Soccer Dad: Submitted 08/08/2007

August 8, 2007

Submitted 08/08/2007

This week's Watcher's Council Nominations are in.

Bookworm Room leads of with Always look on the bright side of life. In it she considers the field of Republican candidates for President and, despite the supposed doubts, finds herself impressed with their records of accomplishment.

Apropos of the I-35W bridge collapse in Minneapolis, The Glittering Eye considers How do you know when a bridge needs attention? In a nutshell, his answer, is "always." And it's also a metaphor for our nation's infrastructure in general. Ever hear of Galloping Gertie?

In Gonzales, Intelligence and Perjury: the Penultimate Word, Big Lizards considers the Democratic charges against AG Gonzales and finds that they've stretched his statements well beyond his original intent to charge him with dishonesty.

Colossus of Rhodey.Hube's I didn't do squat - now give me a passing grade is a real hoot. It would make excellent satire - if it weren't true.

In Tancredo and Tonic, Done with Mirrors reflects on recent sabre rattling by Congressman Tancredo. His conclusion: as outrageous as the statements seem in our day, historically, it's hard to argue that they are that crazy.

Cheat Seeking Missiles seeks out liberal hypocrisy at a progressive publication in Racists and classists at Mother Jones. He highlights a profile of a do-gooder who is happy to do good, except in his own neighborhood.

Okie on the LAm observes how Newsweek attacks Global Warming deniers. Perhaps not surprisingly it's written by "science" writer, Sharon Begley, who earlier promoted the idea that Republicans have an advantage in politics because they're fearmongers and that fear overcomes the good sense of the average voter. Sharon meet kettle.

The education Wonks want to know if this how to build a better NCLB. The wonks seem skeptical if ought to be done on a national level.

Rhymes with Right covers the same territory as Colossus of Rhodey, in Grading Policies. What he adds is his own similar experience that, fortunately, turned out well.

In Olmert evicts Jews from Hebron JoshuaPundit goes over the outrageous story of this week's removal of two Jewish families from the marketplace of Hebron. He emphasizes two essential aspects of this story.
1) That the government behaved in bad faith.
2) That those who hold sacred the UN's formulation of the inadmissibility of land acquisition or land settlement by military force only applies to Israel. Historically Jews lived in Hebron until the massacres of 1929 and 1935. (I've seen the doorways of the buildings there. They have holes where mezuzahs had been. If Jews don't belong in Hebron, it's because the Arab violence was acceptable. For more on this topic please see Elder of Ziyon and the Muqata. Ans since this is the Shalhevet neighborhood, read Seth Lipsky's meditation on the Little Flame.

Right Wing Nuthouse recounts his Excellent Adventure at the Yearly Kos. He tells Republicans to dismiss the power of the Yearly Kos at their own peril. Compare to Bookworm Room's entry.

Finally, I entered Agents of Influence a reply to a recent post by Bookworm Room. Two of my council colleagues have commented on it. But I look at this week's entries and see some validation of what I wrote. The thrust of my entry was that blogging means that you're a part of a community, by utilizing the community or being recognized by it you can affect perceptions even if you're not a Higher Being.

Shortly after I submitted my entries for this week's vote, I received an e-mail from Meryl Yourish asking for help in promoting Elder of Ziyon's Grim Milestone Reached..., my non-council submission. It was an excellent effort showing that the Palestinian violence had turned on their own. I e-mailed a number of correspondents, while Meryl informed some bigger bloggers. After a day the post had accumulated 25 incoming links most significantly from Instapundit. Thus this important observation was shared with thousands, many of whom learned something new.

Also the entries by Bookworm Room and Right Wing Nut House showed that some bloggers get greater attention by writing in venues other than their own blog. (In the former case it was American Thinker, the latter case it was Pajamas Media.)

In short the blogosphere is an excellent incubator of talent. If you display enough talent, you will likely move ahead, improve your visibility and affect the conversation taking place in the blogosphere.

Read. Enjoy. Be informed.

watcher's council.