Old Controller on Michael Hiltzik, the L.A. Times Pulitzer Prize winner who has been caught leaving comments on his own blog (and other people's blogs) under a name other than his own:
When it comes to being pathetic, this sets a new benchmark... I have, probably, five consistent readers. That's a guess, actually, because I don't really know... But even I, with my little bitty blog and my very small readership, never felt compelled to stroke my own ego -- or anything else, for that matter -- by inventing online personas who chimed in to agree with me.
My imaginary playmates say Old Controller's right. And we agree. And so do I.
On a more serious note, the Hiltzik story points out a significant topic. We've heard a few stories now about Pro-Jos (professional journalists) who act like drunken middle schoolers when it comes to ethics in the blogosphere. Which is odd, because the rules here seem pretty simple to me: Be honest, disclose your conflicts and biases, treat others the way you want to be treated.
Not that pro-jos are the only ones who do such pathetic things, but they do tend to make a much more satisfying "thud" when toppled off their pedestals.
ELSEWHERE: Agricola says the good work being done by American troops ("though under-reported by our friends in the MSM") will have a more lasting effect in winning the peace than will the efforts of suicide bombers... Paul asks what the federal government should be doing better and gets three straight answers without a single hint of smart-ass snark, which has got to be some kind of all-time blogosphere record...
MUSC Tiger, which has been staying on top of the Ryan Holt video silliness, notes that the USC Student Senate went into secret session to discuss it. I wonder what they look like when they're being serious behind closed doors? ... Chuck dug the Robert Randolph and the Family Band gig at the Plex... Episode 16 of Annie and Jay's Whatever podcast is out!
The Mustang is at All Saints Church, Pawley's Island, but Windveil's thoughts are on Easter:
Now, today, April 21, you're probably sighing, " Well, thank heavens Easter's over." You would be wrong. It ain't half over and for you sinner's, hell ain't half full. Easter has a Fifty ( 50 ) day run so there's plenty of time for your soul to pick up a nail and go flat halfway down this road. You clueless lot who think you can prove or disprove Easter may also believe that you can speed right through these 50 days, but you'll just wear the tread clean off your soul. We haven't found this important principle in scripture yet, but the soul is where the rubber meets the road.
Mike is looking for camera-buying advice
and thinking about the generational changes in his neighborhood, where
young couples have been cropping up lately. Mike likes it, but his
neighbors? Ehhh... not so much. Anyway, the good news from Notoriously Niceland? Champ has
figured out how to cope with the his E-collar. O the humiliation...
Xark fronts the April 29th Uplifter session at Kudu Coffee (you're all invited)... Eugene and his wife celebrate their anniversary... Janet and I, by the way, got married at the Mailboxes Etc. by Vickery's on our lunch break seven years ago last week... but that's NOTHING compared to Joan's wedding story. We'll let her tell that one, though... Speaking of the Walking One, Joan caught a bit of the Monty Python celebration downtown, and a fun time was had by all...
THE WRITING LIFE (and variants): Man, we've got a lot of people around here up to their necks in creative endeavors. Makes us feel like slugs.
I count three roles for Nick at The Scratching Post: 1. arts festival journalist; 2. event organizer/producer and 3. actor. Hey, Nick, while you're up, would you mind bringing me a beer?
bellascribe is in the midst of writing some fiction, but takes a blog-break to consider a poem, the film Bee Season and Tikkun olam, the Jewish mystical concept of "repairing the world."
I liked the film of this novel though I’d never been able to bring myself to read the book. Just tired of that kind of narrator (excerpt here) — third person present tense observing and sometimes trying to sound as the child. Rarely do I see a film that makes me decide to go back and read the book, but this time I might.
Kelly is writing too, only she's writing notes straight to the Universe...
Since I have your attention, thanks for allowing me to waste my twenties on a series of self-absorbed, self-important, seriously flawed human beings. I guess the fact that I no longer trust my own judgment when it comes to choosing men just makes me a stronger person. And thanks in advance for the mid-life crisis I feel coming on. I sincerely hope your whimsical plans won't end with me living on some beach in a hut made out of mud and palm leaves with a psychotic ex-Hell's Angel biker and our love child.
Writer Janetlee is fretting: "I have spent this last day ... vacuuming and dusting and dish washing all in an attempt to postpone what I've been working on all week: a query letter to an agent. Holy High Pressure Batman!" Meanwhile, Jason describes his busy schedule and observes:
Like I say right in the beginning to the folks in my workshops for aspiring writers, “Yeah, so you’re ready to see your name in print. But are you sure you’re ready for organizing notes, compiling background materials, transcribing interviews (ugh) from tape, scheduling appointments, re-scheduling appointments with no-shows, trying to get those who sound like they are reciting a press release when you interview them to open up and speak from the heart, driving to and from who knows where in search of a story, bookkeeping, query letters, waiting months for replies from query letters, writing, revising, and revising some more when the first submission gets kicked back from editorial?” For those who are, I say, “Great! Let’s begin…”
Man, this writing gig is tough. You know, the Army gave me a form that said I'd be qualified to work as a heavy equipment operator. Maybe I should dig that out and see who's hiring...
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