Categories
Weblogging

Free the Dishmatique!

Recovered from the Wayback Machine.

Being the shy, retiring person that I am, I rarely bring up my membership in Blog U. However, when the man who holds the purse strings at Blog U, The Happy Tutor issues a call to action, who am I not to respond?

Tutor writes, in alarm, about the possibility of censorship with the budding new Crimson Blog Brigade, otherwise known as the Weblogs of Harvard. In particular he’s concerned about the following paragraph:

 

We want to be sure that all activities on Harvard-hosted weblogs are respectful of Harvard, and don’t exist for the purpose of promoting a product, or political cause or candidate.

 

Not promote a product, political cause, or candidate. This would ban about half of weblogging material, leaving only cats and sex as safe topics.

In defense of product endorsement, Tutor addresses another Blog U member, Jonathon Delacour, and Jonathon’s promotion of that erstwhile cleaning utensil, Dishmatique. Tutor writes:

 

Is Harvard Weblogs saying that, in the unlikely event the half-witted A-list Blogging Aussie were to attend Harvard that his weblog would be in violation of the rules against promoting products on a Harvard Weblog?

Not having ever used a Dishmatique since this is tool wielded only by males at Blog U, I wasn’t as alarmed by the possibility of Dishmatique becoming a banned topic. However, since I’m in the midst of writing a flogging post about Jonathon’s most recent post, I felt it only prudent to join with AKMA in support of my sudsy comrade at this time, even to the point of saying that Jonathon is more than a half-wit. He’s at least a three-quarter wit, and a little change to spare.

Categories
Weblogging

Double takes

Dorothea accepts a challenge that I don’t remember making and has put her weblog into the public domain. Well, cool. Aquarionics took her up on her offer in a surprisingly short amount of time. Comments look nice in the design.

Personally, I could care less what people do or don’t do with their writing, painting, photography, music, weblogs, web sites, and even tables. Seriously. You’re all big boys and girls and can do whatever you want, and accept the consequences of same.

I think I’d rather talk about something else, such as music. For instance, if you haven’t heard Norah Jones sing, you’re missing out on a wonderful experience. I don’t care if you like Pop, rock, country, jazz, blues, or soul, you’re going to like Norah. Luckily, there’s two sites that contain complete recordings of some of her songs, including ones from her debut album, Come Away with Me. I love the whole album, but favorites are The Nearness of You, Come Away with Me, Nightingale, Shoot the Moon, and Don’t Know Why.

I guess that’s half the album. But then, I also like the Painter’s Song, and …

Look: Take a moment, click a link, sit back and enjoy beautiful, beautiful music. And then go over to Aquarionics and leave him a comment that he can continue to use the image if he keeps the look.

Categories
Weblogging

Only room for love and run-on sentences

Congratulations to Ben and Tempe Vierck on the birth of their baby Rebecca. This event is made more special by knowing how hard and how long Ben and Tempe have been trying to have this little sweetheart. A little peek into the archives from about a year ago says it all.

Then, Ben wrote:

 

we will have children. it’s been almost 7 years of anticipation, disappointment, doctors visits, cycles, drugs, tests, and surgeries, but we will make it.

Ben writes today:

 

monday morning at 7:56am my daughter arrived weighing 9 pounds 11 ounces measuring 21 inches from head to toe. she is beautiful and healthy.

i’ve been searching for words since monday night… and i haven’t found any… except to say that she has healed me even though i did not know i was sick. we have had many moments, some lasting for hours, where she makes me perfect. room 768 is our world and there are only 3 people. mommy, daddy, and rebecca. she sleeps on top of me while i lay on my back and she heaves and hos her little belly and breathes little swishes of air in and out onto my cheeks and in each breath there is no room for war, or economy, or labor… there is only room for love and run-on sentences.

Rebecca already has her own weblog.

You know, sometimes this is all worth it, isn’t it?

Categories
Weblogging

Here come da Librarian

Congratulations to my favorite librarian-to-be, Dorothea Salo, for getting accepted into the UW-Madison School of Library, starting Fall, 2003.

Enjoy Dorothea’s weblog now, while you can. Come this fall, the writings going to dry up for sure when she has to hit the books.

Congrats, Dorothea!

Categories
Weblogging

Speaking anonymously

I stated once before that if an anonymous commenter wrote something against other commenters who at least left their names, or made comments I felt to be racist, sexist, or bigoted, I would pull the comments.

I pulled a comment this morning that was all three.

I won’t pull a comment — even one bigoted, racist, or sexist — if the person is willing to put their name on the line. But I won’t provide a forum for a gutless wonder.