Studio 60, Kaus vs. Hagel, Bloggingheads, Simmons at the Super Bowl
This is probably the closest thing we have now to the lamented Breakfast Table (and bring back News Quiz! Ah. Good times.)
One of the running themes of bloggingheads is how surprisingly civil pariticpants who had engaged in heated disagreements are to each other on the program. I think it's a simple matter of it being harder to be mean to a face (or "head") than it is to a byline (even though I don't think the paricipants can see each other during the taping).
If Web 1.0 had the effect of coarsening dialogue, since it's easy to fire off a nasty post or e-mail to someone you have never and likely will never meet, perhaps Web 2.0, which enables communication mediums other than text, will correct that a bit.
In order for this to happen, video would have to become the default medium for political debate, which I don't see happening. But something like bloggingheads provides a superior forum for hashing out a debate than dueling blog posts.
Earth to Simmons: We don't. We're glad for you that you've risen from putting together your own website and working like hell at it to achieve success to the point where a trip to the Super Bowl is an annual ritual for you. And I'm glad you're able to have a better time in Miami than you did in Houston or Jacksonville. Really.
But for most of us, a trip to the Super Bowl remains a fantasy that will never be realized. And if we do, we won't give a damn where it is.
Your style of writing depends on a certain relationship with the reader. You write "from a fan's perspective." Well, this fan could care less whether the Super Bowl is played in Miami, Detroit, Peoria, Bagdad, or the surface of the moon. It has no impact on my enjoyment of the game.
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
What was the topic again?
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16 comments:
vI've been meaning to post more on bloggingheads, but never have much to say beyond "cool." Wright and Kaus both have their blind spots, but the thing that makes the enterprise work for me is that both take ideas seriously. It's apparent to others that they will be judged by the standard of Kaus and Wright, and they don't want to get baited into name calling because it will make them look bad. I don't think the medium makes people more civil, just the company and the overall enterprise. It's the public television of web 2.0.
Anybody seen any life-changing technologies lately? Me, anytime I see a design for anything that isn't ugly, I jump for joy. I saw some silk tapestries that had been printed with laser technology -- words were a background pattern -- you could read them or simply enjoy them as art. I loved that.
Thesis about today's pictures -- too much of a good thing. Hard to write about without feeling like you are drinking from Old Faithful.
I remain very annoyed by the Sullivan types who totally excoriated anybody who opposed the war and now feel bad. They feel bad they were wrong about the war, but I see no signs of lessons learned with regards to loyal oppostion and engaged political discourse.
August,
I hear ya -- it seems like they just went from bullying support of the war to bullying opposition to the war.
See the quote for the day Sullivan uses today from Bill Kristol on March 1, 2003. Here's Sullivan on March 3, 2003, pretty much saying all opposition to the war must be motivated by anti-Semitism, coziness with terrorists, and Bush hatred.
This is especially maddening given his counsels of "doubt" to those who disagree with him.
Bah. I don't want to watch video at work. I can't watch video at home (and don't much want to either). Still prefer the web as a written medium--that way it goes at my own pace.
K
Everyone,
just wanted to let you all in on some rather sad news; Isonomist's son (her older one who recently found out his leukemia had returned) well yesterday he suffered a severe brain hemorrhage, he's not expected to live. If you're a praying person, keep Iso and her family in your prayers.
He's only 19 years old. I can't even imagine what this must be like for their family, and Isonomist in particular, to bear.
Oh man, how awful. My condolences to all involved.
On another topic:
I realize in the big scheme of things it's not all that important. But there's just no back and forth discussion with Geoff anymore. You don't like what he's doing, well fuck you.
{Ouch. Door just hit me on the way out}
Fuck.
I don't pray. I'll fake it as best I can. Fuck.
As for Geoff: You have to talk to him a certain way. Here's what I do: I make it look like I'm kissing up to him when I'm actually giving him "the bird". works everytime.
Oh, and, "Fuck."
Please give Iso my regards.
FYI: Geoff informs me that my ban from the Fray is permanent. As a result, it seems unlikely that my interest in WikiFray will be sustained.
Which means...uhh...good-bye.
Topazz,
I don't know what I can say that doesn't sound insultingly insufficient. I guess I'm with Switters - Fuck.
Schad - I don't really get why he's holding you to a standard that much higher than everyone else. With all the bad-behaving wingnuts who've left and then returned, that your ban would be permanent indicates a pretty stark double standard.
So as a backhanded compliment, I guess this means that the people with the greatest capability also have the greatest likelihood of a permanent ban, leaving a community increasingly populated by, well, the people whose names I don't even need to say.
Don't feel obligated to stay away just because you said good-bye.
I heard from topazz yesterday, and I'm still crying. Not very useful as a strategy for help, but I don't know what else would be.
Schad: are you fuckin' kidding? Dear God, it is dailykos all over again. I just don't get it, really. Well, go somewhere you can sometimes be found. I can't live without you bitching at me from time to time. (Well, I could, but I'd prefer not to.)
Topazz,
If you communicate with Iso on fray-related matters, please add my name to the list of those thinking of her.
Schad,
Would prefer you hang around. Not that you'll get anywhere listening to me, just so you know.
August,
Demosthenes is the one who has been keeping me informed about Isonomist's son; he talks to Iso daily. I will pass along all of your thoughts and support through him as it'll likely mean a lot to her. She has asked for prayers from anyone and everyone.
This is what Demos knew as of last night: her son was put into a medically induced coma, they plan to keep him that way several days until the swelling goes down. The hemorraging was so severe that they did not expect him to live, he's holding in the coma but they're saying it appears that the cognitive damage is going to be massive.
I just read news of Iso's son and, fuck, I can not possibly imagine the hell she's feeling right now. I mean, fuck, I can't imagine, so I'll pray as though I know how to pray. I might post later today to her, if she's around there to read my mangled attempt to share prayers, but, fuck.
As though I needed (of course I needed) perspective. At least I woke up today.
Fuck again, much milder, but...Schad is actually banned? I think some kind of oneupsmanship is working on that front. Until he became Fray ed, Geoff was the go-to guy for solid dismissals of vanity, ignorance, wingnuttiness. Schad filled the void and, for it, he got banned.
No way am I going back to BOTF with any regularity now. I'd propose - or sign if someone else initiates (time) - a fray petition.
For what any of this is worth. It's time to go audition again; I'm on a deadline.
Reluctantly...
Since there seems to be some confusion and/or controversy, here is my correspondence with Geoff (with any personal stuff removed). I wrote him at a personal email address, rather than to Slate.
Me: I don't like email correspondence on Fray matters, but you don't leave me much choice.
Odd that you thought I deserved an indefinite (permanent?) ban.
...followed by a link to MT's gorilla suit post, which was later deleted (but allowed to stay in Fraywatch!).
Geoff: Bans are permanent unless resolved. You have my work
email. If you want to discuss the Fray, feel free to use it.
For the record, I have no intention of apologizing or of promising to eschew the use of capital letters in the future. So, any reinstatement seems unlikely, nor have I requested it.
On the scale of human tragedies, being banned from the Fray is about a -0.002 on a scale of 1-10.
Hey asshole.
Your banning may not be as hard on you as it is on the rest of us.
Nothing compared to what Iso is losing, but it seems the losses are adding up.
Fuck fuckity fuck fuck fuck.
hey iso, if you're reading. my thoughts are with you.
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