate TAM

The Washington Post is running a Best Weblogs contest. If you think TAM's good enough, please nominate it.

Hey, Seattle Times

The American Mind is taken.

Tracking the Webloggers

Feedster has set up a site to track the posts of the webloggers at the DNC.

More Fun Than A Human Being Should Be Allowed To Have

This afternoon, I had to mow the grass. This being America, I wanted to listen to the radio while I mowed. Instead of punishing my ears solely with the noise of the lawn tractor, I added in more noise, as loud as the radio would do pump it out.

Being where I live, it's very difficult to get a strong signal from am1280 The Patriot, host (Saturday's from 12p-3p) of The Northern Alliance Radio Network. This is a show done by Minnesota's, and some of the Country's finest bloggers: Mitch Berg of Shot In The Dark, The Elder, Saint Paul, Atomizer and JB Doubtless of Fraters Libertas, John "Rocket Man" Hinderaker and Scott "The Big Trunk" Johnson of PowerLine, Captain Ed Morrisey of Captain's Quarters, and (last but most certainly not least!) King Banaian of SCSU Scholars. Today, among other things, they interviewed James Taranto, he of Best Of The Web. Best of the Web is one of the best reasons to have email, arriving each afternoon in your inbox for your reading pleasure. Wish I could have heard it; instead I listened to 101.7, The Red House That Rocks, WHMH FM.

Tonight at Keegan's Pub in Minneapolis, The Northern Alliance hosted their first "get together" of bloggers in the Minnesota area, and your's truly attended. I had the pleasure and honor of meeting most of the above people, and putting a face to the website. Also in attendance was the Uber Scribe, James Lileks. The man with the most listenable radio show on the Twin Cities former talk radio powerhouse am1500 KSTP, Bob Davis also graced us with his presence. I had a most enjoyable conversation with Flash from Centrisity, who happens to be a member of the finest Senior Drum & Bugle Corps in the world, Minnesota Brass, Incorporated. While he is a little more left-of-center than I, he's in a drum corps, which is one of my favorite summer pasttimes: watching Drum & Bugle Corps as they take the field for competition. Jay Reding came up too, and it was great to meet him; his blog is another daily must read. And, of the local "big time" pundits (i.e., she gets paid for her opinions unlike the rest of us) Sarah Janecek of MN-Politics.com.

Those, and more, were there, and many likely still are. I have some commitments tomorrow, namely responsibilities at church in the morning, so I bailed out early. These people are all as genuinely nice (and smart) as they appear on the screen. Special Thanks to all of them for the great props that they gave this site and Sean. Next time He will have to make the trip to get the props himself. Me, I'm just lucky enough to get a guest slot here, and grateful for it.

You Have Your Orders

I expect the TAM Nation to vote for the correct entry in Backcountry Conservative's Food & Clothing Contest. HINT: It's #10.

Too Anal

The only reason I wandered to Wonkette was to see if BoiFromTroy started guess posting yet (nope). That's how I happened upon this question from Ms. Cox (how fitting) herself:

Is it possible for you to be funny or interesting without talking about anal sex?

We'll see.

Break It Down Again

Do people think I'm losing it when writing an edition of House of Ketchup? What's with Power Line's Big Trunk calling the latest the "nineteenth nervous breakdown edition." In my frazzled state, I'll take it as a complement.

MT-Blacklist Love

In the last day TAM's been getting hit hard with comment spam attempts . I'm a little flattered with the attacks because it indicates this weblog's growing influence in the blogosphere. Thank goodness for the MT-Blacklist. How are Word Press users dealing with comment spam? Is the WP Blacklist as effective as MT-Blacklist? This issue will now become a major reason for TAM to ever move to another weblogging platform in the future.

Yippee for WSJ

The Wall Street Journal now has RSS feeds.

[via Scripting News]

Ouch!

Don't worry. It's just Practical Penumbra hosting the Bonfire of the Vanities.

Site Notes

It appears the Kerry Sisters vs. the Bush Twins traffic influx is finally ebbing, but Monday starts a new week with randy Net users going back to the office.

Notice that first peak on 07.09. That was from an Instalanche. Not bad, but three days later the Sisters v. Twins hit the sex weblogs including Wonkette (which is a sex weblog with a politics shtick).

Here's how powerful the sex weblogs are: Shawn got Hugh Hewitt, the rightwing blogosphere's favorite radio host, to link to TAM. Looking through the Site Meter data, you wouldn't be able to tell because it's swamped with hits from Your Dirty Mind. I dub it the "Your Dirty Mind-lanche." I know, there's no ring to it.

You may have noticed that TAM was quiet yesterday. In DreamHost's never ending quest to be the best hosting service around they messed up a setting that prevented the Sean & Shawn Express from publishing anything. It's been fixed (obviously), and things seem fine from this end. If you notice anything out of wack, let me know.

As Smooth As Sippin' Whiskey

Stephen Green and Will Collier at Vodkapundit have a new layout.

Very nice, sez me.

It's Friday!

Friday mean's it is time for Captain's Quarter's Caption Contest. What wacky fun!

Dave's Marching Orders

Dave Winer writes, "Okay, our mission when covering the DNC is to figure out what goes on at a DNC." Wow, I didn't know Winer was the leader of the webloggers going to Boston. Heck, I didn't know those lucky few even wanted a leader to tell them their "mission." I thought one of the beautiful aspects of weblogs was their decentralization. The individual weblogger can go down the path of their choosing and explore what they want to. Winer (unintentionally or not) is trying to turn this pioneering experience into a BloggerCon-type experiment.

Canada Rocks

Rush to be exact. Josh Cohen has given this week's Carnival of the Vanities a Rush theme.

No Kindling Needed

INCITE hosts this week's Bonfire of the Vanities.

Glenn's Got nothing on These Guys

Here's something more powerful than an Instalanche: getting linked by porn weblogs. Specifically Your Dirty Mind and now Fleshbot. Oh who will ask about the Kerry sisters vs. the Bush twins next? Drudge?

If I had a smart business mind I'd get some ads up soon.

Weblog Ads: The New New Thing

There are a few webloggers who are raking in some solid dough through advertising. Some are doing so well they've garnered the attention of the Chicago Tribune. No one's asked me to run an ad on TAM and since my traffic hasn't been huge (at least before I posted about this) I figured there isn't a demand. Now this story might be a sign we've reached the high point only to have TAM jump in when the weblog ad bubble bursts.

Through all the Instalanches and what not I'd conservatively guess TAM has been averaging 300 unique visitors a day for the last year. Not bad. But realize I've been weblogging longer than Glenn Reynolds. That just means longevity doesn't equal traffic in the blogosphere.

Are there TAM readers out there who would be interested in sponsoring this hobby? Let me know. You can't be any worse than the zip I'm getting from Amazon.com. If not ads would you consider plunking a little bit into a tip jar? Or would you rather buy me something off my Amazon.com wish list? Or does the thought of BlogAds and blegging for money turn you off?

Don't feel any pressure. I'm just trying to get a sense from my audience. There are no fiscal nightmares looming that would shut down TAM. I'm a writer, and this is one great way to write stuff that people actually read.

"Blog Ad Boom"

UPDATE: Forget all this talk about money spent on weblog ads. Instead, buy Christopher Hitchens a drink. [via VodkaPundit]

The Clock's Ticking

To the RNC and the GOP Convention Committee:

If you want webloggers at your big gig in NYC, you better get cracking on how webloggers can request credentials. Remember that just about all webloggers have another job so planning ahead is essential. Also, the sooner you hand out those precious passes the sooner we can make our travel plans before the get too expensive. So hurray up!

"Parties to Allow Bloggers to Cover Conventions for First Time" [via The Command Post]

Nice, Very Nice

Cam Edwards wants webloggers for a weekly segment of his talk show. If anyone wants to put in a good word for me, I'd be greatful. And don't forget to toot your own horn.

"Calling All Bloggers Pt. 2"

What an Odd Name

The TaxGnome. Is it related to Travelocity's Roaming Gnome?

Bonfire Anniversary

One year of the Bonfire of the Vanities. Fortunately for me, TAM has no entries for you to vote as the worst...at least not yet.

Hmmmmmm

Sean returns home from a Secret, Undisclosed Location earlier than planned or announced.

Iraqi sovereignty is turned over earlier than planned or announced.

Coincidence?

Saturday's In Minnesota

Saturday in The Twin Cities area used to mean yard work and parades in the summer, shoveling snow and stacking wood for the fire the other 11 months of the year.

Now, we can pass the time doing our chores listening to The Northern Alliance Radio Network. As mentioned previously, The Northern Alliance is a moniker created by radio DJ Hugh Hewitt for the best bloggers Minnesota has to offer. These include: Captain Ed Morrisey at Captain's Quarters, John "The Rocket Man" Hinderaker and Scott "The Big Trunk" Johnson of PowerLine, James Lileks, The Warrior Monk and Eloise at Spitbull, King Banian of SCSU Scholars (that is Saint Cloud State University), Mitch Berg of A Shot In The Dark, and, finally, the boys (Atomizer, JB Doubtless, The Elder and Saint Paul) at Fraters Libertas.

These were a bunch of bloggers (well, not Lileks, he's a journalist columnist) who were first grouped together by Hewitt on his radio show, then themselves got a Saturday radio show. (Note to Fraters: You got a radio show because you were blogging, you didn't start blogging because you had a radio show. Hint, hint.) It's not bad. To wit; they have even filled in for Hewitt on his syndicated, daily show during one of his frequent absences. The few of us who listen can be found sitting in our cars at places like the Har Mar Mall listening on our car radios, since am1280 The Patriot doesn't have quite the strongest signal on the dial. Word has it that soon they will be streaming audio over the Internet, and then all will be well.

Those in Minnesota and Western Wisconsin should check out NARN broadcast. Those of you who aren't should read the aforementioned sites; I have them bookmarked and read them daily.

Captain's Caption Contest

If it's Friday, that means it's time for Captain Ed's Caption Contest.

Ed Morrissey at Captain's Quarters runs a caption contest every week, Friday through Tuesday. I hope some of you are a bit more creative than me.

Captain's Quarters is one of my daily reads, and not only because it's a Minnesota-based blog. The Captain has some great insights and opinions on the matters surrounding the news of the day. I encourage you to check it out.

UPDATE: The Caption contest only goes until Sunday evening.

Not From Me

Oliver comments on Steve from Norway's post: "Yeah, Sean's definetly out of town because this blog had actual analysis instead of name calling at one point."

Well, it won't be from me. We'll have to leave that to Steve.

I've got a degree in Teaching High School Mathematics from the University of Minnesota Duluth, which also gives me a degree in Mathematics. When I was at UMD I took Micro Economics; didn't do that well. I tried a couple of Political Science classes; those went even worse. So, you won't ever hear me or read me talking about Keynesian Economic Policy or negative liberty or anything like that. I just have a sense of right and wrong, good and bad, etc.

What Are We?

For as long as I have been reading TAM, I have been reading John Hawkins's "Right Wing News".

Today, John tells his readers which blogs he visted yesterday. No TAM?? No TAM.

Working! (For a Couple Days, At Least)

So, a light posting day so far. Sean asked me to fill in so it wouldn't be dead then it gets dead. Well, here's why.

Since April 26, this Shawn has been unemployed. Probably one reason Sean asked me to fill in; I've had nothing better to do!

I've been actively looking for employment, and have two places that need my services, but have hiring freezes until August 1. So, in the meantime, I found a few opportunities for short-term (2-3 days each) temp work unpacking PC's and testing them and installing them in local offices. And, I was supposed to go tomorrow to work, but the placement guy called this morning at 7:45 needing me to be over an hour away in less than an hour. And, so, in the name of the almighty dollar ($15/hr, actually), I got the hell out of here.

Now, for what I will earn for today's and tomorrow's work, I will get a smaller unemployment check. Not the full check to which I am "entitled" to ($478 a week), but they will still cut me a check to make up the difference from what I earned.

No less than four people asked me today why I would go through the trouble of (showering) driving an hour, working six hours (plus tomorrow's nine hours) and then coming back home, to earn the same amount of money that I would "earn" by just sitting at home.

The answer is simple: because I could go out and create some wealth. I could be a productive member of society for six hours today. I felt a little self-worth. I didn't have to watch another "Care Bear" movie with my daughter. (I love watching movies with my daughter, but these "Care Bear" movies I think were cowritten by Satan.)

So, a little light blogging today. And, a little light tomorrow. But hey, I'm doing something!

It also means I missed "Jeopardy!" today and tomorrow... I need Ken Jennings Updates!

Good News

Dave Winer and others have put together a plan to get the Weblogs.com weblogs back up.

Rogers will offer a 90-day free evaluation period. Assuming we complete this transition by Monday, your site will be hosted, at no charge, through September 18. That gives us all a lot of breathing room.

In the interim, you will be able to download your site, easily, and you will encouraged to do so. It's important to back up your work against a data failure. And you always should have a copy of your data, no matter how much you trust the host of your site. This is how you sleep well at night knowing that you have a copy of your site.

We expect to have the new service open for you to use by Monday; we may have it ready as soon as Friday (tomorrow).

Winer Speaks Again

Here's what ticks me off about Dave Winer's weblogs.com shutdown: He refuses to admit he made a mistake. He thinks that putting a notice of a future shutdown on his weblog wouldn't have been effective. Maybe, maybe not. He does write one of the most linked ones in the blogosphere. He could have at least tried it. Not all would have been notified, but at least he's have a legitimate excuse.

I can empathize with all the stress Winer is under. I don't blame him for shutting down his generous, free service. I blame him for treating many webloggers with such little respect. We're all suppose to stand by and nod our heads in agreement as Winer writes about all his problems. What about some empathy for those webloggers who poured so much into their weblogs only to seem them ubruptly vanish?

Then Winer gets all sanctimonious. He writes,

One of these days in this weblog world kindness may be part of how we deal with each other.

From my brief encounters with Winer I've learned he's one of the most thin-skinned and stubborn webloggers around. Everyone else can be wrong, but not him. He can be quite controlling at meetings especially when things aren't going as smoothly as he'd like. But even with these personality quirks he's done so much to grow the weblogging community through evangelism and his work on RSS and other tools. His successful efforts to grow this new means of expression should help him see why many are upset with him. His shutdown of Weblogs.com was a betrayal to his users and to the blogosphere as a whole. Sadly, Winer doesn't even realize he's done anything wrong.

He once told me that he'd be satisfied if through his technology work two people--just two--could find a way to truly communicate with each other. If that happened he'd consider his efforts a success. Through all Winer's hard work he got many, many more to touch one another through word, picture, and sound. Suddenly snipping those strings of communication is another reason so many are upset. Maybe Winer didn't think people were "truly communicating" yet. If so, no one but him knows that that term means.

It's interesting that man who writes that he's spent so much time on the "connection between the First Amendment and technology" then goes on to blast non-Weblogs.com webloggers for sticking their noses where they don't belong. It's people like me who are "behaving badly are people on the sidelines" (I thought the whole blogosphere was a community. His two BloggerCons certainly weren't limited to Manila and Radio users.) and are "hogging the microphone right now" (How, since the beauty of a weblog is giving anyone a soapbox?). (He probably doesn't think this remix is very funny. I think it's hilarious.)

I wish Winer only the best. I hope his health problems are relieved. I hope his burdens are lessened. And I hope he's learned good citizenship means living by the rules you aspire other to abide by.

For more reading there's James Grimmelmann's post. What he makes you realize is with this fiasco Winer has hurt his work on RSS. If Winer wants to continue the good progress he's made he's going to have to own up to his mistakes. His credibility is at stake. Dori Smith notes that Winer's old company UserLand should bear some of the blame. Point taken.

"Morning Coffee Notes"

Carnival Goodies

Jessica's Well hosts this week's Carnival of the Vanities.

Ragging on Winer

Elisabeth Riba has the best line on the Weblogs.com blackout I've read so far:

I never knew that much about Dave Winer before I met him at Bloggercon. I wasn't terribly impressed by what I saw and heard from him while there, and everything I've heard since has confirmed that opinion of him as an egomanaical blowhard with his head in the clouds. So much for his vision of blogtopia. Maybe now bloggers can focus on real issues instead of his utopian fantasylands?

"Death of the Gatekeeper"

UPDATE: I was waiting for Kevin to toss in his two cents. He hasn't let me down.

For more reading pleasure there's this comparison between SixApart and Mr. Winer.

Weblogs.com R.I.P.

This is pure inside baseball. Nevertheless, it is interesting. Dave Winer weblogging pioneer shut down all the free weblogs at weblogs.com. Go there and you get this page with a link to an audio post explaning why he did what he did.

Since it is Winer's server he can pretty much do anything he wants with it. If he wants to host weblogs, build tech communities, or run a gazillion porn sites, fine. He's paying the bills therefore he makes the rules. My problem is with the inconsideration he gave to weblogs.com users he calls "pioneers." He gave them little if any warning about the impending doom of their weblogs. As a commenter at Halley's Comment wrote:

No problem with weblogs.com going away, but no explanation was given until those of us started posting about it. Not even on scripting.com. And then to pull the plug without warning? And then people can't access their old material?

Sorry, but that's something Winer himself would react to harshly if it had happened to him.

To keep some perspective Doc Searls notes [via Netcraft]:

Thousands of us got a free ride from Dave, and Userland, over the past five years. What we got was far more than we didn't pay for. For many of us (certainly for me), the benefits have been incalculable.

Let's keep that in mind as those of us involved try to make this transition over the next few weeks.

At a minimum, Winer should be accused of poor planning. Moving entire websites to a new host is a risky task. He could have warm users that what he was doing could jeopardize their weblogs.

Then there's the note about cost. Dave wrote that he "can't afford to host these sites." But he had the money to traipse around Europe recently, and he could afford to be a Harvard fellow. Fine, he can do what he wants, but somehow he could afford server time to give his users a little time to back up their weblogs? That's not putting the user first, something he harps on other tech-types to do.

I now understand why people have so much trouble working with Dave when it comes to technology. I have a feeling the creation of Atom technology for syndication was partially a reaction to Dave's personal stake in RSS.

If there is another BloggerCon I hope Winer doesn't run it, and that whoever does organize it take advantage of Bill Hobbs' idea. First, it would be closer to me. Second, I'd love to visit Nashville. Third, it would move the conference away from the East Coast and it's liberal media-industrial complex and let more webloggers in Red America participate.

"Dave Winer is Still a Dick"

UPDATE: Wired News is covering this story. Most noticable is the fear by some that if they say anything disparaging about Winer he will "forget" to provide weblog entries.

"Thousands of Blogs Fall Silent" [via Bill Hobbs]

Have an Extinguisher Handy

Spot On hosts this week's Bonfire of the Vanities.

TAM in NYC?

It's quite possible since the GOP is doing the smart thing and letting webloggers witness first-hand the political circus that is their political convention. They'll be protesters outside and bored media types inside. Webloggers will be there for a unique take on it all. It will be more than covering the convention. It will be covering the coverage. It will be umpteen (who knows how many credentials they'll give webloggers?) independent observers noting items that strike their interest. Heck, imagine an edition of Kerry's House of Ketchup live from Madison Square Garden? Ooo! I'm getting goosebumps just thinking about it.

"Bloggers Count!"

Hot Stuff

PoliBlog is hosting this week's Bonfire of the Vanities.

Happy Anniversary

Catallarchy.net is one year old.

Go Get Some Marshmellows

Hooray! Laurence hosts this week's Bonfire of the Vanities. Through that I discovered Interested-Participant's post on naked roller coaster riders. I just hope they really hosed things down after the riders were finished.

More Pink

It seems the pink fad has hit webloggers too.

"Pink: The New Business-Blue of Web Design?"

On the Map

In the heart of what used to be called lovely Kablogh sits the TAM Hotel. At the TAM Hotel room service will never be interrupted. Plus, there's always an Imam al-Ron speech on pay-per-view. That's why all the journalists cringe when staying there. But where else would they stay? The TAM Hotel still has running water.

"Kablogh - Holy City of Blogistan" [via Captain's Quarters]

Flames, Glorious Flames

Some Great Reward hosts this week's Bonfire of the Vanities.

Let's Meetup

There still aren't enough people yet for the next Milwaukee-area Weblogger Meetup. So far it's just me and Jay Bullock, Iron Blog Democrat, who have decided to come. Let's show that SE Wisconsin is full of fun, interesting webloggers. Here are the gory details:

WHO: SE Wisconsin webloggers and readers.

WHAT: Milwaukee Weblogger Meetup

WHEN: Wednesday, May 19 @ 7:00PM

WHERE: Pizza Shuttle, 1827 N Farwell Ave., Milwaukee, WI (map)

WHY: Because I said so. And to carouse with local webloggers and readers.

Running off to the Carnival

Erick Erickson is hosting this week's Carnival of the Vanities. I haven't submitted a link in a long time. I'm glad I did since Erick provided a nice remark about TAM: "The American Mind, one of my daily reads (it should be one of yours too)...." That just earned himself a place on my blogroll.

Iron Blog

What do you get when you mix Iron Chef with weblogging? It's obvious: Iron Blog. Similar to the Food Network cult hit, a challenger chooses an Iron Blogger and they debate a topic of the Chairman's choosing. Right now, Iron Blogger Republican, Rosemary Esmay, the Queen of All Evil, and challenger Ara Rubyan are knee-deep in the Battle Rumsfeld.

Linkfests

First, young Clay Whittaker hosts this week's Carnival of the Capitalists. Then Swirlspice posts this week's Bonfire of the Vanities.

Bad Posts Wanted

Kevin has extended submissions to the Bonfire of the Vanities due to lack of content. We all have bad stuff we've written. Send your worst post of the past week to bonfire--at--wizbangblog.com.

Woof, Woof!

Enough with the animal linkfests! I admit I had a little fun with Laurence's Carnival of the Cats, but the post was funny, and it wasn't my cat. However, for those of you who think dogs get the short shrift here's the Carnival of the Dogs.

P.S. Bad weather has been moving through which means occasional power outages. That means the computer has been off most of the time. That explains why I've been so quiet. Regardless of my reasons, it's Mother's Day weekend. Get away from the computer and do something special for your mom. If Glenn Reynolds can (kinda) do it so can you.

Calling It a Night

Posting was almost non-existent tonight. A new furnace was installed today, but a gas leak had to be fixed tonight. You combine that with me digging into a new collection of essays by Islam scholar Bernard Lewis, and "poof" vital weblogging time vanished. Sorry. Hopefully, I make it up to you tomorrow with a new edition of Kerry's House of Ketchup. If you have a post you think is worthy e-mail me or leave a comment with link.

Upgrade and Anti-Spam Install

I just upgraded to MT 2.661 so I can install an anti-spam comment plug-in. This post will be deleted if everything looks right. I changed my mind. This post is staying. It's become a little more than just a test post.

UPDATE: All seems well. I had to again FTP a file for the search engine. There has to be an easier way to install this. Hasn't someone coded a installation progam that all I'd have to do is have an open Net connection, fill in some server info, and installs everything onto the server? For the past 30 minutes I have had to squint to see if the files and folders on my web server matched the structure I was trying to upload.

Now, I'll test the trackback by trackbacking to this post. It's oh-so postmodern.

UPDATE II: The trackback seems to work. The only noticeable problem is an ugly search results page. If that's the worst that happened, then I'm fairly pleased. The MT-Blacklist plugin has been installed. That should stop the spammers from wasting my time deleting them.

So Close

Unless some last few donations trickle in the Spirit of America fund drive just missed $50K by $318. Thank you everyone. Nothing to be ashamed of. You all helped make a difference.

"Spirit Of America - Final Results"

My Final Offer

There's only a few hours left until the SOA campaign is over. I've had only one taker on any of my offers, so I think I'm not risking much so here goes:

For a $100 donation, you will get a dozen Krispy Kreme golden glazed goodies, PLUS I will don a Vikings or Bears item--even from the un-hated Lions, PLUS you will get a CD of a bunch of Howard the Duck "Dean Scream" remixes, PLUS I will praise the Democrat of your choice.

That isn't enough? Wait, there's more.

For a $100 donation to SOA you not only will get some great doughnuts, a 2004 campaign keepsake, and the giddy feeling of publicly embarassing me, you also will get me to drink a bottle of French wine, PLUS I will adorn my weblog with French stuff.

I know it's not up to the cross-dressing and leg shaving level, nor is it autographed books by blogosphere idol Victor Davis Hanson, but I have my limits. Please give.

For other last minute offers, visit Wizbang.

Weblog Bubble

What sound does a weblog bubble make when it pops? Because the word "blogging" made it into an episode of Law & Order: SVU.

If that isn't enough for you, intelligence agencies may already or in the future monitor some weblogs. [via Balloon Juice]

"Blogging Officially Jumps The Shark"

One Last Push

We're getting near the end of this corner of the blogosphere's little version of public television begging season. Hooray for me! Someone finally thought with their stomach and took me up on my Krispy Kreme offer. And thank goodness no one has taken me up on my other ones.

In other VC news:

• Kevin, one of our fearless leaders, has conceded and wants all the groups to push for $50,000 donated.
  
• James Lileks has thrown his support to the Victory Coalition. Just a wee bit too late for bragging rights, but it should certainly help get to the $50K goal.
  
• Dorkafork is now offering weblog logos...for a price. That got me to give a little more. How about you?
  
• Michele is about to check into a nice place where the birds sing, the trees are green, and the nice people in white keep you happily sedated.
  

Shameful

I hold my head in shame for I'm a part of the latest Bonfire of the Vanities hosted by On the Fritz.

A Day with Gerard

If you're a writer, Gerard Van der Leun has an offer you can't refuse. He's donating an entire day's time to editing and critiquing your writing. He has 30+ years of experience in the word world working with authors including Harlan Ellison and Robert Fulghum. Gerard charges $200/hour for his time, so a whole day is quite a donation. The biddings already at the super bargin of $225. And remember, all the proceeds go to help our soldiers and the Iraqis build a free nation.

"Writers: One Day of Professional Editing to Highest Bidder"

Pulling out the Big Guns

Michele's display of cleavage a Red Sox cap inspired me. I hearby declare that for a $50 donation to SOA I will show my (fake) love for either the evil Chicago Bears and/or the even more evil Minnesota Vikings by wearing a cap or shirt--then promptly burning it. (Sorry Michiganers, I won't bother with the Detroit Lions. I don't hate them, I just have pity for them.) Up in these parts wearing such clothing can mean public humiliation, distain, even family ostricism. But it's a risk I'm willing to take. I keep telling myself, "It's all for a good cause."

If you don't care about sports or have no desire to see my face here's another offer: for a $50 donation I will write something nice about the Democrat of your choice. It could be John Kerry, Jimmy Carter, Ted Kennedy, *gasp* Bill Clinton, or *gasp* *gasp* Howard Dean. It's your choice. It won't be some smart-alec post about how great Ted Kennedy holds his liquor or Bill Clinton's ways with the ladies. I will write a serious, positive, intellectually honest essay that's respectful of the subject.

"Dedication #11: The Enemy, Suppuko, Red Sox"

Price Drop

Being an amateur economist, I understand the law of demand. People are willing to buy more of a good at a lower price than a higher one. Since no one has taken me up on my "Donate for Doughnuts" offer, I'm lowering the price. The first five to donate $15 or more to SOA will get a dozen golden, glazed goodies. Call it doing my best Wal-Mart impersonation. E-mail your proof of donating to sean--at--theamericanmind--dot--com.

It's Come Down to Stripping Already

Dean Esmay's wife, Rosemary, is pulling out the big guns (pun intended). A $10 donation will get you some skin. If I wasn't on a (soon-to-be) winning team, my Alexander Hamilton would be headed her way.

Oh, by the way, I'm still offering doughnuts. Boy, do I feel inadequate now.

Donate to Spirit of America.

UPDATE: I added the Krispy Kreme-style graphic. I wonder if Michele was inspired by my sweet offer?

UPDATE II: One Fine Jay has topped my offer. He's running an auction for web design services. While only offer 12 golden glazed goodies, he's giving up 6-9 hours of his time. Again, I feel inadequate.

Everybody Wins

What's wrong? Nobody like doughnuts? Have my readers all gone on low-carb diets? No one has taken me up on my Krispy Kreme offer. Even if you don't like the golden glazed goodies (Heretic!), please generously donate to Spirit of America. With your gift our troops win, liberated Iraqis win, and the Victory Coalition wins.

"Spirit Of America Challenge - Day Three Report Card"

Donate for Doughnuts

What could get you pumped up to donate to Spirit of America? How about doughnuts? Not just any old fried sweets, but those golden, glazed goodies that are the crack cocaine of junk food. I'm talking about the original, hasn't been duplicated Krispy Kremes! The first five people to donate $25 or more to Spirit of America will get themselves a dozen doughnuts courtesy of TAM. Donate, then e-mail me (sean--at--theamericanmind--dot--com) proof of your good deed.

If you have any hesitation, just let your sweet tooth do the thinking.

"SOA Challenge - Day 2 Schedule Of Activities"

The Coalition is Losing

But Spirit of America and Iraq is winning. Forget bringing back the draft to more equitably share the burden. You can bear more of the burden (who's paying to kill the bad guys and rebuild there?) by donating.

"Spirit Of America Challenge - Day One Report Card"

Milwaukee MeetUp Cancelled

Not enough people signed up for the weblogger MeetUp. Bummer. The next one is around 05.19. I'll be bugging TAM readers when the date gets closer.

Cam Edwards Live!

I'm finally watching Cam Edwards on NRA News. He's good, but how long can a guy keep talking about a single issue (guns and the 2nd. Amendment)? And how long can someone listen to a single issue show?

Sizzle Sizzle

d-42 has this week's Bonfire of the Vanities.

BloggerCon 2

As I type, the second edition of BloggerCon is taking place. The conference's weblog has links to audio and video feeds and IRC (see webcasts). There is also list of participants with links to their weblogs. Dave Winer and Jeff Jarvis are both posting from the event. This time around, I'm not there. I'll try to explain my reasons later. Instead of talking about weblogs, I'm going fishing.

UPDATE: Jeff Sandquist is posting live with pics.

Please Link

It's great when a post inspires an entry on another weblog. Trackbacks are really helpful in finding new, interesting weblogs. However, it's a bit rude to trackback to a post but not link to it. So, it's now an official TAM policy that I will delete any trackbacks that don't link to TAM or a specific entry.

TAM's First Blogchild

Jeff MacMillan, one of TAM's most prolific commenters now has a weblog of his own. If you like his comments on TAM (as well as across the blogosphere) then check out American Optimist.

Cam's New Job

Cam Edwards is now hosting NRAnews.com. It's that organization's big middle finger to McCain-Feingold. Great for him. Now, is one of the fringe benefits all the ammunition you can shoot?

TAM Denied Again

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel messed up. Reporter Nahal Toosi, former Iraq War embed, wrote a story on weblogs. She mentioned weblogs in Oregon, Vermont, Madison, even Larry Lessig at Stanford. No mention of any local weblogs. Not to toot my horn to loudly, but I know of a pretty prolific one *ahem* *ahem*. I can even point Ms. Toosi to a couple (the Steve half to be exact) other (the Owen half to be exact) ones if she thinks my opinion is a little biased. Heck, two talk radio hosts at a sister station to her employer have their own (only ok) weblogs. But since there isn't enough interest to have a MeetUp for Milwaukee webloggers, I can see why Ms. Toosi went with the college angle.

Anybody interested in doing some pro bono PR for TAM? The previous guy wasn't cutting it so I pulled a Donald Trump on him. Another question: Can you get unemployment for firing yourself?

"Post and Publish"

[Added to OTB's Beltway Traffic Jam.]

Still Waiting

Glenn has a nice, evolved, new look to InstaPundit. Just one huge problem: still no TAM link on his blogroll. Enough about linking to his "BlogChildren." He should start respecting his "BlogElders." When it comes to weblogging, Glenn's still a youngin'.

At least I have a picture. [The shorter, good-looking guy on the right (figures) is me.]

It's Contagious

Michele's son has caught the weblogging bug. Like many kids, D.J. has a way of cutting through spin and getting right to the point. On Condi's testimony:

I think she did a really good job testifying today, especially when Ben-Veniste was not very professional to her. She didn't back down and answered all the questions.

Ben-Veniste was a real jerk.

She reminded people we are at war now. Some people forget that.

What I'm most impressed about isn't D.J.'s interest in current events, it's that he can spell "Condoleeza."

"Apple, Tree"

New Bonfire

Some of the best of the worst--the Bonfire of the Vanities that is--is over at Soundfury. Read 'em and weep.

In contrast, I will be watching the best of the best, Connecticut and Tennessee, battle for the women's national championship.

"UConn-Tennessee Still All About Dee"

Meow!

Laurence has the Carnival of the Cats. I'm holding back from making any derogatory comments. Just go get some catnip and enjoy.

P.S. The only reason I'm subjecting you to this is Laurence was nice enough to link to my Morris for Prez post.

Why I Don't Bother with Kos

My blood doesn't have to boil over knee-jerk America-bashing posts. I leave it to people like Matthew Hoy and Michele.

UPDATE: Oliver Willis chastises Kos. Good.

Have Fun with This

Da Commissar discovered an old Russian map of Bloggahland. Oddly, TAM isn't on it even though it's older than most of the other weblogs named. But then, I don't remember meeting any Vodka-breathing Ruskies. Now, this is a more accurate map.

Not That Infuential

BlogRunner put together another list that drops TAM down to #142 as "most influential reporters and bloggers on the web." That's down from #61 in an earlier analysis (I think. I can't make heads or tails of BlogRunner's methodology.). Intuitively, it feels better (or maybe I'm just not giving myself that much credit). There's still something weird when I'm ranked higher than James Joyner, OxBlog, NRO's The Corner, and Stephen Green all with much more traffic than TAM. This list inspires me to ask myself (and you by default) this question: Which would I/you rather be: influential or popular? That's not to say I/you can't be both, but which would I/you choose if I/you could only choose one?

For me, I'd rather be influential. I put a lot of mental effort into my writing. If I were just a popular read I'd be bummed that all my effort was going in one ear then out the other. Since I find ideas important having something sink into my readers is satisfying. The trouble is in the blogosphere popularity is more easily measurable by counting links and hits. "Influence" is much harder, if not impossible, to quantify.

[via Dave Winer]

Things Won't Be the Same

Bummer. Kevin is taking maternity leave along with his wife.

"C-C-C-Changes"

Burnt Meat

Aaron's Rantblog is hosting this week's Bonfire of the Vanities.

Influence? What Influence?

There's something wrong with BlogRunner's analysis of the most influential webloggers and reporters on the Web. The names at the top appear correct even if I'd change the rankings, but if you wander down to #61 you'll find me. I'm more influential than John Hawkins, Peggy Noonan, Power Line, and OxBlog? I don't think so. If I am then there's little correlation between influence and traffic.

Happy Blogoversary

Give some love to Andy Wismar. His Wizblog is one year old.

Weekend Plans

I don't know how much posting I'll do this weekend. It's one of the rare ones where I'm not working. However, it's filled with activities: the Milwaukee Auto Show; seeing Mel Gibson's The Passion of Christ (My sis surprised me with the tickets.); doing some reading; and taking a good chunk out of the 1 1/2 seasons of The Sopranos I have to see before the start of season five, 03.07.

I do have some responsibilities to my readers to continue to deserve their attention. It's time for a new installment of Kerry's House of Ketchup to get us all ready for Super Tuesday. I want to write about Peg Lautenschlager's apology. And I might even take up same-sex marriage again. (It certainly has drawn lively conversation.) It is a weekend, and I have a tendency to be lazy. So bear with me if you don't find much to read in the next few days.

Instalancheless

Overtaken by Events has been weblogging for two years yet has never gotten an Instalanche. Methinks this is his off-handed way of finally getting one. If so, it hasn't worked.

"730" [via The Politburo Diktat]

Thanks for Linking to TAM

Kudos go to the following weblogs for having TAM on their blogrolls:

• Virginia Patriots
  
• Broken Masterpieces
  
• insignificant thoughts
  

A Use for Your Tax Refund

BloggerCon II will have to go on without me. Dave Winer has tentatively scheduled it for 04.10. My spring travel plan is catching some Brewers spring training baseball next month. This BC has no cost and I'd have a chance to talk to Oliver Willis in person again (we'd have to talk about Washington's strange post-season moves), but besides the travel expense I don't want to be the token conservative/Republican there.

"Reserve this Date: April 10, 2004"

The Future of Weblogging

Glenn Reynolds offers some advice for finding your niche in the blogosphere.

P.S. Thanks Glenn, for another link. Three in two weeks. I must be doing something right.

"Blogging: The Next Wave"

Laugh at Us

Kin's Kouch is hosting this week's collection of bad weblog posts, the Bonfire of the Vanities.

Why Michele is Cool

Reason #46:
From a normblog interview:

Who are your sporting heroes? > Thurman Munson. Mike Bossy. Bret (sic) Favre.

[via InstaPundit]

UPDATE: I think I used "sic" incorrectly. I think it's fixed, but my future career as a copy editor has run into a big roadblock.

China or Bust

Matthew Stinson is off to China. Wish him luck.

"Departing Thoughts"

Call the Fire Department

Outside the Beltway is hosting this week's Bonfire of the Vanities.

KM Links to TAM

Thanks go to Kevin's Mind for having the good sense to put TAM on his blogroll. Go there to read a good post on WMD intelligence.

"Endorsing The Commission?"

New URL

No, not for TAM for Dan Wismar's Wizblog. Change blogrolls and bookmarks accordingly.

BlogMadness Update

TAM's getting crushed. It looks like elimination, but there's still a chance to vote for me. I'd appreciate it.

Beware of the Seven of Spades

The Commissar is has put together a deck of cards for Blogistan. TAM is the seven of spades. That makes me slightly more dangerous than Poliblog and slightly less dangerous than Outside the Beltway.

"DemCom Deck of Cards for Operation Bloggi Freedom"

BlogMaddness Round 2

TAM made it out of Round One. Thanks to everyone who voted for me. Now, it's on to Round 2 where the competition gets harder.

Milwaukee Meetup

Other places all over the country have periodic weblogger gatherings. Sad to say, the Milwaukee area hasn't seen any. The weblog Meetup is scheduled for 02.18. Let's see if we can get a SE Wisconsin group together. After my BloggerCon experience I know face-to-face contact with other webloggers only makes me more enthused with the medium. Come on, sign up. It will be fun.

Carnival of the Vanities #71

By hosting this week's Carnival I've learned two things: 1. This is a lot of work; 2. There are some great weblogs I've never heard of. My thanks go to everyone who has made this possible. Next week's Carnival will be at A Perfectly Cromulent Blog.

And away we go...

Arnold Williams examines President Bush's faith-based initiatives.

Dr. Notions tells the story of Push Wood Johnny.

Peter Salomon turned the Democratic primary season into a bad reality tv show.

Dan K. O'Leary rants about what annoyed him in 2003.

Norbizness turns the State of the Union address into an SAT question.

Erick Erickson calls shows featuring homosexuals to be "overhyped."

Carnival newbie homicidalmaniak (welcome) discusses how religion fits with her politics.

Gary Cruse figures the U.S. missed its chance to take out North Korea's nukes. Now, starvation is withering away both the government and any possible resistence.

Doug Payton tries to warm up a cold winter day with a post on global warming.

Jess has a funny story about an encounter with a Senator in the bathroom.

Jonathan Wilde views the State of the Union as pro wrestling.

Bill Adams responds to Wesley Clark pulling rank on John Kerry.

Madeleine Begun Kane offers us a SOTU crossword puzzle.

Andrew Ian Dodge gives us non-Brits a peak inside the wild and wooly House of Commons.

Ed Brayton dives into the weighty subject of human nature.

Jennifer Lopez and Spider Man. Justene Adamec has the scoop.

Alex offers a baseball metaphor to describe his relationships.

Patterico lays into two prominent newspapers for their extreme political correctness.

Sticking with political correctness, PC Watch translates edu-speak into English.

John Ray links Hitler with Paul Ehrlich because both were concerned about overpopulation.

Bussorah jokes about the afterlife.

Carey notes that the BBC is buying Google ads as damage control.

Diversity in the university is like watching sausage being made as John points out.

Patriot Paradox comments on the SOTU.

Edward "E.J." Davis at etalkinghead thinks Howard Dean, M.D. still has a chance to win the nomination.

Aunty Goob comments on an Internet sales tax hitting Tennessee next January.

Da Goddess tells the story of how she became a nurse.

Northstar documents his "first annual hockey pilgrimage to Dallas."

Harvey found the secret of the universe on a dollar bill.

Peaktalk think he's found Canada's Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Gunther posts some Bushisms.

The menstral cycle and the military. I'll let Ema explain.

Simon comments on Hong Kong's Basic Law.

Goldie is too young to reminisce, but she does anyway.

Kathy Kinsley suggests requiring school uniforms for France instead of banning Hijab.

Josh Cohen is smokin'.

James Joyner defends Sen. John Kerry's anti-war protesting.

Pietro notes what Democratic Presidential candidates said soon after David Kay's revelations.

Boifromtroy points out that Wonkette could just as easily be published from New York City.

Feste finds that the road to cheaper prescription drugs might not go through Canada.

Bodies and power. Ted K. has the details.

Jack of the Obvious at the King of Fools parses dating through Zork.

Kevin covers a raid that ended with two convictions for posessing ten tracer rounds.

Goofy zero tolerance policy is the subject of Jim Peacock's post.

The Interested-Participant reports a group of homeless won a lawsuit and pocketed $1000.

Gregory Markle of American RealPolitik gives some coverage to the unknown candidates for the Democratic Presidential nomination.

The RoguePundit makes a case for farm subsidies.

Stephen Silver rips on the Village Voice.

LibertyBlog looks at the David Kay revelations.

Joe Kelley takes issue with ditching the honor roll.

Dave reports on a teachers' protest to the No Child Left Behind Act.

Phil celebrates 20 years of the Mac.

Abnu posts on birds who say more than "Polly want a cracker."

Hot wheels are the subject of Jeff Quinton's post.

Drake gazes into his crystal ball to devine the next few weeks of the Democratic race.

Bill comments on the Internet echo chamber.

Larry the Liberal take over Semi-Intelligent Thoughts and replies to the SOTU.

The Commissar accuses the U.S. of lying about war causalties, and I just chuckled. Read the post, and you will too.

Chuck daydreams.

Josh Fielek visits hell.

Vote for TAM

I'm still locked up in a tough battle in the first round of BlogMadness 2003. If you haven't voted yet, do so. You'll feel better.

Final Carnival Reminder

I'm working the night shift so work on the Carnival of the Vanities won't resume until the wee hours of Wednesday morning. That means you still have time to get your entry in. Send them to carnival --at-- theamericanmind DOT com. Please put "carnival" or "CotV" in the subject heading so I don't think they're spam.

Flames! Glorious Flames!

Southern Musings hosts this week's Bonfire of the Vanities.

Vote for TAM

There's this little contest called BlogMadness 2003. Think of it as the NCAA basketball tournament for weblogs. In the first round, yours truly is matched up against a formidible challenger. It's early in the voting, and TAM has the narrowest of leads. Read both posts then make your choice as to who should go on. My fate rests in your hands.

Carnival Reminder

Carnival of the Vanities entries are starting to trickle in. Just a reminder to send them to carnival --at-- theamericanmind DOT com. Please put "carnival" or "CotV" in the subject heading so I don't think they're spam.

TAM Hosting CotV

PoliBlog hosts this week's Carnival of the Vanities, but mark your calendar for next Wednesday when TAM will be the momentary center of the blogosphere when I host the CotV. Start sending in your entries to carnival --at-- theamericanmind dot com.

Kudos

Thank you to Michael of 2blowhards.com for the link.

BlogMadness

I just entered BlogMaddness 2003. You should too. It should be fun, but the deadline is 01.21.

New CotV

Snooze Button Dreams hosts this week's Carnival of the Vanities.

Stuff Momma Wouldn't Even Love

New Bonfire of the Vanities at The Evangelical Outpost.

Easterbrook in CJR

CJR has a good story on Gregg Easterbrook's troubles from last fall. As Gregg put it, "If we'd just pressed the delete key, all this never would have happened."

"A Fall from Grace" [via Romenesko]

And the Winner Is...

The 1000th post was left by long-time commentor Steve of Norway. Being the good Green Bay Packers fan that he is, Steve will be getting some fine, high-quality merchandise from the Packer Pro Shop.

Now, read how Steve sees a parallel between Martha Stewart and Howard the Duck.

"Howie, Meet Martha"

Bad, Bad Stuff

The Bonfire of the Vanities is on the road. First stop: Boots and Sabers. Christmas certainly provided lots of material for some really lousy posts.

We Have Ourselves a Winner

The 1000th comment has been left. Details will follow when I contact the winner.

Almost There

We're almost to the 1000th post, so get your Amazon wish lists reading and yap away.

New Year's Eve at InstaPundit HQ

Glenn Reynolds is such a wild guy that he spent part of his New Year's Eve grading papers.

[I needed to post something just to stop looking at my mug everytime I reloaded TAM. I'm now off to watch Gettysburg.]

2003 TAM Weblog Awards

This is a brand new award. My criteria are si