Dems embrace blogosphere for next year's convention, Repubs not so much

Interesting piece by National Journal's Danny Glover about how the Democrats are fully embracing the blogosphere in next year's Democratic National Convention in Denver. At the same time, Glover reports, "As usual, Republicans are behind the curve on embracing the blogosphere." It is fascinating the degree to which the liberal blogosphere has become a power in the party while the conservatives have not. I suspect it's due in part to the FOX News and talk radio phenomenon. Meaning, conservatives already have their own biased news source (FOX) and their own opinion talking heads (radio), so they don't need to embrace a blogosphere that purports to do the same. On the left, the blogs are providing a service that conservatives had for years but we never did. Having said that, there's something to be said for the Republicans using a 15 year old car and the Dems buying a brand-spanking new one. The future is not Rush Limbaugh, the future is the Internet. Read the rest of this post...

Clinton v Obama feud grows

They're accusing each other of dirty tricks. Now, I'm sure the Clinton campaign is quite adept at pulling many a trick, but for Obama to pull the "I never!" card - well, let's just say, yeah he has. Read the rest of this post...

Gordon Brown to slash climate change department

Not exactly a good way to launch a new campaign. £300 million is roughly $613 million, so it's hardly a small cut. Brown makes it really hard to like Brown. Read the rest of this post...

Iran almost hangs 21 year old accused of being gay at 13

Saudi, Dubai, Iran. Backward as hell. Scary as hell. Read the rest of this post...

Add a name to be remembered on World AIDS Day

Very cool idea.

AIDSWATCH NEEDS NAMES

Names of loved ones that have died from HIV/AIDS are needed to fill the AIDSWatch roster for this year’s World AIDS Day telemorial. For the 11th year in Los Angeles cable [TV will run] a 24 hour program of individual names is presented as a reminder that AIDS is not over. Last year a record 15,600 names were submitted. The program can run almost 23,000 names.

It runs the entire 24 hours of World AIDS Day, December 1st.

The program is generated from the West Hollywood City Channel production house and fed to all of the Time Warner system throughout Los Angeles, a potential one million homes. Names appear for 3.5 seconds, the time it takes to take a breath. Each fades in and fades out to create a meditative environment. White letters on a stark black screen.

There is no charge to submit names. The purpose of this art project is to remember and remind, according to creator David Reid. Rock Hudson, Freddy Mercury are the same as David Cartwright and Chris Blauman. In death we are all equal. And the programming purpose is exactly that.

Names can be submitted in two ways, www.AIDSWatch.org or by snail mail: AIDSWatch c/o David Reid Post Office Box 69991 West Hollywood CA 90069.

Read the rest of this post...

Web hoax leads 13 year old girl to kill herself

I first started reading this story and thought "give me a break." Then I continued reading and it got creepier and creepier. Should these be people be held liable for the death of this girl?

Megan Meier thought she had made a new friend in cyberspace when a cute teenage boy named Josh contacted her on MySpace and began exchanging messages with her.

Megan, a 13-year-old who suffered from depression and attention deficit disorder, corresponded with Josh for more than a month before he abruptly ended their friendship, telling her he had heard she was cruel.

The next day Megan committed suicide. Her family learned later that Josh never actually existed; he was created by members of a neighborhood family that included a former friend of Megan's.....

Another parent, who learned of the MySpace account from her own daughter who had access to the Josh profile, told Megan's parents about the hoax in a counselor's office about six weeks after Megan died. That's when they learned Josh was imaginary, they said.

The woman who created the fake profile has not been charged with a crime. She allegedly told the St. Charles County Sheriff's Department she created Josh's profile because she wanted to gain Megan's confidence to know what Megan was saying about her own child online.

The mother from down the street told police that she, her daughter and another person all typed and monitored the communication between the fictitious boy and Megan.

Yeah, and then they told her what a bad person she was and, allegedly, that the world would be better off without her. Then she killed herself. Rather creepy thing for an adult to be participating in. No? Read the rest of this post...

At least 1,100 dead in Bangladesh

Absolutely brutal storm. CNN reporting the proper figure could be at least 2,000. Read the rest of this post...

Saturday Morning Open Thread

Good morning.

Check out this week's poem, Resume, by Dorothy Parker. It's short, but very intense. (And we're still waiting for an original poem from the poet behind the poem of the week.)

Rolling into a holiday week. Lots of traveling and turkey. What's on the agenda? Read the rest of this post...

More bad news for John Howard

Uh oh. Bush's friend is in trouble now. A scandal emerges as news of millions of taxpayer dollars to friendly districts (and nothing for districts of the opposition) just as Labor party candidate Kevin Rudd (the earwax guy) opens up an eight point lead. Read the rest of this post...

Paulson must believe in Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny

Nobody seriously thinks the Bush administration has a "strong dollar" policy and nobody believes the economy is going to continue growing. With daily reports of bad news from Wall Street, only a fool would think good times are just around the corner.

"We have very much a strong dollar policy ... that's in our nation's interest. Our economy, like any other, goes through its ups and downs but I believe the U.S. economy will continue to grow and its long-term strength will be reflected in our currency markets," Paulson told 567 Cape Talk radio.

In two or three years, perhaps, but 2008 is going to be rough sailing thanks to the failures of Bush, Greenspan and the Republicans. Long term in this case means after the Republicans are gone. Read the rest of this post...