While the BSE (Mad Cow) ping pong pontificating bounces around the media and political parties with re-acts, we still aren’t sure who is supposed to take the ‘blame.’ Canada? The US? So who ‘owns’ the latest sick cow?
The cow needs to be traced to herd of origin. The feed needs to be traced.
The latest is that the cow was born prior to the 1997 ban on ruminant protein. Isn’t there a verse in the bible that says hoofed animals shouldn’t be fed animal parts? There has been a debate raging for years.
This is a North American problem according to Alberta Premier Ralph Klein.
Alan Creech
He dashed off a post on what is happening with the Church.
And it got attention because it spoke to the heart of the matter and swept a bit of the verbal dross away.
What strikes me, is not just the clarity of what he posted, but the comment section.
If I could point out what many of us strive for in a comments section, it would be this one. I firmly believe as bloggers we set the tone and moderate the discussion. And I’ve been criticized for holding that belief, and have heard all kinds of excuses for poor behavior from people who claim to know better.
Although I have never had this number of comments, I believed it can be done.
There is a marvelous blend of commenters, good re-action from the blogger; some of the best that this genre can offer. There was no name calling, no flaming, no verbal abuse or intimidation. And as I post, there are 65 comments, and the thread hasn’t deteriorated. People showed each other respect which has been my number #1 plea this year for blogging. It is learned behaviour and it can happen.:^)
More for Blogging for the blogger
On the heels of LivingRoom’s series on blogging for most of us, JP Carter of the evangelical outpost has compiled his series on how to be a successful blogger.
I think using his model, the Strivers and Agenda-setters will find his information on success and promotion useful. If you pundit, I suspect this series will be quite helpful if you are looking to drive up your hits in time for the US 2004 election. Carter draws heavily on the work of Hugh Hewitt and expands with his own definitions and ideas. This is a US pundit bloggers or wannabes dream series.
While you will surely fail if you aren’t any good, excellence alone may not be enough.* My purpose is to find and illuminate for the deserving blogger the means to gain entry into the top tier. Once they arrive, reputation and skill will have to keep them there.
I’ll save one important aspect of success — the relationship between audience and influence –for a future post.
*Let me clarify that my reference to excellence in blogging does not refer to my own site. Not only do I consider myself an “average” blogger but I have doubts that my writing and/or analytic ability will be able to carry me very far. Nevertheless, I believe that I can be useful to those who are more talented by providing them with any insights I obtain on the journey.
Some humbleness is a terrific starting point, especially in the political blogging genre where the memes are too often pompous, arrogant, power driven and inclusive. It is actually refreshing to see a political blogger who isn’t afraid to be ‘incestuous’ by looking at the blogging medium.
Most of us won’t begin fit the models Carter presents, because of location, citizenship, skin colour, gender, education or approach to our faith, and that’s ok. Most of us don’t need to.
I wonder if the ‘classifications’ used at god-blog portals need to be reworked.
And I wonder if we’ll see the type of splitting we saw last year in the build up to the Iraq war.
I think 2004 will be a pundit blog year as I’ve mentioned previously. Positioning is already taking place.
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What’s irritating about he mad cow is seeing US newspapers saying there’ no danger to the public. When it’s a British cow, they ban beef. When it’s a US cow, there’s no danger.
Ali, I haven’t followed the BSE outbreak closely but it is a bit confusing. However, while the last major BSE outbreak in England was quite serious, in the end, a very very small number of people were affected given the overall numbers of people who consumed ‘contaminated’ meat. So maybe they are trying to weigh up the costs of needlessly panicking people given the lessons we learnt then.
On the other hand, I’m a former blood donor: as a precautionary measure (the Red Cross here says there is no conclusive proof), I have been banned from giving blood for several years now here in Oz because I lived too long in the wrong country at the wrong time - i.e. I may have been exposed to BSE. I was a bit confused to read that sort of precautionary measure is only now being considered in the States….
Bene it sounds to me I should be glad I didn’t enter the blogosphere during the lead up to the Iraq war.
The US banned blood from Brits at least 5 years ago. People who spent more than 6 months in the UK between 1986 and 1996 are in the same category as prostitutes and intravenous drug users, banned from donating for life.
Saint:
There was high emotion in the blogosphere in the lead up to the war, and it was er, um, interesting. I learned a lot about grace and realized that in times of high tension such as that time period, we find out just how much we are committed to being like Jesus Christ and living out our love in word and deed.
As for the BSE (vCJD) the best research I’ve seen is from the UK. I was reading British research today (there is a lot available online) and I admit I’m a bit stunned to also read today that the US Agricultural Department is just beginning to put some common sense reforms into place.
Ali thanks for that info. Now I know why I am confused!
Bene, it sounds aweful but I think, based on what I have recently learnt, imaginable. I agree that pundit camps will be increasingly polarized in 2004, though I hope with a bit of humility too. Some lessons in there for opinionated people like me too should I continue blogging…not that I’m a pundit.
Happy New Year to you and your readers Bene. Yours is defintiely a great blog!
p.s. Alan Creech’s post was a ripper!
Thanks Bene, and Saint. Your pointing out that comment thing was cool as well. That’s something I was talking about with friends as this thing kept on going and going - that it was all very peaceful, even when people were asking hard questions - it continued to stay on a good tone. I don’t get just flaming people up and down in an arena like that - makes no sense - nothing gets accomplished. This was a great discussion. All the children played well with others.
Peace to you.