Cincinnati is my home town, and I recognize the civic virtue of knowing her better, being more involved.
But the primary media, like the city in general, always comes off as dull and smug, and vaguely complicit with the politicians and their development cronies. And the alternate media waves their arms endlessly about social issues and the native conservatism.
So I’m looking for people in blogosphere in Cincinnati proper, northern Kentucky, and the outlying areas. I’m more interested in how our local issues tie back to national ones, but I’m also getting tired of watching the city make unfortunate choices.
Thanks to Cincinnati Blog for the cordial welcome. I would like to likewise send a link out to Schizophelia Jones, a strong local voice I’ve been reading. A Blogroll is forthcoming, with national and local selections. Meanwhile send comments here.
Space Tropic
Madeleine Albright has been dusted off and placed in front of the cameras to wag a finger at the Bush administration about “moving the process forward” between Israel and Palestine.
But Arafat’s funeral turned into a mosh pit with machine guns, which doesn’t inspire confidence in existing Palestinian leadership. And I expect Hezbollah also has ideas about moving the process forward, especially since they acquired those funny new Iranian robot planes.
Maddy has played the expectations game in the past. I have a hunch she’ll be visiting the Sunday morning legacy media shows spinning the same talking points. Something similar is happening to Tony Blair, who has been told by the Labor Left to assume the position prior to the next election.
Space Tropic
Pay attention, I’m moving quickly.
* Partisanship rides again: Some people are toying with a case against the Gonzalez appointment over the Geneva Treaty.
* Reflexive guilt from the non-winners. But not as alarming as gloating fat men with firearms. Everyone, anyone: bust out the digital camera and join the fun! Maybe both sides can swap domain names in ‘08 if the election goes Blue.
* Clowns, gaijin, and sandwiches make a disturbing mix. (Requires Windows Media)
* Firefox Mozilla is the surfer’s choice, especially if you visit blogs with many links. The tabbed browser makes it easy: Press the control key when you click, and another tab magically opens up underneath for that website.
* Some members of my miniscule readership continue to ask for the ability to post comments. But I’ve been on the Internet long enough to know that political discussions go one of two ways: An echo-chamber of agreement, or a downward spiral of nastiness, ending with “Nazi” accusations. In both cases half the readers go away.
* I am 2/3 of the way into the ‘His Dark Materials’ series by Philip Pullman. It’s billed as juvenile literature, but it’s better: First class, inventive fantasy, and a subversive re-telling of Milton’s Paradise Lost. The only reason these books haven’t been banned by the extreme religious right must be because they simply haven’t heard of them.
There’s the roundup. Please send me email, I would like feedback.
Space Tropic
Liability Warning: Today’s items are not suitable for the exceptionally embittered.
If you don’t read the NY Times you might have missed this story about a marine and CNN journalist that ‘met cute’ amid the mayhem in Iraq.
She looked up from her desk at the Palestine Hotel in Baghdad a few days later, and there he was: dirty, loaded with weapons, and grinning because he had found her.
Also, this marine writes harrowing, battlefield-level accounts of the fighting around Falluja, posted as letters to his dad. This is the real McCoy. (But … people who don’t think war is ever necessary should steer clear.) His last post, incidentally, was November 3rd.
Space Tropic
Conflicting news stories of Yassar Arafat’s death are in keeping with his life: He always dragged things out, and wanted it both ways.
Dennis Ross, author of ‘The Missing Peace’, was on Chris Matthews tonight. I actually sat up and paid attention. Ross explained how Arafat consolidated his power by bilking Europe for aid money to the tune of $300 million, and “governed” by shrewdly doling it out to friendly political factions in exchange for favors. The future of the region may depend on who among Arafat’s potential successors has control over the remaining pile of money, and whether or not they are capable of making the system more transparent.
Progressive European guilt in exchange for kleptocracy? Sounds familiar.
UPDATE: Soon after this post went up it looks like Arafat actually died. Let’s hope the final result of this will be a new opportunity for peace in the region.
Space Tropic