Frogs and Ravens

Distortions

One of the odder and more frustrating experiences is being part of a group that is enduring the process of being "discovered" by the media, particularly when the members of the media doing the reporting clearly did an utterly half-ass job learning about their subject. 

Lucky me seems to have a mild knack for finding activities that fall afoul of this dynamic, and for finding them sufficiently in advance to have a sense of ownership about the activity in question.  (I'm not claiming to be cutting edge, just to tending to become interested in things slightly before they hit the big time -- things like yoga, knitting, various tv shows...)  Blogging, obviously, is one of these activities.

It is tiring seeing someone effusing about something as if it's the newest, weirdest thing on earth when you've been acquainted with it for months or years.  It's even more so when that someone then sets themselves up as some sort of "expert" on the subject, qualified to tell the world what their new interest "really" entails, when it is so glaringly obvious that their knowledge begins and ends with the first two pages their search on Google produced.

The most recent manifestation is an article in the NYT (registration needed, or go to bugmenot) about "mommy blogs" (a rather cutesy name that serves the function of stuffing complicated people and their writings into a pastel box adorned with bunnies and little blue elephants).  As D. and I were flensing the NYT this Sunday, I looked up and saw a familiar toddler's face.  I immediately recognized her as Leta, daughter of Heather Armstrong (of dooce.com).  Sadly, the article was not that profound, and it didn't do a great job explaining the phenomenon of parents blogging about parenthood; in some parts it even veered into the dismissive and derogatory.  (11D and MUBAR have some of the best commentary; there are many other biting criticisms sprinkled throughout the web if you're interested.)

I don't get this.  If you have an axe to grind, why haul other people into it, especially if you have to distort their words to do it?  If you're genuinely interested in explaining or documenting a phenomenon, shouldn't you admit (at least to yourself!) that you are not an expert, and that when you talk with people with more experience, you should listen to them?  Finally, why is it the internet that seems so frequently confusing?  Is it just that this is an area in which I have a certain knowledge and competence and am therefore more sensitive to misreadings, or is it that bloggish internetty things are somehow antiethical to the usual way of things in the general media, somehow threatening?  (I lean toward the latter, because for all the stereotypes about "granny" knitters and woo-woo "Eastern" spiritualism that pervade discussions of knitting and yoga, for example, the basics aren't wrong, nor are there same degree of dismissive digs that I see in internet-related articles, especially ones about blogging and bloggers.)  Why is blogging in general, let alone "mommy blogging" in particular, so threatening and misunderstood?

Online Communities

There's an interesting post and subsequent discussion over at Making Light.  It begins with Theresa's guidelines for managing an on-line community, and spirals out into conversations about Usenet, pseudonymity, trolls, and similar. 

Thanks to Jill for the link.

Democracy or Aristocracy?

Jeanne of Body and Soul has written a particularly compelling post today.  You really should go read it in its entirety, because I'm not going to do it justice, but the gist of it is that liberals and progressives really need to think carefully about adopting the tactics of their conservative opponents.  In particular, they need to be wary of any approaches based on the notion that the general public are idiots who need to be duped into voting the right way.  The reason for this is that such perceptions of the public are antithetical to the essence of democratic progressivism, even as they support the heart of conservatism, which is based on more aristocratic notions about the relative worth of haves and have-nots.  Basically, if progressives wish to stay true to their belief that individuals matter, that any little child can grow up to do what he or she wishes, they can't "win" by adopting tactics that assume that the average person is a stupid sheep who must be tricked into doing the "right" thing.

I am very glad for her post.  We do not need left-wing versions of "Clear Skies" or "Healthy Forests" or pre-screened pep rallies.  We need to educate people so that they can distinguish between spin and reality, between propaganda and arguments supported by hard facts.  We need to remind ourselves that ignorance is not stupidity, and that it is not "elitist" to demand that we correct the former, but that it is elitist to presume the latter.  We need to demand that schools and the media stop teaching people to be sheep, and instead help individuals to recognize that what they think and do does matter, and to ensure that they have the skills and tools and opportunities to act on that inate potential.

Finally, as should hopefully be obvious, this is not merely a matter of politics.  This is a matter of human worth and dignity and potential, and finding ways that cherish and celebrate and enhance them, for the people alive now, and for generations to come.  That is worth fighting for, far more so than the outcome of an election four years from now.  Let's not succeed at the latter by sacrificing the former.

The Walk and After

Cold rain
Warm shower
Hot cocoa

This Explains It

An interesting study has determined that fidgeting is key to keeping your weight low.  No real surprise here; I'm unable to sit still except for very brief periods, and I'm pretty skinny.  What's most interesting about the study is how precise it is, and also the detail about the subjects having to wear underwear with sensors in it.  The things people do in the name of science...

Fancy Chocolate

Continuing the Japanese obsession theme (I'm wandering around the house these days chanting the syllables of the katakana like someone demented -- ko ko ko ku ku ku ki ki ki ka ka ka ke ke ke... Let's hear it for brute force memorization.)...

These "choco-neko" treats are soooo cute!  How could anyone bear to eat them?  That said, I still want one.  Or two -- one to eat, one to keep!

via Elayne, who linked to the chocolate sushi.

No on Gonzales, No on Torture, No on Tyranny

I've called my senator to tell her to vote no on Gonzales next week.  Have you?

Need a reminder of why this is important?  Check out Body and Soul, Pharyngula, and The Daily Kos, among others.

Update: An ongoing list of blogs posting in opposition to Gonzales can be found here. If you've posted yourself, consider filling out the form to add your post to the list.

Collapse

It's been getting a ridiculous amount of buzz, but I still want to read Jared Diamond's Collapse.

Descriptions

I

A chicken is sniffed by a cat.

A woman swings at a golf ball.

A man carries a violin.

II

A chicken in a tub is sniffed by an orange cat.

A woman in pink swings at a pink golf ball.

A man in a suit carries a violin across the grass.

III

A chicken, glossy and sleek, flutters in a tub; a slim orange cat sniffs warily at it.

A woman, wearing a pink visor and pink shorts, swings at a golf ball in matching pink.

A man, jaunty in a loose black suit, strides along carrying a violin, not minding the wet grass.

IV

I heard a chicken cackling outside my window the other day.  After some investigation, I discovered that it was sitting in a plastic tub in my neighbor's yard.  Sleek and glossy, it cackled nervously.  Was it nervous because it was being sniffed warily by the slim orange cat peeking over the rim of the tub, or because it suspected that it was going to end up as dinner?

I was sitting by a window knitting, idly watching trios and pairs of golfers wending their way through the course.  One woman, wearing a pink visor, shoes, and shorts (with a white shirt) had sent her ball into the trees.  Pink, it lay there like a part of her as she swung fruitlessly at it.  Eventually she connected, and followed its pinkness back to the green.

Washing dishes, I looked through the window.  In the early morning light, a man in a black suit was striding over the grass.  The loose fabric of his pants fluttered with the motion of his steps, while he swung a violin jauntily from one hand.  The air was misty and the grass was wet.  Later, I saw him return, headed in the opposite direction.  His suit still fluttered, and the violin still swung in time to his steps, but his early morning energy had evaporated, as had the fog.

EEEE-vil

Have you heard The Llama Song yet?

(Warning:  Opens an audio file.  A looping audio file.)

c/o Dena Shunra, commenting at Yarn Harlot.

Edited to add: It's even more catchy if you make your hand into a llama head (Quiet Coyote, basically) and make it dance in time to the music. Two hands, a bit more so. Just so you know.

Warning:  If you are running a Windows pc, you may get a pop-up window asking you if you want to download something.  The answer is NO.  You don't need it to view the video, and Tim has identified it as potentially dangerous.  I'd feel terrible if a silly little link I posted turned into a spyware nightware.