September 03, 2004
Only the best go pro...EXCLUSIVE!!! MUST CREDIT LLAMABUTCHERS!!! THE LLAMABUTCHER INTERVIEW WITH WONKETTE!!! THE ONLY TIME YOU'LL EVER READ THE WORDS "S&M" AND POLITICAL SCIENCE IN THE SAME PARAGRAPH!!!!
[NOTE: I've updated, polished, and punched it up quite a bit, and include a lot of links]
"The Power and Politics of Blogs"
Of course, it would take a bunch of political scientists to host a panel on blogging in a room without wireless access, so this report is filed late. Hopefully it didn't jerk anybody around. Befitting the newfound prestige allotted to blogging, we are located on the back of the fifth floor of the Palmer House Hilton, right behind the catering kitchen but in front of the laundry. It's not that we're in an out of the way part of the hotel, but I'm pretty sure I just saw Harrison Ford go by being chased by Tommy Lee Jones, muttering something about a one-armed man killing his wife. Well now.
The room has the uncomfortable quiet muttering you get at academic conferences when everyone gets there early but it's not time to start. The crowd is actually quite large for the APSA, with about fifty people here.
Needless to say, I'm already feeling a bit, well, naughty. Was that really Wonkette who left the comments on our blog this morning? Only time will tell.
My cover was blown by a guy sitting a couple of rows in front of me who turned around, smirked, and said, "Hey, you're ace of spades' buddy--right?" Guilty. I mean, I was undercover and all in my political science professor BDUs--Blue blazer, light blue oxford shirt, maroon striped rep tie, khakis, brown suede oxfords, round frame glasses.
Fortunately I'm wearing my "Dr. Rusty Shackleford" forged name badge.
Wonkette is here, sitting on Drezner's right. If this were a cheezy Dan Brown novel, she'd be his Mary Magdelane in drag to his Jeebus. Sully's here too--I think. They haven't announced everyone yet, and if it is in fact him, he's sporting a different look---kind of a young James Coburn thing, with a big shock of white hair and slightly pudgy. Kind of like Andy Warhol after he'd been locked for the weekend in Ghirardellis, complete with the Beagle, the BF, and the exploding toilet.
The question that seems to be floating in the air is who is here for the serious academic discussion of blogging, and who's here to see Wonkette?
In other words, who is really in need of getting a life, and who should just save us all the trouble and go back to their parent's basement and their online Dungeons and Dragons game?
We'll find out soon enough. Of course, you know where I fit in on that taxonomy: after all, my wizard has a cloak of studliness, with 5+ hit points!
There are however, quite a number of guys here with barely contained smirky grins, so there is that.
READ THE REST IN THE EXTENDED ENTRY!
4:15
Time to start, for chrissakes!
Drezner has a smirky grin, and is looking fabulous in a Brooks Brothers-type outfit---Navy Blue. Wonkette's wearing a grey sleeveless thing, with a black sweater draped around her shoulders.
It feels odd to be blogging in public, fully clothed. So not right.
4:18
Finally!
First up is Henry Farrell (the guy I mistook for Sully), who did a paper together with Drezner. (follow the link to the paper archive, search by their names to download the papers)
Here's my attempt at the shorthand transcript:
"Blogs present an interesting puzzle..."Blah blah. Get to Wonkette, already! Politics and porn, woo-hoo!
Blogs easier to recognize than define.
A certain Potter Stewart quote about "knowing it when you see it" comes to mind.Minimal editing, hyperlinks, political commentary, reverse chronological order etc.
And what about the cheesy graphics? Attention to detail, man! No pshop, no blogosphere!
Overhead has picture of blogger home page.
I'm seriously wondering if I've fallen into some Protein Wisdom-esque delusionary state---in my best Bill Murray voice I mutter "It's not the speed, really, I just wish I hadn't drunk all that cough syrup this morning."
Trent Lott, Valerie Plame, blog triumphalism--these our are heads on the wall!Christmas in Cambodia? Hmmmm.......
But what are the characteristics of blogs? What is their influence?
No resources, no investigative reporters, small pool of readers
Google me, baby!
no cohesion, highly ideological atmoshphere
Hey! He's describing us!
BTW, what is the technical Political Science definition of "hack"?
4:20 pm--"blogosphere" used at the 100th Meeting of the American Political Science Association
Woodrow Wilson, first president of the American Political Science Association, officially rolls over in his grave.
We need to pay attention to the structure of the blogosphere....Some are more important than others (Duh!)
Focal point blogs. Secondary impact on mainstream media---frame events, stories.
4:25 Still no Sully. I can hear Tommy Lee Jones out in the hallway:
Your fugitive's name is Dr. Andrew Sullivan: What I want out of everyone of you is a hard-target search, of every gas station, residence, warehouse, farmhouse, henhouse, outhouse, doghouse and Pottery Barn in that area!He's showing a graph representing a "power index"---ie the ranking system.
TLLB Ecosystem mentioned at APSA meeting. Woodrow Wilson rises from his grave in the National Cathedral, goes outside and wretches.
Small number of bloggers with big influence, whole bunch who don't.
Umm, I think he's talking about us, Robbo.
That's what political science does! Answer the hard hitting question. At least he didn't compare it to high school, except a weird Evil Spock Universe High School ruled by the geeks.
Shiver me timbers, but he's actually giving a formal empirical model of "link-whoring"---Woodrow Wilson's dead body gets in a cab, goes downtown to find INDC Bill, they go out and do tequila shots. The zombie Wilson body swallows the worm.
Link whoring is being presented as a filter---small blogs try to get big shots to pay attention---elite blogs have a filtering role to play.
This is the secret of the power of the blogosphere.
They find that media elites read the big blogs because
1. free expertise
2. most reporters are generalists--can rely on blogs for expertise----read this as reporters are lazy and have never heard of Google.Blogs as "early warning system" for stories.
Media types then don't need to do research themselves.Another strength---immediacy---quick framing of debates which then "mainstream" media can use.
Conclusions are twofold (which sounds cool with a Trinity College Irish accent)
1. Salient blogs matter.......okay
2. Blogs role in framing events for mainstream media that the media then uses to present to wider audience.Links of mainstream blogs to mainstream media the key.
Sarcasm aside, some interesting points. It's nice to know you can put methodological lipstick on the pig that is link-whoring.
Second paper is from Antoinette Pole & Laura McKenna, the only problem being that THEY ARE NOT WONKETTE! ON WITH THE SHOW, FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS HOLY!
Promise of weblogs for democratization.....okay, but I've got a bad feeling that "Bowling Alone" and "New England Town Meeting" are coming. If so, I'm going to have trouble keeping it down...no/low cost, small group or individual, no editorial control
"Blogroll" is uttered at APSA---body of Woodrow Wilson and INDC Bill go and start shooting at "moonbats" from a bypass on the beltway
Blogs are increasingly influencing readers for participation, donation, etc.
2-5 million blogs.
Anyone can start one---you don't need a PHD!
For the love of the lahwd gawhd, if people start getting their een-pho-may-shun from something other than PhDs, how will the Republic survive? Isn't this what Plato warned about???!!!
The horror, the horror....(said, of course, with the appropriate Elmer Fudd accent)
Women's influence
Good lawd gawd, it's the New England Town Meeting analogy.
Blogs form a new basis of participation.
Bowling Alone, but Blogging Together.
Fortunately, I didn't eat lunch today, so no problem here. Anyone reserve http://kumbaya.blogspot.com?
Do blogs increase social isolation, or are they a new form of participation?
5 Questions:
1. Bring in the disenfranchised?
2. Is blogging a form of participation?
3. Do they encouragerats, they pulled the overhead. Slow down, for chrissakes!
They surveyed a bunch of top political sites
Who writes, and do they spend a lot of time?
Didn't ask, how often are they written in your underwear sitting in the basement?Audience---more educated than population.
Perhaps too much education....Hmmmmmm? (said in my best Ted Knight/Judge Smales voice)
Plurality--spend over 1-2 hours/per day, frequently updated (well sure, how do they get to the top 100?)
No A/C in the room, we're now up to 100 people, and they are getting ready for dinner next door.
There's en fuego, and then there's hot stinkin' stuffy. We're like a bunch of stuffed bell peppers in here.
The lengths I'm willing to go for you people!
Survey finds that people do believe blogging a form of participation.How do blogs facilitate participation?
"track back" discussed empircally---Woodrow Wilson and INDC Bill round up Marion Barry, score some crack.
Comments section---modal value of #
Blogrolls- average 100 links.
I'm sitting here wondering when someone's going to bring up Laurence Simon's Dead Pool. Or trolls.
Wonkette UPDATE---she's scribbling furiously, hunched over. Roots appear to be red.
There are some things I just will not do for you!
"Blogads" mentionned. Marion Barry, by carried away by cops, screams "Bitch set me up!" at INDC Bill and dead zombie body of Woodrow Wilson.
Survey indicates that bloggers think that blogging more effective means of participating.
Allows for real ideological diversity and niches.
Blogosphere not conservative phenomena.
Conclusions---bloggers not a previously marginalized group.
Speaker spits out in sarcastically "most influential bloggers are white, well educated men, a socially advantaged group."
Well now. Socially-advantaged, yet almost all bloggers probably played Dungeons and Dragons in High School. Let's face it: the blogosphere is like the scene in Sixteen Candles, when Farmer Ted displays the trophy of Molly Ringwald's panties. Draw your own conclusions.
"Cross-linking" mentionned. Still no sign of Sully. Dogs are sent out to look for the Beagle. Tommy Lee Jones is yelling at the actor who played a good cop, but was also Guido the Killer Pimp and the psycho on the Sopranos. All the deputies blame Noah.
About 125 people now. Getting hot, and no, not the good kind of hot---rather, the stinky political science professor type of hot. Wonkette still staring at notes, no Sully. Perhaps is Andrew afraid of the Llamabutchers? I report, you decide!
Blogging provides outlet for political non-conformists
Now to the roundtable!!!
4:44
Drezner announces Mark Kleiman and Ana Marie Cox, of Wonkette (at the mention of "Wonkette" a snickering broke out in the audience)
Kleiman---freedom of press means only something to those with a press---blogger levels that playing field. anybody with access to a computer can do it.BTW, Kleiman's site is pushing the meme that Bush has fallen off the wagon, and that Cheney's a drunk too. Hey Mark---don't forget Lynne Cheney drinking the blood of public school kids, too!
"Blogging like screaming at your tee-vee set, and people hear you" (without being certifiably mentally ill)Effect of Blogger---cost of producing info went WAY down.
All good points so far.Blogging is solution to problem of UseNet discussion groups, flaming, and decline of value.
Idiots can do it, but nobody has to read it.
We're living proof of that!
Link structure is filter, the secret--helps the reader. (yep!)
Hope of blogging as a medium
Anybody can reach anybody via modemExisting media market structure going to collapse
Blogging is self-publishing----information disintermediation (cutting out middle man, between writers/stories and readers)
What are the ethical issues in blogging?
No one knows. Clearly not fairness---ie no reason why it has to be impartial "one hand/other hand" nonsense.
Bloggers think you shouldn't outright lie.
Apparently this doesn't apply to his own blog pushing the "Bush off the wagon" meme, but let us not be picky...
Big thing---intellectual honesty.Blogging as politcs
1. Cocooning---individuals pick info sources so that all their prejudices are confirmed.
He only gets 500-1000 hits in an Instalanche (We got 10K---woo hoo!)
Higher turnout in 19th century perhaps do to openly partisan media? Maybe more partisan cocooning--drive UP participation measured in voting.
Bogging might be much more cost-effective form of participation.
He's saying "you write a blog, talk about politics, talk about your grandchildren you're building community"
Wonkette rolls back her head, blushes, snickering from crowd. (or talk about porn and naughty bits, of course!).
He hasn't heard of Blogs for Bush---just said blogs not being used by campaigns. Sorry Matt.
Is this the new CB craze?10-4, good buddy! We got us here a kahn-voy!
Problem of blogs is you have to "milk the cows"---fad, because it takes real work, blogging is just a fad.I don't think so.
5:pm
Wonkette!
"I didn't realize I had to talk so this is going to be brief"
Said with her best "tee hee-aint I naughty!" voice.
"My blog's biggest power is free dinner and drinks."
combatting blogger triumphalism (like Sully!--everyone laughs; poor Sully, the Left isn't going to take him back)
For a Revolution you need to leave the house.
(and I would add, you need to be wearing pants)Blogging a form of participation to the degree that having an opinion is like participating.
I don't want to interact with people (laughter) (for free, I guess)
Wonkette's Pet Peeves About Blogs:
1. Makes bad writing pretty.when you don't have the aesthetic cues, people won't be able to get to know whether they'll get something
"Fact check your ass" mentioned, but no credit for Ken Layne.
Woodrow Wilson's dead body and INDC Bill go piss on the JFK Eternal Flame
2. Fact checking things you want to believe to be true.3. No matter how pretty a site is, bad writing is still bad writing.
good blogs are professional knowledge workers.
Eerily too much like "professional sex workers." Ewwwwww....
4. Wingnuts are disproportionately represented in blogging.(Lt. Llamabutcher, reporting for duty!)
So how do we stack up on Wonkette's Pet Peeves o' Blogging(TM):
bad writing made pretty, check; wingnuts, check; selective bias; check!
6. Demands of blogging are high---I personally don't leave the house much, I just blog and drink--but that takes up a lot of time too!So we've got THAT going for us!
I wouldn't be Wonkette if there was no sex reference:
In the end blogging is most like AOL Dirty chat rooms.
Community of people seeking to pleasure themselves, and leaving the house interferes with that.
(Crowd loses it. Men snickering, fair amount of eye rolling. Obviously has never met INDC Bill)
Cass Sunstein's speaking, and he's wondering what the hell he's doing following Wonkette.He's making the point with jurors and judges that the more reinforcement they have with other like minded ideologically, more extreme they get---group effect.
Is there direct evidence of blogs getting stories covered? He's saying no.
Drezner is blushing bright red. This is turning out perhaps to be one of those ideas which sounded great six months ago....
Non-facts get spread by cascading effect---references anti-Kerry stuff.
I guess Glenn's dig pic of Kerry's "Seared" Testimony is one of those painful non-facts.Talking about how white people with racial prejudice become more racist when talking to others who are similar. Oooooooooo-kay.
Wonkette's huched over, head down, looking like she wants to be somewhere else. (The bar?)
Something about blogs--the energy, lack of something, that makes them work.
It's got to be 90 degrees in here, and the laundry now is going strong.
Some pompous guy is going on and on....
Now, what you've been waiting for: the money shot!
The question from the Llamabutcher to Wonkette:
LB : "Do you feel at all guilty or responsible for the unholy convergence of amateur blogging and amateur porn?" (Gasp, as quite a number of jaws hit the floor)
WK: "I don't know what you mean---explain it as graphically as possible for me" (emphasis in the original)
LB: "Is this becoming more common--are you unleashing a scary phenomena on the world? I mean, you got Jessica Cutler onto the Washington Post Magazine and then Hustler..."
WK: "she did it herself. And, it's Playboy, not Hustler"
LB: "But still---will there be a convergence between amateur blogging and amateur porn?"
She fumbled around a bit, and then said, "Well, they are a lot alike. But only the best go pro..."
Well now.
Someone asked a question about blogging in more authoritarian states ( mentions China, but of course Iran is huge)
Kleiman---blogging is going to be incredibly destabilizing for authoritarian regimes.
Farrell---no it isn't at least yet. But Iran is interesting ---farsi is 4th most common language for blogging. (that's cool)
Difficult to stop and control---
Wonkette--anti-blogging point~ studying difference between top bloggers and everyone else
"super bloggers" versus Slimy Mollusks.
Cass Sunstein---blogs can undermine pluralistic ignorance---for people who don't realize how much everyone else hates the regime---radically destabilizing.
he's talking about South Africa, but I'm thinking of the NYT.
Farrell's going on power distribution curves, with a chart.....hehehehehehehehe, he said "log." (insert Beavis voice)
Someone from Crooked Timber is going on about mapping the blogosphere, cross-linking, data on who actually reads them (small size of pool as compared to all computer users).
Blah. Blah. Blah. Get in on the joke, son. (seriously, it's an interesting point.)
Someone asked about libel standards. Drezner---no real cases not between bloggers. Sunstein---same as for everyone else. Public figures, anything goes, private figures, be very careful.
Someone asks Wonkette---do public figures & families have private lives---are you basically a paparazzi?
Quip---I don't mind ruining someone's day, but not their lives.
Drug addict, alcoholic, love affairs---no. Because they're not funny.
"Affairs, drugs are sad.
S&M, gambling, mistresses---high-LARIOUS!"
"Not real journalism, therefore you don't have to follow rules."
Satire--leave it to the pros, kids!
So there you have it: quite possibly the first panel at the 100 year history of the American Political Science Assoication to feature two University of Chicago professors, and the subject of S&M, naughty bits, and power indexes all were discussed.
I'm so glad I didn't become a historian......
POSTSCRIPT:
I went up afterwards and asked if I could get a picture---she gave me this look that was quite understandably determined by her fumbling for her mace in her purse---and I said, it was for my blog---and she asked what one?---and I said, The Llamabutchers. Drezner is looking at me as if I'm from Mars. And she laughs and says, "I thought that was you." (Her comments answers are legit, folks!) We posed for the pic, but she was still holding the mace, just to be careful.
I'm willing to do many things in the pursuit of science, but getting maced by Wonkette is not one of them.
The things I'm willing to do to bring real political science to the people.
UPDATE:
.
!. Zombie Woodrow Wilson and INDC Bill? Last seen heading to Bolivia, with a plan to start over and rob some banks.
2. BTW, Wonkette was an incredibly good sport about the whole thing, and was quite gracious and in on the joke. I sense a spot in the blogroll being re-opened. Her point was perhaps the most important one, but lost on most folks: in the immortal words of Sgt. Hulka,
"lighten up, Francis." Bloggers need to take the whole enterprise a whole lot less seriously.
2. Richard Skinner of Polysigh was there too and has some observations....
Thanks for the links for Rusty, Jeff, the Commissar, Ace of Spades, and Outside the Beltway.
FURTHER UPDATE: Daniel Drezner was also a good sport about all this too.
Great, Kid. But Don't Get Cocky - Watch
Bush is now up 52/41 in the latest Time poll.
That's great. But remember, it's sixty or so days until the election. I think Bush's lead probably will increase some in the next week or so, given his strong convention and Kerry's self-inflicted wounds, but sooner or later someone in the Kerry camp is going to knock some heads together and get their man back in the game. The press will naturally fall in behind this, in part because they want Kerry to win and in part because they love an underdog.
I still think Dubya's going to win. In fact, I still think it's not going to be that close. But to quote Princess Leia, "It's not over yet."
Watch This Space
Steve-O's live blogging of Sully and She Who Is No Longer On Our Blogroll is scheduled (or sheduled, as they say across the pond) to start in a few. Please stand by.
In the meantime, I'm outa here.
Yip! Yip!
UPDATE: Ya got me. College professors - who can figure 'em?
Gratuitous Domestic Posting (TM) - Labor Day Division
No enormous plans for the long weekend. However, we are having some folks over Monday for a cookout, which means that tomorrow I have to give the yard what we call the Full Monty treatment. (This means mowing and trimming everything, including the front ditch and the little meadow behind the back fence. It usually takes at least three hours to do a thorough job.)
The cookout is one of those obligatory return engagements. We're doing it for the parents of one of the girls' little school friends who had us all over earlier this summer. At first I was rather concerned that these might be the only people coming. It's not that I actively dislike them. They're nice enough, I suppose, but I really don't have anything in common with them. In such situations, I tend to get rather tight-lipped. Especially here, where I'm supposed to be the host after all, this really isn't fair. (The Butcher's Wife, who is very much more outgoing than I am and also has the gift of all-purpose social gab, tells me that I tend to intimidate people with my coldness. I don't really believe this. I think I just bore them instead. Either way, tho, it's not very enjoyable for them.)
Much to my relief, I found that two other families are coming as well. They're also school friends, but they have much more in common with us in terms of tastes and interests. (Furthermore, as one of them is a big muckety-muck with The Carlyle Group and another works for Cheney, I can get all the inside dope on what's cooking at Vast Right Wing Conspiracy High Command.) Given this level of social dilution, as it were, I ought to be able to hold my own and play the game.
In the meantime, if I don't yip at you before then, I hope all of our readers out there have a very nice, long, relaxing holiday.
Gratuitous Domestic Posting (TM) - Garden Division
A long time reader recently asked me, "Tom, how are things in your garden?"
Super! Thanks for asking!
As a matter of fact, as I paused to look around last evening after chasing Sauron's Wraith Rabbit off for the umpteenth time, I really was filled with a sense of delight.
For those of you who may be new to this particular aspect of the Butcher's life, my primary gardening activity these days is centered in a bed approximately 140 X 60 feet at the back of my yard. It had been used as a vegetable garden by the former owner. Our first year it pretty much lay fallow. The second year, during which we had a new baby to deal with, the jungle swept in and conquered it. Last year, I beat the weeds back and put in a rectangular gravel walk with grass in the middle. This year really has been the first in which I have been able to go on offense and make the beds look like real flower beds.
Well, much diligence and hard work has really paid off. Starting mostly from seed planted indoors last winter, I now have firmly established clumps of purple and white coneflowers, black-eye susans and joe-pye weed. There is a long row of columbine and another of shasta daisies. There is a group of big, fat-leaved hollyhocks in one corner that are going to bloom like God Almighty next year. There also is some salvia that, if left to itself, would swamp everything. I also have some wonderful orange and white butterfly weed and a big, sloppy blue-flowered butterfly bush. The garden has been full of bees, butterflies and hummingbirds this summer.
In short, I now have in place the backbone of a sturdy, heat and drought-tolerant perennial garden. Other than a little bit of transplanting I need to do this fall, I really like the way it's coming out.
The next phase will be to start bringing in specimen plants. I began that earlier this summer by transplanting some Russian sage and blackberry lily from my godparents' place out in the country. I am now begining to scan the catalogues for other goodies to start under the lights in my workroom and/or maybe plant this fall. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Among the ideas I'm noodling is some coreopsis to define the fronts of the borders a bit better, and maybe some oriental lilies mixed in among my siberian iris which, being the first thing to bloom in the spring, don't have much to say later on in the year. I also need some more red - poppies, perhaps? - scattered lavishly about to liven things up a bit.
Eventually, I'm going to put in a lot of foxglove - one of my favorite of all flowers. But I have to create a new bed for them farther up the hill towards the house. (The topography of my yard tends to focus sun and heat on the main garden. I tried foxglove there the first year and it didn't work out.) Ditto for the lupin and delphinium I'm going to try at some point. I've got a cool, part sun bed picked out for them at the side of the house, but it's full of old pachysandra and weeds at the moment and will need a complete overhaul.
This fall, however, my main task will be to deal with the ditch by the street and the shady western side of the house. The ditch, which is overshadowed by very large trees, is such that little grass grows in it. Also, whenever it rains heavily, water runs off the street and sidewalk down our driveway, forming a small lake by the garage. So this fall I am going to build up a couple of fieldstone retaining beds on either side of the driveway and plant them with, oh, I dunno, ivy or pachysandra or something. (In fact, I might just save a ton of money and kill two birds with one stone by transplanting the pachy from around the side of the house.) I also need to deal with the western side yard by the garage. It's all shade and devoid of any real growth. I plan to put in a hosta border with lily-of-the-valley in front.
When I was a kid, my brother and I had to slave away every weekend doing yardwork for my father. I never wanted to see another garden in my life. I guess you can tell how long that wish lasted.
Cat Blogging
Take a look at this picture of Jessica Duchen's cat Solti (as in Sir Georg, one of the best conductors of the 20th Century).
I bring this up because Solti is a dead ringer for one of our cats named Jeeves. As some of you may know, I don't like Jeeves very much. He's fussy and vindictive. He bites the kids when they get too close. He yaks his din-dins all over our nice rugs and every night after we go to bed he wanders the house moaning like a lost soul. (It isn't because we lock him in anywhere. We don't. He has the run of the place. He yowls because we're all upstairs and he wants us downstairs.) Indeed, every evening when I get home he starts yowling at me to sit down so he can jump into my lap. Not because he really likes me, you understand, but rather because he thinks I'm his own personal property.
In fact, the damn cat is jealous of anyone else getting between him and me. This is rather ironic, considering that I am the one in the family who likes him least of all.
Anyway, all this is by way of an offer to Jessica: if you would like a Solti lookalike in order to make a nice matched set, say the word and I'll toss Jeeves into a FedEx box.
UPDATE: Of course, as Jessica gently points out, I muffed Sir Georg's name. Now corrected. Sorry 'bout that. Dang ferriners and their weirdo spelling!
As someone asked, yes, we did have a cat named Bertie. He came from the same litter as Jeeves and was the sweetest and most intelligent cat I've ever met. (I forgot to mention earlier that Jeeves is also an idiot.) Alas, Bertie died of a stroke when he was about two years old.
Our other cat now is named Jenny. (Short for Jennyanydots. T.S. Eliot's "Gumbie Cat" was a great bedtime favorite when I was very young.) Jenny is extremely friendly. However, she ain't exactly discriminatin', if you know what I mean. My sister calls her "Jennyanybody".
It's That Time Of Year
The ever-delightful Meghan Cox Gurdon reflects on the bittersweet moment of sending her youngest off to school for the first time.
We're doing the same thing at the Butcher's House this year - our 2 1/2 year old starts preschool next week, while the 4 1/2 year old goes to kindergarten and the 6 year old starts first grade. However, the girls go to a Montessori school, so this is incorrect terminology. The preschoolers and kindergarteners are all mixed together in the downstairs classrooms. At our girls' school, the youngest kids, who only stay for the morning, are known as "Morning Stars" while the over 5's who stay for the afternoon are known as "Lunchbunchers". Also, first through third graders are all mixed together in what is known as the Lower Elementary class.
So does this mean the Missus is going to get to spend her mornings eating bon-bons and watching Oprah? Not bloody likely. In true busman's holiday fashion, she is going to be teaching in one of the upper elementary classes at the girls's school. But I wrong her: The Butcher's Wife is one of St. Maria's most fervent acolytes and I know almost nobody else who enjoys their work as much as she does. So she is looking forward to the start of things as much as the girls are.
I Think I'm Being Profiled
My new commute involves about a fifteen minute walk between 6th Street and Metro Center here in Your Nation's Capital. Every afternoon as I saunter along D and E Streets, I pass some Earnest Young Things shilling for the Kerry Campaign.
For some reason, they never ask me if I want to contribute. I begin to think this is because I look, you know, conservative to them. Sort of NQOKD, if you know what I mean.
Frankly, I'm insulted. I learned long ago on my mother's knee never to assume, because it makes an "ass" of "u" and "me". But this is exactly what these kids are doing.
An outrage, I tell you.
(BTW, if they ever do solicite me, I already have a bunch of questions lined up. I'll be sure to post the results. Poaching on INDCent Bill's Moonbat Hunting Ground, I suppose, but there's plenty of game to go around.)
Kerry Throws Ball At Bush's Chest, Hits Bar Door Window Instead
[Moved Up A Bit for all the Updates]
Of course I didn't wait up to watch Kerry's midnight whine-fest in Ohio. But Katie the Resplendent Mango fisks his prepared remarks nicely. And Paul at Wizbang live-blogged it. From what I can tell, Kerry's speech seems to have been personally crafted by Michael Moore. Folks, this man is coming unglued.
You know what's rich about all this? For years the President has been subject to the most outrageous slander about everything from his intelligence to his loyalties and said nothing. Nothing. Zip. Nada. Zilch. Come now the Republicans not to question Kerry's patriotism, but rather his complete lack of leadership and judgement, surely legitimate questions, and Kerry responds with a complete hissy fit.
All fooling aside, let me offer the Donks a bit of gratuitous advice. It strikes me that part of Kerry's problem is that he's never really gone to the bigs before. He's cruised for years and years in Massachusetts politics and has come to think pretty highly of himself for it. Now he's come to the Show and is facing a real fight, probably for the first time. In this, he reminds me of Ebby Calvin "Nuke" LaLoosh:
Ebby: I ain't pissing nothing away. I got a Porsche already; a 911 with a quadrophonic Blaupunkt.Crash Davis: Christ, you don't need a quadrophonic Blaupunkt! What you need is a curveball! In the show, everyone can hit heat.
Words of wisdom, I think. Outbursts like last night's show that Kerry still has a five cent head.
UPDATE: Cat at What Now? live-blogged Meat, too.
Yips! to Right on Red, who have compiled a handy-dandy list of Blogger reaction to last night.
FURTHER UPDATE: The all-powerful Allah has liveblogging of Dubya's speech and reaction to Nuke Kerry's wild pitch.
FURTHER STILL: The Cracker Barrel Philosopher has more. So does Spoons. And Nick Queen has pictures. It's ALIIIIVE!
LAST THOUGHT: Just out of curiosity, why hasn't CNN had a story about Kerry's Rally on its front page this morning? Jess askin'.
REALLY LAST THOUGHT: John Hawkins of Right Wing News spells out the foolishness of this stunt in words of one syllable that even Kerry should comprehensimate.
POSITIVELY LAST THOUGHT UNTIL I HAVE ANOTHER ONE: Erick at Red State looks at Meat's "heater". Yips! to Pejman.
She's Baaaaaack......
Moxie is back from hiatus, providing daily dispatches from VRWC HQ, Los Angeleeze Chapter. If you don't read her keen combo of politics/Life in LA/beat-up old Porsche blogging daily, you really should.
Whaaaaa....?
Why the hell are we No. 2 on MSN search for "lopez calls afleck weekly since marrying marc"?
I mean, why would we care?
This Will Make You Toops
Introducing CrankyKid, daughter of Gordon the Cranky Conservative.
Very nice. Hiya, CK! Give us a couple years and my girls will probably be able to cross link with you.
How many other examples of family blogging are there out in the 'Sphere? I know about the father/daughter combo of Rocket Ted and Mookie and, of course, the spousal dynamic duo of Dean and The Queen of All Evil, but there must be dozens more.
WONKETTE SPEAKS!! LLAMABUTCHERS EXCLUSIVE!! MUST CREDIT ROBBO'S MOM!! THE WONKETTE INTERVIEW!! HELP, MY CAPS LOCK KEY IS STUCK!!!
In our continuing attempts to provide our regular readers (okay, so we only have two: Robbo's mom and dad) with a full service cutting-edge 24/7 wide-world of bloggy non-stop wall to wall Tasty Bits (TM), we now bring you our new feature: the official Llama Guest Interview. We provide the celebrity, you provide the questions---what could be better? Okay, so the first time we tried this it didn't work so well; I knew Dear Abby was dead, but I really did think the Oija Board would work. Live and learn. Anyhoo, we now provide our new edition: the Llamabutcher Wonkette Interview!
In the immortal tradition of Dave Barry, no, we are not making this up.
Why bother coming to the panel? I'll answer your questions here....1) Do you think blogging will ever gain widespread acceptance without it needing to be "sexed up?"
WONKETTE: No.
LLAMABUTCHERS: This just creates all sorts of unfortunate images of the "Steven den Beste Live Cam Show".......I think I can speak for all of us when I say eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwwwwwwww2) do you think that the type of writing you do and subject matter you cover on your blog is an appropriate topic of conversation at the most important national conference for the discipline of political science?
ANSWER: Are you talking about politics or ass-fucking or the politics of ass-fucking? In any case, all three seem appropriate to discuss here. But my judgement on these matters is suspect.3) "Why did you say that the only African-Americans at the RNC were janitors?"
ANSWER: Some of the janitors are also Latino.
4) "Is she a natural redhead. If the answer is in the affirmative, ask her to prove it and get pics."
ANSWER: I don't see how a picture of my red-headed grandparents would prove anything to you.
5) Since there's no requirement to even pretend impartiality, what's your view on bloggers disclosing (or not disclosing) the fact that they are paid or sponsored to write what they do?
ANSWER: I'll answer this question after your check clears.
6) I want to know if Playboy are paying finders fees these days?
ANSWER: Not to me, they aren't.
Stay tuned.
Obligatory Convention Posting - Day 4
I've decided this is going to be yer one-stop shopping post for convention thoughts all the rest of the day. So stop by often for updates.
I flipped on the tube in time to watch George Pataki. Is it only me or does he remind anyone else of Adam West? I felt like yelling "Holy Waffling Liberals, Batman!" at the screen. For all that, I thought it was a terrific speech.
I don't even know where to begin with Dubya himself. First part of the speech got a bit dull. Second part - over the center field fence. And when he misted up while recounting meeting the families of the fallen, I started getting teary-eyed.
For a terrific moment-by-moment analysis, go read Vodkapundit. Hit the link and just scroll up. Read all of them, but pay special attention to the wrap up at the top. I wish I could write half as insightfully when I'm sober as Green does when he's drunk. Stephen's waaaay more of a libertarian than I am, but I like the way he's talking.
Are you still here? Go read. Now.
EXCLUSIVE!! MUST CREDIT WONKETTE!!!
Remember, tomorrow is the big live Llama Ambush of Wonkette and Sully! 4:15 Central Daylight Time.
Okay, I did the checklist this evening:
fresh batteries for the dig cam, check
laptop bag, check
penicillin, rubber gloves, and a wire brush, check
"Dr. Rusty Shackleford" official APSA ID Badge, check
I got two different answers on whether the room has wireless (um, yes, and then no). It would be just like a bunch of political scientists to have a panel on blogging in a place without internet access. Anyhoo, I'm going over there tomorrow morning to test it out---reconaissance, you might say (insert John Belushi recon music from Animal House here). I'll keep you updated.
So far, Dr. Rusty, the Commissar, and Ace of Spades are beating the, err, bushes to get just the right questions.
Note to the Commissar: considering the circumstances, perhaps we should skip the traditional "clenched fist salute," if you know what I mean...
And, can someone get Jeff Goldstein's attention on this? I can try to go into a trance and channel some Protein Wisdom-level of hilarious insanity, but the real thing would be that much better....
YIPS! from Robbo: Jeff has his questions up. So does Kathleen the Cake Eater.