Oh, good Krist, this is wonderful Combined with this, I nearly fainted today, it's so nice to see this sort of thing. Stark is showing the Way, for those truly interested in being a New Media or whatever. It's so frakking simple.

Let me put it this way: I always thought I couldn't take good pictures. Trad film and I don't get along. Then they invented fancee digi cams that I can sort of use, and voila! I'm ansel adams, or something. But anyway, my point is that there should be a lot more of this, please.

I'm only able to write part one tonight, more later.

Gosh, Obama pissed me off today ["clean" internet users: skim down to the end for the non-DFH related point to this post].Yes, that's not new, and no news to this blog. Ironically, he did so on one of those verboten issues that "stains" bloggers like me just by their very mention: he giggled at the idea, put forth by lots of 'reglar' folks at one of his outreach websites/media tools, that marijuana normalization is Serious. Worse, he slurred the online political community in the process, furthering the meme that all of us who write, speak, read and think about policy with online tools are Dirty Fucking Hippies and Hopheads. You know, not like Real Americans, such as the Two Wetsuits Good guy, or Senator Diapers 'n' Hookers.

I guess I don't write about pot policy more because to me, it's beyond obvious. Everything that our government does with respect to pot is ass-backwards. It's racist, expensive, wasteful, hypocritical, stupid, anti-environmental, supportive of terrorism, and a lost cause. I assume that all thinking people more or less agree with me, or at least admit that research, science, the history of policy, and the example of other nations, pro and con, back that up. It annoys me how many "progressives" and liberals remain silent, in this period in which we make all the mistakes of alcohol prohibition, but more seriously and at greater cost. But such is the price of being a Loyalist- no Serious Democrat speaks about legalization, ever, nor of any kind. We've spent a lot of time talking about Big Problems like why the "bailout" plans are a horror; I'm going to spend a little time talking about why Obama's remarks today are a smaller scale version, but big example of the same problem.

How many reasons can you come up with, which suggest and prove that marijuana normalization is the right and proper course for a civilized society? Never mind me, Glennzilla will be speaking on this topic at CATO on the 16th of April; I'll let him throw down hard data and numbers for me. But just tossing off, let's see what I can come up with:   Read more…

Well, not exactly:

Bloggers as America's Watchdogs: New Administration, New Roles?
Sponsored by the American Constitution Society Philadelphia Lawyers and Penn Law School chapters:

The blogosphere began during the early months of the Bush Administration with opposition and criticism being the dominant modes for online progressives. With a new administration in the White House, how will the role of the netroots change? How do leaders of online opinion see their responsibilities with respect to the new President?

Featuring:
John Aravosis -- Editor, AMERICAblog
Christy Hardin Smith -- Blogger, Firedoglake
Baratunde Thurston -- Co-Founder, Jack & Jill Politics and Blogger, The Huffington Post
Daniel Urevick-Ackelsberg -- Founder, Young Philly Politics

Moderator: Adam Bonin, chairman of the board of directors, Netroots Nation

Wednesday, February 4, 2009, 5:30pm - 7:00pm
University of Pennsylvania Law School
3400 Chestnut Street, Phila PA
Please RSVP at http://www.acslaw.org/chapters/lawyer/ph...

I sent a note to the moderator. I basically said that I've never been a "blogger for the party" sort, as if that's not blindingly obvious. I also said that I seriously doubt that Villagers and high-ranking Dems give a shit about what I write, think or say. There are some people who blog who think the political blogosphere can and does make a difference in national politics, but since the MoveOn vote, I've pretty much lost faith in that idea. I find the formulation of the questions of the panel sort of interesting. Yes, a lot of my pre-Obama administration blogging was in response to what Bush was doing. But not all of it, nor would I have been any less engaged and enraged had Bush had a (D) after his name. What do you think?

I have to say: it's been rough. I've not been a member of the Oborg since before most people even knew he was running for office. For personal and private reasons based on my experience with him, and that of some friends. At the same time, I've not been as...vocal in my disappointment with him, his appointments and stated policy goals, as some; here, elsewhere. I feel like a DS9 fan at a B5 vs. BSG Con, some days. But I'm curious about what your experience has been like, since, say, the convention. I don't have hard data for it, but my impression is that we've shed a lot of fair-weather politicos since the election, and interest in political blogging seems way down to me, in general. I've also noticed that various varieties of "trolls" have become less common, super-pro Obama as well as anti. In general, chatter seems less hectic, people seem more subdued, and arguments seem less heated, in terms of our new Leader and his upcoming coronation. Is that your impression? I can think of lots of reasons for that, but what I'm most interested in is how long you think the "honeymoon" period will be, and what form the opposition to him will take. Interestingly, I've been told that even as the Republicans are in "disarray," there is growing anger in the Dem ranks, for being stuck with such unpopular losers as the "bailout bill," and the suggestion that health care reform, meaningful reform, "must wait." Your thoughts?

Peter is talking about you, kidz! There's plenty to chew over, and suss out. This part caught my attention:

How does this affect the triangle of media, political establishment, and online community? For the press and punditry, an important reversal: their agenda-setting role is eroded and they are now compelled to partner with the online commentariat for validation and legitimation. For the political establishment, the standard methodology - where strategists and pollsters conjure and test messages to be disseminated by media teams and press shops through traditional channels - is inadequate. Politicians and public officials must now contend with higher levels of risk and uncertainty that confound traditional communications strategies. They must posses the awareness and agility to navigate a churning ocean of opinion where every word, every press release, every policy paper, every speech, every document, every surrogate remark is recorded, magnified and repurposed by the online community. Image making and message crafting, enduring political arts once the back-room purview of a select few, are now in the public domain.

Our very own Shystee has done some brilliant work on this topic, and has a slightly different take on it, I think. But to me the best part of the Daou piece is "risk and uncertainty." I like chaos, I don't like top-down flow of information models. Daou wants your thoughts, leave them here or at his place.

For a comment on her last post in which I used a deplorable word. I am sincerely and completely sorry. You don't have to forgive me. I have always appreciated your work. I'm sorry you won't be around often anymore. I don't have your email, so this will have to do by way of apologizing. I hope you read it someday.

I just wanted to say that, b/c in the PB2.0, it's going to be very important for all of us to learn to say "I'm sorry," as well as "You're wrong!" Gossip, social status, cliques...these things must come to mean nothing to us, if we're truly going to have focus. I consider this a not just an "all about me" post, because I hope that it can start a conversation on how much the blogosphere has become mostly about personal swipe, insult, rumor, and the like. I think it's killing us, and I'm very sorry to have contributed to that which doesn't truly matter.

Again, FD. I apologize. If there's someone you regret offending in the blogosphere, consider it an open thread for the same.

Our friend Anthony Lowenstein has a new book out. Harvard people say:

Young bloggers are more worried about shopping, sex and music than politics, according to a recent article by Antony Loewenstein. Loewenstein still finds that there is a unique power to blogging, though, when he writes:

Across the world, young generations are challenging tired state media by writing online about politics, sex, drugs, relationships, religion, popular culture and especially Angelina Jolie. From Egyptian activists opposed to female circumcision to outspoken, pro-Western women in Cuba, people are being empowered by new technology to create spaces away from the prying eyes of meddling authorities.

Hey y'all. Sorry to be dark so much recently, but it's that time of year and I've been ramping up for Major Labor under the sun and stars. I want to build something like this, but prettier. That's my rub with growing houses- it's so spendy to make them look nice. I'm house-vain like that, I guess. Still, I don't want an ugly plastic shack on my lawn. At the same time, using recycled and reclaimed materials really appeals to me/my wallet.

Political, botanical, environmental, beautiful. What more can you ask for in a site?

Feeling snooty? I'm realizing just how snooty the gardening classes can be. But in this country at least, that's going to change. Can you eat that 40$ cultivar, honey?

They may or may not be snooty, but they are pretty hardcore about their plants: I was over at Monticello the other day and gosh! You can see how a grrl could love Jefferson, what a whiz with plants he was! And speaking of things to look at, anyone know any good sites for garden design? With lots of pics? Most places I've come across are only trying to sell me a book or magazine and that's not what I want/can afford. Oh, yes- I am very, very disappointed with all of you. Medium is the best we can do? Fuck. That's pathetic.

Sorry again for the short and infrequent posting, but this is what happens in an economy where some of us are realizing it makes a lot of sense to have a plot that will provide...oh, let's avoid polemic and hysteria this morning and just say 30% of my diet.

Because my work here is done. Technorati thinks we're on the A-list. [Sings: "We're on the A list!" (tune at left)]

Fuck ! Bookers, cable weasels, you may contact our agent by leaving a note with bartender "Geoff" at the wet bar in the Fellows Lounge. The password is "specimen jar."

And before I forget:

Hey, George! You out there?  Read more…

So you've probably heard, I've relocated to DC out of the Midwest, and I've come into a financial situation that will allow me to do nothing but blogging for a time (love you grrrl!). Yesterday, I went to the Greenwald and Blumenthal event at CAP, and a reader questioned my liveblogged report. Well and good, let's get some things straight before I get too caught up in the muck here in our nation's cesspool.

Eventually, someone is going to out me, or I'll out myself, and you'll be able to find out my real name and probably a bunch of other stuff that I may or may not want you to know. But I'm not going to help in that process just yet. Corrente is and always will be my first and best blogging home, and I'm very proud and honored to write here with such excellent people. But it's also the case that not too many people in DC read it, yet, and so for a time, I'm going to use my anonymity as a shield, and do a little work in an undercover fashion.

There is absolutely no reason why anyone should believe a word I write here. Or, for that matter, anything you read in the NYTimes, or hear on Katie Couric's "news" program. If you don't see something with your own eyes or hear it with your own ears, it's all just second hand and hearsay to you. I trust my own judgment just as I'm sure you trust yours; you can choose to believe what I write here or not, I really don't care.

This is a really good substitute. This is a "for junkies only" blogging post, but seriously- someone explain to me how to write the virus that made this mess. And it's only over there, the rest of the helloscum universe seems to be working fine. Teach you to go to back to back conferences without feeding the pets, Duncan.

I know I said I wouldn't liveblog this, but gawd dayum! Mr. Hasan is Da Bomb. If you're a blogger, working on a campaign, or just looking to learn about successful online to offiline organizing and activism, you need to go to one of his training sessions.

Well, pardners, it's time for me to pack up the mule and head on out west, for the annual orgy of wonkery that is the first Yearly Kos. I expect passionate speechifying, partying, plenty of snark and shrill, bad carpeting, and maybe even some organizing. The list is pretty impressive for a bunch of fever swamp kids in family basements.

I understand why Billmon and Digby get the props, but what I don't understand is why more people don't read Chris more often. His writing is high quality and he's always talking about what really matters. You can practically feel the snark, which is always delivered in the very finest tradition of family-friendly insults: