I'm Baaaack.
posted by The Vidiot @ 3:39 PM Permalink
Actually, I've been back for a few weeks, but I had no idea how many i's needed dotting and t's needed crossing after such a long trip. All sorts of things were spiraling out of control, including my credit rating for some odd reason. All of my bills were automatically paid and I'm not overdue on anything. Yet, my credit rating is in the crapper. Once I know why, you'll know why because I suspect it's something so ridiculous it's laughable.
The trip itself was pretty amazing. What we did wasn't for everybody though. We spent one month in Quito, Ecuador studying Spanish. We rented an apartment so I got to actually buy the food I've only ever drooled over in the mercados in Latin America. Dr. Vidiot's Spanish really improved, my Spanish only got a little better. But, in my defense, I only had half the hours a day he did. After Ecuador, we made our way south to Cusco, Peru. Yes, I saw Machu Picchu and boy was it something. And we spent a night with an indigenous family on one of the islands of Lake Titicaca. We stayed in hostels for the most part and though the hot water wasn't always reliable (or even existent) it was all pretty cheap. Two months is a long time to be away though and we really missed our dog.
While there, I ended up sending reports every three or four days to family and friends so they wouldn't worry about us. (Close to half of them were worried we'd be kidnapped. I honestly don't know why. We're just not that interesting.) The reports ended up being pretty lengthy and not half bad to read so I'm going to be self publishing them at some point, just as soon as I can decide if I want to illustrate it with with photos or drawings.
Politically, back here in the States, I didn't miss much. I mean, the whole debt ceiling thing was going on and I guess I missed Wiener's wiener. Both issues were ridiculous. Whatever was decided about the debt ceiling was a done deal way before it entered the public discourse and well, a wiener is a wiener. I couldn't be bothered with any of it.
Of course, I returned to the launching of the Republican primary debacle, otherwise known as the "Ignore Ron Paul" road show. WTF is up with that? Jon Stewart's "Ron Paul is the 13th floor of Republican politics" really says it all.
I shall resume some semblance of regular posting. It seems my blogmates have had busy summers as well.
It's good to be back... sorta.
Labels: blogging, south america
Hello from Tornado Land!
posted by The Vidiot @ 10:34 AM Permalink
St. Louis may not have the nightlife and the restaurants that New York does, but hell, nothing beats leaving with the perpetual threat of being sucked up over the rainbow! And according to this one youtube blogger that's been pretty accurate with his predictions, we're gonna get something nasty here in the next 24-48 hours. So better post now while I still can.
Also, sorry for the light posting... again.
What has been occupying my time is getting ready for our summer trip down south, waaaay down south, so Dr. Vidiot can finally get himself fluent in Spanish. Toughest part about that is not the packing or the closing down of the apartment, but finding someone to babysit our dog. Plans A, B and C fell through. I'm now working on D, E and F. E MIGHT come through. I'm hoping it does. Otherwise, no trip.
Another thing that's been occupying my time is I've finally gotten through three chapters of the graphic novel I'm working on. Being unemployed really helps with that. (The employment situation in St. Louis for my line of work is, apparently, dismal.)
Also, Dr. Vidiot's recent research is sucking up some time because I do the transcribing of his interviews. Right now he's researching violence in schools and the kids he interviews mumble and use all sorts of weird slang, not to mention the sort of bizarre southern accent they have.
So, have I been paying attention to politics? Not so much. Had a good laugh over the Dominique Strauss-Kahn nonsense. Honestly, why anyone expects someone in the position of power to behave any other way is beyond me. When you're used to looking at those not in power as things, treating them as such is second nature. James Petras has a good spin on it:
The attempted rape and sexual abuse of an African cleaning woman by the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, Dominique Strauss-Kahn (DSK) embodies, in microcosm, the entire historical and contemporary legacy of colonial neo-colonial relations.
The whole rapture thing kind of cracked me up. I also liked that some folks in Seattle left piles of clothes all over the place to make it look like someone had just been raptured.
I've also been keeping an I eye the Japan radiation thing. The news has been light, making everyone feel like the crisis is over. It's not and it won't be for decades, if that.
And do I care that Arnold has a love child or two or three? Oh hell no.
The next time I post will hopefully be from south of the border. I have my activated and charcoal in one hand and cipro in the other.
Labels: blogging, politics
Sorry for the light posting
posted by The Vidiot @ 10:17 AM Permalink
But hey, it's summer. Who wants to do anything? Especially when it's been hot as Hades for so long here in NYC. More regular posting will happen after labor day. Sure, there will be a few posts here and there, but full angst won't really kick in until everybody is back at their desks in DC and doing stupid things that will piss us all off.
Labels: blogging
So, let me get this straight
posted by The Vidiot @ 8:16 AM Permalink
Updated below by The Sailor.The Bloggers were right about there being no WMDs in Iraq. The Bloggers were right when they said that the US government had condoned torture. And now we find out that the Bloggers were right when they were screaming that the security threat levels were
raised and lowered for political reasons
Ridge says that he fought against changing the terror alert and wondered at the time whether the Ashcroft- and Rumsfeld-backed request was about "security or politics," because while there was "nothing to indicate a specific threat and no reason to cause undue public alarm...Post-election analysis demonstrated a significant increase in the president's approval rating in the days after the raising of the threat level."
and they say Bloggers can't be trusted?? Really?
Update: Tom Ridge, who is now expressing doubts about his role and complicity in the politicization of terrer alerts had this to say at the time:
8/5/04 10:00 AM EST
Administration Decries Suggestion Terror Alert Was Issued For Political Purposes
[...]
The AP also reports that Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge "spent a second day Wednesday defending the warnings, which came on the heels of the Democratic National Convention and drew attention from the presidential campaign of nominee John Kerry. 'I categorically state that the none of the terror threats are politically motivated,' Mr. Ridge said."
[...]
"I regret that there's an inference that this kind of public revelation of information is. . .political. It clearly was not and it never will be." In fact, Ridge didn't discount another terror warning possible between now and the election. Said Ridge, "If we receive that kind of information again, along with other bits and pieces of information, intelligence we have. . .we would do it again. . . . It will be driven by information and intelligence solely."
Hmm, let's see "we would do it again. . . . It will be driven by
information political means and [lack of] intelligence solely." There, fixed it.
And continuing Vid's theme, why is it that the folks who were proved wrong and/or hypocritical over and over are still given a national voice while the folks who were proven right over and over are still marginalized? [/rhetorical question]
Labels: blogging, MSM
There's a good conversation going on below
posted by The Vidiot @ 10:19 AM Permalink
You should check it out. It is in response to Bill's post on
Traitors.
Labels: Barack Obama, blogging, disinformation, fear mongering, GOP, hypocrisy
You're a loser, and not what you appear to be
posted by The Sailor @ 6:22 PM Permalink
Updated for clarification and better writing. (We wish we could write as well as AKM!)
I'm sure this comes as a surprise to you ... not!, but we think even Democratic donkeys can become braying jackasses. Case in point:
Alaska State Rep. Mike Doogan.Rep. Doogan has chosen to spend a considerable amount of his constituents time, (and maybe AK State resources, and maybe violated AK ethics and laws and Federal laws), to out an
anonymous blogger in Alaska who did nothing but chide him about
email etiquette. It starts out like this:
Now that Christmas is past, and our bellies are full of figgy pudding, and pumpkin pie, lets lie back in our recliners with a snifter of warm brandy, put our feet up, stroke the head of our golden retriever, and ponder. There is much to ponder here in the North Land, but there is one particular subject that has come to my mind many times over the past two days. It involves a series of emails that occurred on Christmas Eve.
Here's a sample of the aforementioned original email from Rep Mike Doogan:
“Are you people nuts? You send me — and everybody else in the legislature, from the looks of things — Spam and then lecture me on email etiquette — as if there were such a thing? Here’s an etiquette suggestion: Abandon your phony names, do your own thinking and don’t expect everybody to share you obsessions.”
Now that seems a might rude to me, especially coming from a state employee, but he then took the lowest road of all. He devoted his time to finding out exactly who this AKMuckraker is.
From: “doogans@gci.net”
To: akmuckraker@yahoo.com
Sent: Thursday, March 26, 2009 2:55:14 PM
Subject: your identity
**********[Identity protected by this blog]:
I am reliably told that you are the anonymous blogger who writes Mudflats. I am planning to reveal this in the enews I send to my constituents tomorrow, and am writing to let you know this and offer the opportunity to comment.
Mike Doogan
And then DID blast the blogger's name all over the internet!
Anonymous Blogger Anonymous No More
The identity of the person who writes the liberal Democratic Mudflats blog has been secret since the blog began, protected by the Anchorage Daily News, among others. My own theory about the public process is you can say what you want, as long as you are willing to stand behind it using your real name. So I was interested to learn that the woman who writes the blog is Anchorage resident ***************. [Once again, we retract the blogger's name.]
Best wishes,
[signed]
Our country was founded on anonymity as basic to our freedoms. Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Paine, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay and James Madison all wrote anonymously! And lately the US Supreme Court agreed. Sheesh, even Clarence Thomas agreed!
Anonymous whistleblowers are protected by federal and state laws. So to see an elected rep out a blogger for revenge of such a petty nature is just disgusting and despicable.
What upset me the most was this blog plog post by AKM ending with:
And with that, Mudflatters, I need to take a little time off to assess things, and take stock of how life will be changing for me and my family.
Why did AKM choose anonymity? Here are that person's reasons and our own:
I might be a state employee. I might not want my children to get grief at school. I might be fleeing from an ex-partner who was abusive and would rather he not know where I am. My family might not want to talk to me anymore. I might alienate my best friend. Maybe I don’t feel like having a brick thrown through my window. My spouse might work for the Palin administration. Maybe I’d just rather people not know where I live or where I work. Or none of those things may be true.
I'll add yet another reason: If you read blogs, over time, or just read their commenters over time, you get to know that aspect of the person. Knowing our names, our addresses, our skin color, our sex or sexual orientation, doesn't matter a whit.
It's our thoughts & ideas that count, and the facts that we link to to support our opinions that count. Judge us on what we write, not your preconceptions of who we are by false categories.
I'm pleased to note that AKM is back blogging:
Thank You, from AKMuckraker.
[...]
I have to admit this has taken a bit of getting used to. I’m not one to crave the spotlight, and I generally enjoy my boring little life. So, I’m needing a little time to regroup. Thank you all for the understanding, and indulging this naturally private and introverted blogger who normally posts pretty frequently. Public figures choose a public life. Private citizens don’t necessarily choose that.
[...]
Now that AKM is outed, maybe that person will run for Doogan's seat. It's not my district, but I'll contribute to the campaign.
If for no other reason than this:
A Bedtime Political Parable
It’s been a long time since we’ve had a good bedtime story at the Mudflats. We’re overdue. (Plumps your pillow, smooths the hair off your forehead and tucks you in. Scans the shelf and pulls out a nice hardcover) I know! Let’s have a parable.
I hope AKM & Co have sweet dreams, but "We’ll have to find out what happens, and how it ends another night."
Cross posted at SteveAudioLabels: bad politicians, blogging
A reminder about blogs
posted by The Vidiot @ 7:33 AM Permalink
I feel that it is necessary to remind people of something that is very important with regards to blogs and I mean ALL blogs, even the 'good' ones: blogs are silly, blogs are reactionary, blogs are usually inaccurate and worst of all, blogs live forever. Anyone who blogs knows this about blogs and those who think otherwise are delusional, mentally deranged or has a grandiose sense of self-importance (e.g. Matt Drudge).
The reason I bring this subject up is that I've had this back and forth with a commenter regarding a story that was posted on this blog back in March of 2006. It was about a Suffolk University professor and c
harges of pornographic misconduct. The story was odd, the blogging on it was even odder and once blogged, the whole thing was completely forgotten.
Well, this person who commented said that the story was inaccurate and that it should be removed and well, that rubbed me the wrong way. Scrubbing is what MSM does, not us. If we print a turd, the turd stays. If the turd must be referenced for clarification, it will be and if the turd needs polished, we'll do that too.
So, I've referenced the turd (see link above) and I also polished the turd (note that I've placed Xs where the names would be.) Seems that the teacher was exonerated and that the student had dubious ulterior motives for reporting the teacher. Though, a note to the person who commented: the names of the people will live on in Google's cache and nobody in our strata of society can do a damn thing about it. Sorry.
In conclusion: Don't believe everything you read, compare and contrast with other postings on the same subject, and check out what sounds fishy and sound off on it if need be. Reading blogs should not be a passive pastime. Here at VidiotSpeak, we'll try to do our due diligence (if it doesn't interfere with a jobs or our family life or our drinking of beer) and we'll clarify whatever needs clarified.
So remember, let's be careful out there. Surf intelligently.
Labels: blogging
