Showing posts with label Blogs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Blogs. Show all posts

Sunday, April 08, 2007

Thinking Blogger Award (Tagged by DesertPeace!)

This began when Renegade Eye tagged DesertPeace with The Thinking Blogger Award … which was then graciously conferred to this writer’s site. Thank you very much, DesertPeace, I shall endeavour to continue posting articles in the future that continue to capture your imagination and, of course, make you think.

The FOUR blogs that I have selected as my honourees (see note at end of list), in no particular order … (drum-roll please) … no, wait: I must first mention that there are two sites that have been awarded that I would have included on mine but shall not, for the obvious reason that this would quickly become a silly game of “mutual admiration” if that took place.

Previously Awarded and Worth Honouring Again Category PAWHAC): Benjamin Heine’s Blog: Ben Heine is, in my opinion, one of the most talented political cartoonists and all-around artists emerging in the field today. His blog is a wonderful reflection of this young man’s exceptionally creative mind where each new work of art is a gem to behold.

The second and final PAWHAC goes to the site that tagged me: DesertPeace: also known to some (and me … most of the time) as my father. While we have had our differences in our thirty-eight year relationship (beginning when I threw-up on him when I was a few months old and he was bouncing me above his head … not a smart thing to do after dinner, but he was warned). I can always count on his blog to provide me with something that I need to know, or should know, about the situation in Israel/Palestine. Venceremos!

Now, in no particular order, I have selected five blogs that I visit when I get the chance that have never fail to “make me think”…

Weird Cake: Treats from a Bipolar Mind: It is difficult for me, someone who proudly goes by the screen-name “CrazyComposer”, to not relate to the writings on “Weird Cake”. Quite often there is a feeling of “been there” and “got the T-shirt” whenever I read what AriadneK is going through. One of the most difficult things that we must remember when we are in this struggle for our minds is that we are really not alone; there are far more people going through similar battles at the same time, we just have to look around and we will find the help we need. This is a blog well worth visiting.

PeacePalestine: The name says it all, and rightly so: peace is not an answer to a question, it is an inescapable reality that to which there is only one alternative; the utter annihilation of humanity. As she writes at the end of her profile, “Only through Justice can there be peace.” This blog makes you think about the hard things going on in the world; it is a blog well worth visiting.

Jews sans frontieres: Mark Elf has created an anti-Zionist blog that serves to strike out against the lies being churned out by the propaganda machine run by AIPAC and their stooges in Washington. Elf takes on, without fear, the issue of Jews being against the pernicious virus of Zionism without the fear of being labelled anti-Semites by that ignorant segment of our society that has bought into the fictions perpetrated by “puppet-masters” (if you adhere to the conspiracy theories …) – the desperate attempts by some pro-Israeli Jews (and other misguided souls) seeking to protect their xenophobic views by advocating the “right” to kill innocent civilians in the name of security, civilians who have the audacity of seeking their homeland within the hallowed borders of the “state” of Israel; it is a blog well worth visiting.

My final award is a bit unconventional in the sense that this isn’t a blog in the truest sense of the word … so sue me. One of the few news programs that I watch with any regularity is “Countdown w/ Keith Olbermann” on MSNBC. The show has a corresponding blog where you can find many of the interviews, clips and other excerpts from the nightly show. The most interesting feature, the feature the “makes you think” is entitled the “Olbermann Special Comment”. These comments are absolute gems and are well worth examining and spreading through the ether.

So that’s it, my contribution to this little bit of Net-madness … to those of you who weren’t nominated, sorry … you can’t win all the time. To the winners, congratulations and keep making us think!

Now obviously there are only four sites listed here (though I honestly didn’t realize that when I originally posted this) … mea culpa. At the moment I am unable to select a fifth honouree for the simple reason that there are several worthy contenders. As well, I am trying to complete a project that has prevented me from following many blogs of late with the regularity that I normally would have if my time were not so constrained. In other words, this shall not be the last time I visit this topic; the fifth “Inner Voice of the CrazyComposer Thinking Blogger Award” shall be awarded in due time.

Thank you for your patience, and for continuing to open your minds to the possibilities that insanity can, at times, produce ideas that reach beyond the mundane things contained within this thing we call “humanity”.

Below are the “rules” regarding the “tagging” and propagation of this award.

For those of you who have been tagged, should you choose to participate, please make sure you pass this list of rules to the blogs you are honouring (tagging): I am including here, as part of this post, along with the meme.

The participation rules are quite simple:

1. If, and only if, you get tagged, write a post with links to 5 blogs that make you think.

2. Link to this post so that people can easily find the exact origin of the meme.

3. Optional: Proudly display the ‘Thinking Blogger Award’ with a link to the post that you wrote (there is an alternative silver version if gold doesn’t fit your blog).


Monday, December 18, 2006

Comments: Freedom of Speech

It is said that change, like many other things in life, is inevitable. That doesn’t mean that I have to like those changes. Here is a case in point: this blog. Since I began writing on … or for this “thing”, whatever it is to be considered by future sociologists (aside from a phenomenal waste of time for the most part, but that’s just for some of the one’s that I’ve come across … there are many in the blogesphere who challenge the “serious” journalists with their pursuit of the truth), the blog that I began so long ago has changed several times.

Most of the times the changes have been the result of something that I wanted to introduce in order to make this a site that was more interesting to visit, and visit again and again. It takes time to write the articles that I post and I would like to think (and hope) that there are some people that actually do stop by to see what there is brewing inside this complicated distillery that doubles as my brain.

This most recent change, unfortunately, is not something that I wanted to make, but am forced to as a result of circumstances that have been taken out of my hands by people who have been visiting this site. I know that there are some visitors by virtue of the comments left for some of the articles that are posted, and I have tried to encourage an open dialogue, even with those who may disagree with my views. I am not naïve enough to believe that everyone will be persuaded by my arguments (or rants), though it is a nice thought.

There have been some individuals, however, who seem to believe that the idea behind the “freedom of speech” extends to the usurping of someone else’s rights. While those of you who may be reading from within the great Empire of the United States of America, or if you are one of the citizens of the Empire, I am sorry to inform you that the amendments to the constitution for which you are so proud are not applicable on this blog.

The writer/owner/administrator and sole creator of all original material posted upon this site is a resident and citizen of the Dominion of Canada, a sovereign nation governed by its own set of laws … and we even have a constitution. Having said this, I must now inform the readers of this blog that comments will now be moderated before being posted to the site. I am not in favour of this policy, but in lieu of the recent hate attacks that occurred on this blog and on Desert Peace’s, as well as the posting of two comments containing advertisements (by the same person under different names) just a day ago, I am left with no alternative.

The comments with the advertisements shall be deleted, and future attempts to include such spam will find a similar end. Legitimate links that would be of interest to the readers of this blog are, of course, welcomed.

I want to assure readers that this is not being done in an attempt to stifle negative comments: these shall still be posted, so long as they are not rife with profanity and personal attacks. If you want to rant and rave, start your own blog. If you feel that this policy is a violation of your “freedom of expression”, get over it: this is the Internet, not Amerika.

Write what you want as comments. The only things that will be automatically rejected are comments that contain overtly hateful or racist language, as well as anything misogynistic or depicting violence against children. If the comments are on point and present an idea that isn’t an attack, it will be posted.

If your comments don’t appear immediately it means that I am not online at the time and will review submissions as soon as I’m logged on again.

Thank you for your patience, and for reading. I will have some “micro stories” to post soon – a new genre of short stories that I discovered this weekend … a truly marvellous way to tell a tale.

Until then, take care, and enjoy the pre-Christmas shopping psychosis … and Happy Chanukah!