Very Unscientific Poll

We at the Institute wish to conduct an experiment.

As you know, we do from time to time comment on political matters. We believe that some issues are so important that they bear attention and scrutiny. It is for those reasons we include political blogs in our blog reviews.

As you also know (if you are reasonably coherent and awake), SC&A do not take any politcal positions (of course, our positions are the correct positions), nor do we endorse any paricular ideology.

With that in mind, we're curious as to the mood of the blogosphere as it relates to events in Iraq today. (if you just rolled your eyes, shame on you. Your kids will have to deal with decisions that are made today. If you're truly not intersted, fake it).

Iraqis just voted freely for the first time, in record numbers.

Was it worth it all?

The Time Machine

From time to time, we at the Institute will republish various previously published works and reviews, so as to better get to know us and how are minds work (we know what just went through your head).

They will appear in no particular order.

Today, we are going to link back to 'The Idiots Guide to Sigmund, Carl and Alfred.'

Many of you have read this, many of you have not.

We don't care which category you fall into, please reread these pearls of wisdom and you will be the better for it (hopefully).

People You Want to Know

We have received a number of comments and emails about our new offices.

We will repeat ourselves, somewhat.

A very special thanks to Priss, that very talented individual who custom designed and decorated our new offices. Priss kindly stepped into the breach and came through with this design in a few short hours. That speaks volumes as to capabilities, design sense and exquisite taste (naturally, we know about these things). We had looked at a number of web site designers, all talented. None however, were as original, gifted and downright decent as Priss.

If you're looking for blog or web design with a bit of class, check Priss out. The designs are not repetitive or are easily identifiable (and someone who knows all that code crap, which might as well be ancient swedish to us)- the mark of a real artiste.

Is this a plug? Yes. On the other hand, have we ever, in our reviews, been off the mark? No.

We'd also like to thank SquareOne of One to the Nth Power. She had immediaty volunteered to do the job, and despite a heavy schedule (like our own overbooked office) was willing to step into the breach. Is this a plug? Yes, it is. SquareOne is good people, period.

Breaking in the Couch.

Time to break in the new couch.

Our new office got us thinking about refocusing on idiot bloggers, that breed of you that insists on behaving like idiots. This post addresses those idiots.

What is the need you have to publicize your 'stats'? Why in earth would anyone care how many hits or comments you have? Do you really think that by announcing your numbers to the world at large, your idiot blog will be regarded by people of any level of intelligence, with any higher regard? Do you think that those illusory big number are any more than a public annoucemnent that you've decided to take unit 'extenders' or that you wear a Victoria's Secret pushup bra that you have further modified? Do you believe that we don't understand how many of you will try to doctor the numbers, so as to hide the fact that you really are an insignificant pipsqueak?

In the end, it boils down to reality, an often misunderstood and rarely seen quality among bloggers.

The reality is that most of you can't write. You are not Petite Anglaise or Real E Fun, two examples of very fine blogs that engage their readers like few others do, with good writing and intelligent thought (yes, that is another reason you are precluded from ever having a good blog). Neither are you Michele (yes, that Michele) who understands that her readers do not need to be talked down to- and has created an environment where they are welcome to share their ideas and opinions (yes, you've tried to copy her or make her ideas your own. There is a reason you've failed, moron).

Let us put it to you in terms you may understand. The crap you write has about has about as much nutritional value as a fast food burger. No matter how you dress it up, that is what your producing.

Good blogs are much better fare. In other words, they are like a fine dining experience, with an ever changing menu and always superb dessert cart, day in and day out. Some of you may boast of bigger numbers, but that is irrelevant, given your menu of crap. Smarter bloggers have smarter and more thoughtful readers, and it shows. Smarter readers do not have memorable experiences in fast food restaurants (that is your blog, in case the analogy is too arcane). No one expects to celebrate a happy occasion or anniversary in fast food joint (tell your future better half or wife, coming up on an anniversary, that you want to take her out to celebrate that big day with selections off the 99 cent menu. See how that goes over), and no one expects better conversation in a bowling alley.

It is also important that you understand that the rest of us know you have have a crap blog. Even you know you have a crap blog. Why else would you bitch about someone else's blog and try to run them down? Why else would you try and copy ideas, simply because you think it might improve your 'numbers'?

Have you ever noticed how really good bloggers read each other simply for the sake of reading (no, I guess you don't)?

Do you realize that good bloggers don't run each other down? Do you understand that good writing inspires good writing and intelligent writing inspires intelligent writing?

Think of it this way- you, idiot bloggers, what have posted or have done for your readers that is memorable?

If you read a good blog, there are ideas and posts that immediately spring to mind, that still challenge you and make you think, laugh or cry. There have been posts that stick in your mind, haunt you or may have even changed the way you look at things.

There is something else that seperates you from good bloggers (beside your stupidity).

Good bloggers do not have to foster a personal relationship with their readers. They do not force themselves on their readers. They let their ideas speak for themselves. Even those good blogs that are personal accounts, are more about ideas than they are about personality. Readers return to good blogs because the authors establish loyalty by virtue of their ideas, writing and how well they engage their readers.

Ask yourself a question- what was your most memorable post of the last month?

Now that I've planted that idea in your head, you can see where I'm going with this.

You are an idiot. Good bloggers are not.

NG Update

Native Girl and myself would like to thank everyone for their kind and good wishes.

We have been innundated with emails and messages, and we have been somewhat overwhelmed by it all.

We have decided to take down certain posts, as it was never our intent to change the focus of our respective blogs.

Welcome to the Housewarming

Welcome to the SC&A housewarming.

Please don't ruin the couch.

Haloscan commenting and trackback have been added to this blog.

Reflection, Travels

My career has afforded me the opportunity to travel- and for that I am very grateful.

I have been to many places and I have seen much natural magnificence- that fantastic tapestry that is the natural world. I have also seen museums, art galleries and even in more humble surroundings, showcases to man's ability to create art and objets d'art, that are truly a testament to that side of ourselves that can create extraordinary expressions of beauty.

have also been to places that have moved me, deeply, realizing that although myself and those around me have been blessed, there are people and places that are not so fortunate and that trite expression, 'not so fortunate' cannot even begin to describe the chasm between what we know to be true about suffering and what we take for granted.

I have also been to places that can best be described as a gateways to Hell. Those places are so awful, so horrible, that one cannot help but be changed by them.

Auschwitz, in Poland, is one such place.

There will be much written and said today, throught the blogoshere and in the media, about the Wansee Conference, that gathering of evil people who decided, in a very clinical way, that a people were to be exterminated, for no other reason than the fact they existed.

There are many people today, who will write about the Wansee Conference and offer up wise words and ideas of what that all meant.

I will not be one one of them. Instead, I will talk about what I have seen, on my own, in my travels.

No matter how well one thinks they understand the horrors of Aushwitz, no matter how well read on the subject they may be, no matter how many old newsreels and photographs they have been exposed to, nothing- absolutely nothing- can prepare anyone for what they will see

Imagine a large industrial or chemical plant complex. Then, triple or quadruple the size. That is how big the killing factory was. Make no mistake- it was not an internment camp- it was a death factory.

One and a half million Jews perished in that camp alone- of that number, half a million were children under 16 years of age. This is not an exaggeration or calculation. By their own admission and record keeping, those who perpetrated the evil, have told us so. These numbers do not include the millions of Poles and others put to death in Auschwitz.

After a while, you get used to the size of the place. You become numb to what transpired there, as the numbers become even more incomprehensible. The reality of those exhibits and the remnants of real human lives force you to divest yourself from forming an attachment to those lost souls. The mountains of shoes, eyeglasses and even battered old hats become no more than curiosities. It has to be that way, because if it we didn't have that defence mechanism, we would be unable to cope.

There were medical 'experiments' on twins, the 'less than perfect' and a host of of others, done in that Place of Darkness. I will not go into that. It was my intent only to remind you of that. Those of you with children, myself included, cannot shut out those sounds, that still resonate in the silence. It is the most terrible sound I have ever heard.

The Russian steppes are places of magnificent natural beauty. On those steppes, 20 to 30 million (no one really knows) people were killed. They were killed because they were in the way. There are whole towns and villages, that once existed, that are now gone. The towns, villages, and the inhabitants are all forgetten, never to be remembered, by anyone. They were killed not because of who they were, but rather, because they were in the way- by the same people with the ideologies that casually decided that a whole group of people were to be exterminated.

It wasn't just Jews that were singled out for extermination. Gypsies, homosexuals and the mentally ill were all 'inferior' or 'depraved- and thus were to be eliminated as well, with equal zeal. The difference was that the perpetrators of these crimes chose to publicly single out the Jews- the scapegoats of those who offer nothing but evil, throught history.

Late last night, I had a converstaion with a friend. We talked about the similiarities and differences that people share. We talked about values- those universal ideals that are not tainted by ideologies. The best of those ideals are what bind us all together, in families, societies and cultures. We may speak different languages, eat different foods and listen to different music, but in the end, there are noble ideas that are universal and help us live up to our potential. To abandon those ideals is to embrace evil and indifference.

There have been killing fields the world over- Cambodia, Sierra Leone, Rwanda and Darfur, just to name a few. We have allowed that to happen, comfortable in our existance and far removed from those tragedies. We are happy being blind.

Post Holocaust, is that blindness the legacy of Christianity?

In the Middle East, whole cultures and societies that had nothing to do with the Holocaust, embrace the evil doers and celebrate their crimes. They, who should have the moral superiority to chatise the Christian world for our inaction and self imposed distance, choose to identify with evil- so much so, that they teach it in schools and echo the hatred in political and religious milieus. We see the celebration of murder and evil on a scale heretofore unprecedented. We hear it daily and say nothing. We have this need to 'negotiate,' it seems, with evil. We cannot seem to take a stand. History repeats itself.

Regardless of the politics, can we really say that societies and cultures that willingly and publicly embrace that evil are moral equivalents? They are not. We must address that reality. We cannot allow that to enter the geo-politcal debate. Left unchecked, that evil will eventually manifest itself.

I visited Auschwitz on a rainy day, the ground soaked and soft underfoot. The grass smelled sweet, fresh and inviting. I remember quite clearly, the sucking sound of my shoes in the mud. It was as if I were being tempted to focus on something else- anything that would take my mind off of the Place of Darkness.

I remember looking down at my now muddy shoes. For a moment- a very long moment, the grass was red.

My career has afforded me the opportunity to travel- and for that I am very grateful.

I have been to many places and I have seen much natural magnificence- that fantastic tapestry that is the natural world. I have also seen museums, art galleries and even in more humble surroundings, showcases to man's ability to create art and objets d'art, that are truly a testament to that side of ourselves that can create extraordinary expressions of beauty.

I have also been to places that have moved me, deeply, realizing that although myself and those around me have been blessed, there are people and places that are not so fortunate and that trite expression, 'not so fortunate' cannot even begin to describe the chasm between what we know to be true about suffering and what we take for granted.

I have also been to places that can best be described as a gateways to Hell. Those places are so awful, so horrible, that one cannot help but be changed by them.

Auschwitz, in Poland, is one such place.

There will be much written and said today, throughout the blogoshere and in the media, about the Wansee Conference, that gathering of evil people who decided, in a very clinical way, that a people were to be exterminated, for no other reason than the fact they existed.

There are many people today, who will write about the Wansee Conference and offer up wise words and ideas of what that all meant.

I will not be one one of them. Instead, I will talk about what I have seen, on my own, in my travels.

No matter how well one thinks they understand the horrors of Auschwitz, no matter how well read on the subject they may be, no matter how many old newsreels and photographs they have been exposed to, nothing- absolutely nothing- can prepare anyone for what they will see

Imagine a large industrial or chemical plant complex. Then, triple or quadruple the size. That is how big the killing factory was. Make no mistake- it was not an internment camp- it was a death factory.

One and a half million Jews perished in that camp alone- of that number, half a million were children under 16 years of age. This is not an exaggeration or calculation. By their own admission and record keeping, those who perpetrated the evil, have told us so. These numbers do not include the millions of Poles and others put to death in Auschwitz.

After a while, you get used to the size of the place. You become numb to what transpired there, as the numbers become even more incomprehensible. The reality of those exhibits and the remnants of real human lives force you to divest yourself from forming an attachment to those lost souls. The mountains of shoes, eyeglasses and even battered old hats become no more than curiosities. It has to be that way, because if it we didn't have that defense mechanism, we would be unable to cope.

There were medical 'experiments' on twins, the 'less than perfect' and a host of of others, done in that Place of Darkness. I will not go into that. It was my intent only to remind you of that. Those of you with children, myself included, cannot shut out those sounds, that still resonate in the silence. It is the most terrible sound I have ever heard.

The Russian steppes are places of magnificent natural beauty. On those steppes, 20 to 30 million (no one really knows) people were killed. They were killed because they were in the way. There are whole towns and villages, that once existed, that are now gone. The towns, villages, and the inhabitants are all forgotten, never to be remembered, by anyone. They were killed not because of who they were, but rather, because they were in the way- by the same people with the ideologies that casually decided that a whole group of people were to be exterminated.

It wasn't just Jews that were singled out for extermination. Gypsies, homosexuals and the mentally ill were all 'inferior' or 'depraved- and thus were to be eliminated as well, with equal zeal. The difference was that the perpetrators of these crimes chose to publicly single out the Jews- the scapegoats of those who offer nothing but evil, throughout history.

Late last night, I had a conversation with a friend. We talked about the similarities and differences that people share. We talked about values- those universal ideals that are not tainted by ideologies. The best of those ideals are what bind us all together, in families, societies and cultures. We may speak different languages, eat different foods and listen to different music, but in the end, there are noble ideas that are universal and help us live up to our potential. To abandon those ideals is to embrace evil and indifference.

There have been killing fields the world over- Cambodia, Sierra Leone, Rwanda and Darfur, just to name a few. We have allowed that to happen, comfortable in our existence and far removed from those tragedies. We are happy being blind.

Post Holocaust, is that blindness the legacy of Christianity?

In the Middle East, whole cultures and societies that had nothing to do with the Holocaust, embrace the evil doers and celebrate their crimes. They, who should have the moral superiority to chastise the Christian world for our inaction and self imposed distance, choose to identify with evil- so much so, that they teach it in schools and echo the hatred in political and religious milieus. We see the celebration of murder and evil on a scale heretofore unprecedented. We hear it daily and say nothing. We have this need to 'negotiate,' it seems, with evil. We cannot seem to take a stand. History repeats itself.

Regardless of the politics, can we really say that societies and cultures that willingly and publicly embrace that evil are moral equivalents? They are not. We must address that reality. We cannot allow that to enter the geo-politcal debate. Left unchecked, that evil will eventually manifest itself.

I visited Auschwitz on a rainy day, the ground soaked and soft underfoot. The grass smelled sweet, fresh and inviting. I remember quite clearly, the sucking sound of my shoes in the mud. It was as if I were being tempted to focus on something else- anything that would take my mind off of the Place of Darkness.

I remember looking down at my now muddy shoes. For a moment- a very long moment, the grass was red

Reflection, Travels

My career has afforded me the opportunity to travel- and for that I am very grateful.

I have been to many places and I have seen much natural magnificence- that fantastic tapestry that is the natural world. I have also seen museums, art galleries and even in more humble surroundings, showcases to man's ability to create art and objets d'art, that are truly a testament to that side of ourselves that can create extraordinary expressions of beauty.

I have also been to places that have moved me, deeply, realizing that although myself and those around me have been blessed, there are people and places that are not so fortunate and that trite expression, 'not so fortunate' cannot even begin to describe the chasm between what we know to be true about suffering and what we take for granted.

I have also been to places that can best be described as a gateways to Hell. Those places are so awful, so horrible, that one cannot help but be changed by them.

Auschwitz, in Poland, is one such place.

There will be much written and said today, throught the blogoshere and in the media, about the Wansee Conference, that gathering of evil people who decided, in a very clinical way, that a people were to be exterminated, for no other reason than the fact they existed.

There are many people today, who will write about the Wansee Conference and offer up wise words and ideas of what that all meant.

I will not be one one of them. Instead, I will talk about what I have seen, on my own, in my travels.

No matter how well one thinks they understand the horrors of Aushwitz, no matter how well read on the subject they may be, no matter how many old newsreels and photographs they have been exposed to, nothing- absolutely nothing- can prepare anyone for what they will see

Imagine a large industrial or chemical plant complex. Then, triple or quadruple the size. That is how big the killing factory was. Make no mistake- it was not an internment camp- it was a death factory.

One and a half million Jews perished in that camp alone- of that number, half a million were children under 16 years of age. This is not an exaggeration or calculation. By their own admission and record keeping, those who perpetrated the evil, have told us so. These numbers do not include the millions of Poles and others put to death in Auschwitz.

After a while, you get used to the size of the place. You become numb to what transpired there, as the numbers become even more incomprehensible. The reality of those exhibits and the remnants of real human lives force you to divest yourself from forming an attachment to those lost souls. The mountains of shoes, eyeglasses and even battered old hats become no more than curiosities. It has to be that way, because if it we didn't have that defence mechanism, we would be unable to cope.

There were medical 'experiments' on twins, the 'less than perfect' and a host of of others, done in that Place of Darkness. I will not go into that. It was my intent only to remind you of that. Those of you with children, myself included, cannot shut out those sounds, that still resonate in the silence. It is the most terrible sound I have ever heard.

The Russian steppes are places of magnificent natural beauty. On those steppes, 20 to 30 million (no one really knows) people were killed. They were killed because they were in the way. There are whole towns and villages, that once existed, that are now gone. The towns, villages, and the inhabitants are all forgetten, never to be remembered, by anyone. They were killed not because of who they were, but rather, because they were in the way- by the same people with the ideologies that casually decided that a whole group of people were to be exterminated.

It wasn't just Jews that were singled out for extermination. Gypsies, homosexuals and the mentally ill were all 'inferior' or 'depraved- and thus were to be eliminated as well, with equal zeal. The difference was that the perpetrators of these crimes chose to publicly single out the Jews- the scapegoats of those who offer nothing but evil, throught history.

Late last night, I had a converstaion with a friend. We talked about the similiarities and differences that people share. We talked about values- those universal ideals that are not tainted by ideologies. The best of those ideals are what bind us all together, in families, societies and cultures. We may speak different languages, eat different foods and listen to different music, but in the end, there are noble ideas that are universal and help us live up to our potential. To abandon those ideals is to embrace evil and indifference.

There have been killing fields the world over- Cambodia, Sierra Leone, Rwanda and Darfur, just to name a few. We have allowed that to happen, comfortable in our existance and far removed from those tragedies. We are happy being blind.

Post Holocaust, is that blindness the legacy of Christianity?

In the Middle East, whole cultures and societies that had nothing to do with the Holocaust, embrace the evil doers and celebrate their crimes. They, who should have the moral superiority to chatise the Christian world for our inaction and self imposed distance, choose to identify with evil- so much so, that they teach it in schools and echo the hatred in political and religious milieus. We see the celebration of murder and evil on a scale heretofore unprecedented. We hear it daily and say nothing. We have this need to 'negotiate,' it seems, with evil. We cannot seem to take a stand. History repeats itself.

Regardless of the politics, can we really say that societies and cultures that willingly and publicly embrace that evil are moral equivalents? They are not. We must address that reality. We cannot allow that to enter the geo-politcal debate. Left unchecked, that evil will eventually manifest itself.

I visited Auschwitz on a rainy day, the ground soaked and soft underfoot. The grass smelled sweet, fresh and inviting. I remember quite clearly, the sucking sound of my shoes in the mud. It was as if I were being tempted to focus on something else- anything that would take my mind off of the Place of Darkness.

I remember looking down at my now muddy shoes. For a moment- a very long moment, the grass was red.

Hip Hoppin' Away...

Yesiree, we live in the Hip Hop generation.

It's bad enough that 90% of Hip Hop music is masquerading as art. These great poseurs of the new musical and cultural literati have managed to worm their way into our stream of conciousness because some idiot decided that the morons who pay $200 dollars for a pair of sneakers (and own 14 pairs) are important enough to be considered as something other than idiots- and the musical crap they come up with should be considered 'art' so as not to offend the ill meaning and ignorant little bastards. No one it seems, has the stones to refer these consumers that can't wait to piss away their money, just how out of touch with reality they really are.

What that means is that we're stuck with a multitude of people (who marketers define as a 'demographic') who can barely read, defining and dictating a segment of societal norms.

For you idiots who don't understand that, we shall explain it to you in simple, 6th grade (read: blogger) terms.

The vast majority of Hip Hop fans are stupid. I'm sorry, do you feel slighted? You do? Then we rest our case. You are an idiot.

Here's the deal. Barely literate people have no concept as to what art is. Sitting in front of a TV or playing video games for days on end, fueled by Doritos and Pepsi, does not make a Hip Hop 'artist' culturally aware of anything or qualified to be taken seriously as offering 'social commentary' via artistic expression. Want to talk about society or culture? Get out and actually live, work and play in your community. Want to be an artist? Read, participate in life, so as to understand the world around you. Then, and only then can you begin to understand who and where you are- and thus, express yourself in a meaningful way.

The object of real art is to heighten awareness and to make us see things in a different and new way. It is not to buy oversized SUV's, pay for an entourage of hangers on or to start gang wars. Nor is Hip Hop a vehicle for suburban kids to be a part of something lacking in their own lives.

There is an innate need on the part of humankind to physically express creativity. We see it from childhood onwards. Young children create to express themselves, for example, not for the purpose of benefitting themselves. Give a child a piece of paper and a crayon and watch what happens.

More sophisticated art wants send a message- to support or tear down barriers. Those messages are validated by real life experiences and not by the desire or motivation of self aggrandizement.

Even the earliest cave art met those criteria.

Do you find those notions 'biased'? Too bad, moron, that is reality. Think it isn't so? Take a good look in the mirror and tell us that Hip Hop has made your world a better place.

Wearing oversized and hugely overpriced anything that bears the label 'FUBU' or whatever else is the label du jour, does not qualify anyone as an arbiter of good taste or send a unspoken message about the wearers coolness or awareness.

We at SC&A don't give a rats ass as to what you wear. However, the need to put someone else's name on your ass (whosever name it may be), visible to all, says a lot about you, period. Mostly, it says what an inferior jackass you are and points to your insecurities (you know, like your blog does). We understand teenage angst, too- that time in your life where stupidity takes over and the you believe the weight of your very existance really matters- but usually, with the exception of really lousy bloggers, most of you will grow out of it and move on with your lives.

There are exceptions, of course. Some of you will attach importance to your own inadequacies. There are now blogs dedicated to Hip Hop, written by full blown self serving and self absorbed types, attempting to legitimize the noise of Hip Hop as an 'art form'.

The aptly named 'A Tribute to Ignorance' is one such effort. This blogger provides classic Hip Hop artistic commentary (here's a good example) that highlights our point.

'Hip Hop Blogs is another literary masterpiece, providing such gems as this, by his own admission, agreeing with us. At least he deals with reality, if only for a short time, before he goes back to extolling the merits of Hip Hop stupidity.

Like Hip Hop? Agree with the message? Like the way women are referred to? Like the way violence is extolled as just another expression of 'communication' and self expression? Good for you, that's cool. Says a lot about you. Notwithstanding the 'explanations' provided by the 'experts, Hip Hop is what it is. If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck- well even you get it.

Enjoy it for what it is- but whatever it is, it's not art. As a fan, you do not belong to the artistic and cultural literati. You are still the same idiot you always have been- and, as a fan of Hip Hop, you tell the world that's pretty much what you will remain.

For many, Hip Hop is the musical equivalent of lousy bloggers- no meaning, no substance and self absorbtion.

Think about that.

Psycho-Therapists to the blogsphere.

The usual wit, wisdom and brilliance can be found here.

Sigmund, Carl and Alfred

Bidden or unbidden, we are there.

Two Six Shooters and Sacred Cows

It's that time, folks. SC&A are going hunting for the sacred cows of the Left and the Right- with guns blazing.

First, the preamble.

We at the Institute are working on several reviews, some good, some bad. All this writing, examing and analyzing has led us to an irrevocable conclusion: Most of you are clueless fools when it comes to politics.

Now, don't misunderstand. That you are clueless idiots isn't your fault. You have been deluded into thinking you are reasonably intelligent and educated. Of course, nothing could be further from the truth. That so many of you subscribe to certain political view (not ideologies- for the most part, you are incapable of actually understanding what a ideology really means), and acknowledge that by parroting the one liners and zingers that are bandied about, only highlights your level of spectacular shallowness.

Now, that isn't to say that there aren't smart people out there. Every political blog we have reviewed, is written by smart people, who are aware and understand current realities. Do they have an agenda? Yes? Do they push the envelope sometimes? Sure they do. The difference is that these bloggers will engage readers of different opinion and each does so intelligently (an effort wasted on many of you). They may do so with wit, highandedness or sarcasm, but they do endeavor to argue a point rationally. Those with whom they engage may disagree, but as I said, they do the job right. Just because you may lose an argument with an intelligent blogger doesn't make the blogger an idiot- it makes you the idiot.

The good bloggers we refer to can be found on the 'Good Blogs' list to the right. Get up off your sanctimonious ass and learn something. They are smarter than you.

Preamble over. First , the Liberals, then the Conservatives (Tomorrow, we will change the order, so as to piss everyone off.)

The Democrats lost the election because they pissed away their base- hardworking, honest people, many of whom are church going folks. That the jackass union leadership can't deliver anything but corruption, are friends of the Dems is testimony to the moral bankruptcy of the Dem party. Choosing to worship at the feet of Hollywood (real idiots) and the artsy farsty, rather than extol the virtue of the common man and his worth and value, the Dems have abandoned even the pretense of being representative of mainstream America.

Going to church or believing in God doesn't make anyone an idiot or less American. Not being from hip New York or California doesn't make the citizens of those other states less important than you, either. Being an antagonistic atheist should not be the litmus test for being a liberal. Americans don't need a political machine to tell them what to think. Groupthink went out with the Soviet Union. Someone tell the Oliver Stone, Castro and DNC.

As Martin Luther King dreamed, it was the 'content of his character' that defined a good man. Get off your high horse- your liberal character leaves much to be desired. By simply dismissing those whose beliefs differs than yours, well, you define yourselves rather clearly, much like the evil of last century. Take a good hard look in the mirror. (Yes, I'm going to repeat this when I discuss Republicans).

Just this past week, Tim Russert noted the following fact. Voters from the 10 poorest states (conservative) give more charity per capita than voters from 10 richest states (liberal). So please, liberals, don't tell anyone you care about 'people.' You don't, care, never have cared and never will care. Instead of seeking therapy over the election, why don't you go out and do something for someone else, who needs your help- oh wait, then it wouldn't be about you, would it? Oh no, we can't have that, can we. I mean, poor people in your state can't be as important as your self esteem, right?

Further, don't give us that 'Bush is Hitler' crap. It embarasses you and everyone else. If you can't see why, don't be surprised if your children (many of who are undoubtably smarter than you), grow up to be conservatives. Let's be clear. The first term of Mr. Bush's presidency has not left millions dead in our streets, butchered for their political beliefs or religious affiliations. We know you wish there were it so (and that says volumes about you).

As for Conservatives, things aren't as rosy as they'd have you believe. Simply going to church doesn't mean you are morally superior to those who don't. By looking down at the non religious, you show yourselves as elitest and exclusionary as your political adversaries. You can be a conservative and be gay, an atheist or even (gasp!) non Christian! Deal with it.

President Bush won the election because he managed to steer the conversation away from the real problems his administration faces. The secrecy and unopeness go against our values. The problems with the war in Iraq were apparent to all of us long before White House 'candidness.' We aren't as stupid as Karl Rove would you believe. Tell it like it is, and let us think for ourselves.

Not happy with legal abortion? Too bad. Until you come up with volunteers to raise children put up for adoption by millions of women who will be unable to have abortions, well, your voice is irrelevant. Show us the money, the alternatives- then we'll talk. Until then, your voices don't mean a thing. Bitching about 'morning after' pills is Trojan Horse issue. The 'morning after pill' has been available for decades- pop a couple of birth control pills instead of the one and poof- 'morning after pill.' Don't make it sound like you didn't know. Conservative women aren't that stupid. Why emphasize that they are, if not to score stupid points in a game that in the end, won't change a thing?

Michaelangelo's painted nudes. That is art. The nude human form can be art, and has been depicted for centuries. The Sistine Chapel ceiling is covered in nudes. The Pope is not a pervert. Covering up Lady Justice in about as stupid as stupid gets. That's life, deal with it. The Catcher in the Rye is art, as are other literary works that discuss human sexuality, homosexuality and so on. Feel free not to visit the Vatican, museums or read certain books. Let the rest of us live in peace.

As Martin Luther King dreamed, it was the 'content of character' that defined a good man. Get off your high horse- your conservative character leaves much to be desired. By simply dismissing those whose beliefs differ from yours, well, you define yourselves rather clearly, much like the evil of last century. Take a good long look in the mirror. We could go on of course.

We've barely scratched the surface, but hopefully, even you're starting to get the point. Now, a few concluding generalities:

As noted, there is art and there is art. A crucifix covered with urine or feces isn't art, nor is a performance that allows for the splashing of AIDS infected blood into the 'audience of literati.' By the same token, there are beautiful art photos of nudes, enthralling and mesmerizing in their beauty. Not every nude image should elicit a sexual response. If it does and you are not between the ages of 14 and 19, seek help.

Larry Flint does not publish anything of merit. We're not discussing his right to express himself, but please, he's not an icon to anyone. He, and his ilk, are pigs. Lionizing him as a poster boy for the American way of life demeans us all. Trying to kill Larry Flint, however, is not how decent people conduct themselves. We are not Islamists.

Abortion is legal. That's how it is. No one likes abortion, especially when used a form of contraception, save the bitter women who don't give a damn about other women anyway. Anyone who supports partial birth abortion (most often practised by women who couldn't be bothered to deal with their pregnancy earlier), have no right to rail against capital punishment.

Abortion is legal. That's how it is. In the end, what anyone does is none of your business. That's right, it's none of your business. If you think it is, well, I'm going after you, for smoking or being obese. If you die early, we are stuck with footing the bill for raisng your less than stellar kids. If your kids get ill, well, we don't want to pay for that either. Mind your own business.

Healthcare is broken, but not as badly as some would have you think. No one gets turned away from County Hospitals. That still doesn't mean we don't have to fix the system.

Prescription drug care is easy. Cut the dividends by 10% and poof- drug prices go down dramatically. Not the capitalist way, you say? Fine- call it a tax. Everyone is happy, no one is happy- as it should be. Too many people can't afford drugs.

OK, enough for now. We're going out to dinner. While we eat, you go read the good blogs.

Mommy Blog With Personality

Mommy blogs, for the most part, all come off an assembly line. Babies, diapers, crying and brilliant children are all part of the picture (brilliant that is, till the kid gets to the first grade. By October, many parents pray for a child that will someday reach any level of consciousness). Tales of cuteness, stories of emergency bathroom run wins and losses, are de rigeur on these blogs.

Most mommy blogs are boring. Very boring. A filled diaper is a filled diaper, and like your job, your diary or that scribble you write and call poetry, no one really cares. I've made a small fortune listening to mommies talk about the revelation that is motherhood, as if they alone can describe the changes in the cosmos they have effected. Puts every one of us to sleep. The fact that motherhood has been around for quite a while seems to escape these roaring (read: whining) women.

There are however, exceptions to the rule. BusyMom is one of those exceptions. She offers something besides the usual fare. Her blog is interesting, in no small measure because BusyMom herself is interesting. More on that later.

The proof is in the pudding, as they say. BusyMom has a community of readers. Like Michele, BusyMom is a cut above the rest. Her readers are involved in her efforts, and it shows. She posts a mix of light fare and more evocative material- including material in which she not only questions her motives (boring- Joan of Arc syndrome and everybody else does it) but more importantly, her actions and reactions in more complex situations. The comments generated by her posts can be measured in numbers, quality of responses and that ever elusive, engagement factor. Any idiot can have a personal blog (and many, many do), but very very few manage to maintain a community. A personal blogs that claims only readership but can't maintain an involved community is about as memorable as walking by canned hams in the supermarket.

On the surface, BusyMom runs a tight ship and makes no secret of who is in charge in her House of Bedlam, populated by those masters of nefarious plots, her kids.

Beneath that cool, polished exterior however, BusyMom has a personality and a sense of humor. This is evidenced in her writing and choice of graphics- cool, sublime and a female image devoid of overly deveoped knockers- a current (and nauseating) blogeress favorite.

I suspect after a couple of martinis (at least two of which are missing from her tray), BusyMom is quite the character, charming, humorous and knows more interesting jokes than she cares to admit to.

And that is what separates BusyMom from the crowd. She's got IT.

Tomorrow, back to the usual hatchet jobs.

Originally posted 6 December, 2004