Whew. It is 31 celcuis out, which roughly translates to 92 fahrenheit. Not long ago, it was -40C, and we Canucks piled into the comments section to console ourselves. Ah Canada, gotta love it, the truth north strong and sweltering.
Midwest Conservative Journal has a piece up on the internet filtering decision regarding libraries. Since he is a librarian….(ssshhh Bene) go read.
The Heresy exposes one of Canada’s most shameful attitudes, neglect and treatment of it’s people. Colonization created more problems for our First Nations than we’ve attempted to address.
I used to believe that the First Nation’s people should respond like any other marginalized group, suck it up and work their way of their problems. After researching the subject more I realize how difficult this is. The self perpetuating cycle of racism, abuse and addictions make it very difficult to create real change.
What grieves me the most is that my people have treated another group so poorly for so long that many First Nations people hate their own identity. I have had personal friends that internalized a sense of inferiority. It’s usually combined with some form of depression. I can’t just go to them and say ’suck it up and get to work’. That doesn’t work. In many cases it probably makes things worse. I can’t imagine living in a community where internalized inferiority, depression, suicide and hopelessness are commonplace.
Suicide sites
I mentioned June 12th that Japan has an active on line culture of ’suicide’ sites, where people meet up, and sometimes follow through and die with others. Newsweek has an interview with a midwestern US professional who runs what is euphemistically called an ASH or alt.suicide.holiday web site.
Liberia
As fighting between the government and rebel troops increase after the breakdown of a fragile peace agreement, thousands of people are again in harms way. And cholera is also a serious concern.
Tom Quinn, a nurse with Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), told BBC News Online that there is a cholera epidemic in Monrovia but he and his colleagues are unable to reach the cholera unit, where 111 people are staying, because of the fighting.
The WHO has lifted the SARS advisory for Bejiing. That is very good news for a Canadian couple.
Commenting on the comments
I’ve done comment posts, talking about moving from a re-active to pro-active place when we are at someones blog expressing our opinion. Karen Neudorf of Beyond Magazine has a post on comments.
Some bloggers say that having a comment feature available is what turns blogging into community. In this way, they say, the writer is not just shouting out his opinion but inviting conversation. It’s a nice idea but from what I’ve seen, it’s not working.
Nope. Doesn’t work for everyone.
There have been times a comment has been just the ticket to get me and others thinking, and times I’ve flipped the ‘none’ switch.
Comments are the fast food of good communication. For example, a letter to the editor usually takes some time. You try to figure out what you’re thinking and explain it in a way that may be worthy of some ink space in a newspaper or magazine. Online discussion groups can be conversational and, if well managed, respectful of members’ opinions. If you put the work in, there can be some good back and forth.
Yep. And I’ve seen well thought out, respectful comments that are a better read that my posts. (did I say my?!)
Comments seem to act like a kind of information highway road rage. People punch that little button and whip off words without thinking. When you read some people’s comments, you just want to forward them onto a good therapist. Maybe they’re sitting at their desk feeling frustrated with family or co-workers and the blog they’re reading just puts them over the edge.
Yep. I agree, but I know from experience the blogger sets the tone. People write blogs. People comment. There is cause and effect.
If you’d like to respond to Karen’s post, you can send her an email. I suspect she is a great deal more organized than I am….my inbox is a disgrace.
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That’s the nice thing about Seattle. Today it’s going to be about 82 F. A few months ago it was 50 F. It rarely gets above 90, and it rarely gets below freezing. Plus, we’re wedged between the water and the mountains. It’s wonderful.
Pity the city can be so lame.
Chris: Can I come visit….we are only 10 degrees above the norm here, but, man, it’s 10 too many!
The humidex is 33C….
Always welcome, Bene.
Well, maybe not *always*, but certainly most of the time. Bring your passport so you can get home again.
My personal view is that comments are essential parts of the blogging experience. Perhaps, however, that’s because I studiously avoid combat in the comments field, but I welcome the feedback on my posts. One of the functions of my blog is development of my personal theology. Perhaps it’s my early exposure to the Jewish tradition of theological debate, but my opinions are formed and reformed, refined and reflected by argument and comment from outside.
I’d even argue that yesterday’s distributed flamewar taught good things to several people. Keep the comments — Comment on!
When it’s topping 41C, then its starting to get hot Bene
It seems that displacement and disenfranchisement of the indigenous population is the hallmark of European colonisation of the new world.
In Australia our treatment of Australian Aboriginals has been appalling. Now we are throwing large bundles of money at the problem and it is having little or no effect. Why, because being wealthy and displaced and disenfranchised is only marginally better than being in the same situation and poor.
How do you repair centuries of cultural abuse? Sadly I think it is not possible but we must continue to try.
Lol… Chris, our humidex has hit 45 two summers in a row.I know you had a warmer summer than what we are potentially facing!
As for the track back, I’m getting an error message and need to figure out how to read the activity log.
Sorry about that. In trying to make it work, I’ve missed something. Thanks for letting me know. Blog on.
Somehow I seem to avoid the whole reactive thing. I get enough of the while serving in “the ministry”. It’s not that I want to be brainless but rather that I find my soul is tired and what I want to do is simply write. It’s not often I get myself tangled in punditing and counter-commenting. Some people thrive on it. I don’t.
My blog space at uncollectedentries is about the day, my day, days. Opinion shows through naturally as we all have our ‘voice’. It’s where I let my psuedo writer slash artsy self out to play.
gooddogbaddog.ca is now a place to spark people to think through things in the form of a MEME but it centers down, most often, on things related to personal/spiritual growth and tends to avoid the hot, hot issues.
If that’s lame or light, so be it.
Email taught me early on how dangerous flamming can be, how easy it is to be misunderstood, how fruitless it really is to place oneself in the place of defending self let alone a point of view.
So, I have carved out a place for me. I don’t expect much more than that.
Always appreciate you Bene and your well observed highlights of the blogosphere.
thrive
O
[i did not spell check this, too tired. I'm sure it shows]
Right now here in Canon City it’s 70 degrees F. (where’s that handy-dandy F to C converter when I need it?!). So, I’m pretty happy!
You know how I felt about comments and now my wife gets onto me b/c I don’t have’m.
I think comments are essential. There will always be crap, but I’ve learned something from everyone one of the heated discussions on my blog. There are certain things that don’t get brought up unless the conversation is open to everyone. I think its my responsibility to allow people to critique me and help me learn. I feel much better when people force me to clarify what I’m saying.
I miss stuff when I’m writing. Sometimes what I intend to communicate isn’t what is communicated. This stuff gets caught and explained when people are allowed to comment.
There will always be flame wars and hard feelings but I think the cost of limiting the conversation is higher then having to endure some negative conversation.