No Runny Eggs

Jo Egelhoff of Fox Politics thinks highly enough of Jeremy Shown (not pronounced with “own” at the end) that he guest-blogs for her from time to time. She is a good judge of character, so it’s time to add Rhymes With Clown to the roll. Anybody who has “agitate” as part of their blog description is someone with potential, and someone who does it from the right side of the aisle is definitely worth reading.

First things first, I need to add one of the blogs run by one of the many people I met at BlogCon this past weekend, BatesLine. Michael Bates runs it out of Oklahoma.

Now, the tech note. Michael informed me that Google Chrome is now twigging blogs that use BlogRolling.com blogrolls as purveyors of malware. While I haven’t noticed any actual malware with either Internet Explorer or Firefox (and my suite of security software), I did notice that when one clicks a link off a BlogRolling roll, they put an ad at the top of the page. Therefore, I’ve decided to take down the Moronosphere and the Blogs4Bauer rolls because they use BlogRolling.com. I don’t know if I’ll bring back the B4B roll since “24” is no more, but when I get time, I’ll hard-code the Moronosphere roll and put it back up.

The header of this humble little blog was one of those featured on the welcoming sign at a meet-and-greet between bloggers and House Republican media staffers yesterday, and something seems to be lacking in the visual presentation department. Back when I was merely trying not to be Mt. Vesuvius, the lack of a real logo wasn’t at all a deal. Now that some people are starting to notice this little hole in the wall, Plain Jane just isn’t cutting it anymore.

The problem is, I’m a techie, not an artist. The other is this place isn’t exactly a money-maker (notice the lack of ads or even a tip jar), so I can’t exactly go out and buy the best logo money can buy. Hence, the bleg. HELP!!!

Jimmie laid the smackdown on Jonathan Strong’s candy ass after Strong attempted to smear the Rightosphere with the “payola” charge. Let’s review the heart of the carnage (emphasis in the original):

Did you see that “many” right there? Strong never does support that assertion. He doesn’t even cite “many” bloggers in his article — I roughly counted five or six that he mentioned or quoted and only one more he tried ineffectively to finger paint with the blogola charge. So where are these “many bloggers” who are sucking down the GOP-geld. Mr. Strong does not say. Heck, he doesn’t even try to say.

I will tell you folks this right now. Jonathan Strong’s anonymous sources are full of crapola. I have been blogging for over six years. I know several people who have worked, and still work, for Republican candidates, prominent members of both the House and Senate, and the Republican party itself. None of them have ever offered me so much as a penny for any coverage, whether pro-GOP or anti-Democrat. It has never happened. Now, I admit I don’t have traffic numbers that make people drool, but I’ve been around. I have a pretty healthy network. If there was some filthy, filthy partisan cash floating around, I would have been touched by at least a little bit of it. But no, it is not at all “standard operating procedure”.

But let’s look at the second anonymous catapult-load of slime that Strong passes off as good info. His source says that half the right-wing bloggers are getting paid under the table by unknown Republicans campaigns and operatives. Really? Half? Tens of thousands of right-leaning bloggers out there and Strong seriously thinks that half of them “at least” are on the take?

The closest I’ve been to being offered something of value by either a campaign or a party as a result of this almost-5-year volcano venture is getting media credentials to the last three Republican Party of Wisconsin state conventions, and I didn’t just slouch around during any of them.

I’ll let Tony Montana handle the remainder of my response:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BffVW-G6yGk[/youtube]

This is the Emergency Blogging System. It has been activated because the AoSHQ-certified Moron™ who runs this place is off to fight the mosquitoes, walleye and smallmouth of the Boundary Waters. That means you’ll have Shoebox and the guest-bloggers classing this place up until either late on August 11 or sometime August 12.

Your offiical instructions are to have fun and don’t break this place. This concludes this activation of the Emergency Blogging System.

I’ll be at RightOnline in Las Vegas this weekend, so blogging on my end will be non-existent. Fortunately, Shoebox and I have put together a family of great guest-bloggers (which, coincidentally, was added to this morning) so things won’t skip a beat here.

Partly because it’s been so long since I invited in a guest-blogger, but mostly because he is that good, I’d like to welcome Kevin Fischer to the NRE family. Kevin, whose home blog is This Just In, is a prolific defender of taxpayers on the far side of 27th Street (Franklin, Wisconsin for those of you not familiar with the area), a veteran broadcaster who still occassionally does guest-host duties at WISN-AM, an aide to state Sen. Mary Lazich, and most-importantly, a great and proud husband and father.

Welcome to the party, Kevin.

I had planned on taking the weekend off, but it seems the gang at Hot Air had other plans when one of them (I could tell you who, but then I’d have to kill you…just kidding) put the latest episode of the collapse of Social Security into the Hot Air Headlines. It seems something north of 2,000 of you followed the link and jumped in the mixing bowl known as No Runny Eggs. It is, honestly, humbling to know that many people have at least some sense of what’s coming down the pike.

I hope you do stick around at least a while and enjoy the hospitality Shoebox and I offer up. We may not necessarily post a lot, and certainly not as much as Ed and AP, but especially when Shoe posts, it’s worth the read.

R.S. McCain nailed it in a post ranging from him getting a mention from Allahpundit to South Carolina voters (or at least those being polled) rejecting the smears against Nikki Haley. The Drinking-Right-worthy quote:

While I despise the pompous expression “online community,” it nevertheless contains a truth. The relationship between a blogger and his regular readers (many of whom, it should be noted, are also bloggers in their own right) is like the relationship between a bar owner and his clientele. The bar is open to everyone, but if someone starts making a scene that spoils the fun for everyone else, the unruly patron will be shown to the door (and customarily stomped senseless in the parking lot by the bouncers, as was the policy at one nightclub where I worked as a DJ many years ago).

Oh yeah – Drinking Right is tomorrow night at 7 pm over at Papa’s Social Club (7718 W Burleigh in Milwaukee for those either stopping in for the first time or with short memories). That’s right – we’re almost to the second Tuesday of June already.

One more housekeeping note – if you haven’t read The Other McCain, what are you waiting for, Christmas? You’re already too late to be visitor number 4,000,000, but there’s always the off-chance you’ll be number 5,000,000.

I’m gone for the next week, so the content will come from Shoebox and the long list of guest-bloggers.

See you next week Sunday.

In case you haven’t noticed, the #demonpass hashtag has sort of gone viral on Twitter. While I might not have quite been the first with it, it wasn’t until the hostess of the latest addition to the overstuffed roll on your right, Sissy Willis of sisu, Melissa Clouthier, and I got together that it took off.

Seriously, sisu is one of the best reads out there. Do not wait as long as I have to make it one of your mandatory reads.

I’m at a bit of a loss for words, so you’ll just have to take my word for it that Cubachi is a great addition to the roll and feed reader, and that you should do the same.

I’ve been under the weather the last couple days, and Shoebox is doing a rather long commute. Guess we should’ve called in the clans, especially since Erick Erickson decided to make the latest Obama video one of his must-reads of yesterday over at RedState.

Let’s see if I can get back in the swing of things. After all, we have the Doomsday Device being readied for detonation to pass PlaceboCare version 4.1, news that the federal entitlement spending has exceeded the total individual tax take, an attempt to extend unemployment another 9 or so months on top of the 18 months it’s already been extended, a call for $7/gallon gas, and a host of other items in my feed reader.

BigFurHat found the Obamese thread Shoebox put together, and his (or perhaps her) readers kicked in some seriously-good suggestions. Based partly on that, partly on The Obamas comic, and partly on the other work the gang does there, it’s past time to add iOwnTheWorld to the seriously-overstuffed roll.

Or at least walking around Shoebox’s and Birdman’s neighborhood, because that’s where Mr. Dilettante’s Neighborhood is. Mr. D was one of the patrons back at The Wisconsin Sports Bar, and in addition to being the neighborhood watch captain, he’s also at True North.

Since The Anchoress was kind enough to link to yesterday’s Social Security post, and since she has the gift of prolific prose, it’s definitely time to put The Anchoress on that gigantic roll to your right.

And that’s the blog name of Chris from Racine – Whiskey. Tango. Foxtrot. I just hope she doesn’t hit me at the next Drinking Right for taking 2 months to notice she headed out on her own.

Pin-up model and crack shot Phelony Jones has reopened The Confidentials. Trust me; it is a good read.

Robert Stacy McCain and his sidekick Smitty have gone full-bore into the WordPress business, moving The Other McCain over to http://theothermccain.com. Even though all I get is the occassional reach-around, I will take the time to ask you to hit Stacy’s tip jar because running a self-hosted WordPress blog is not free and Smitty forgot to put the tip jar on the new place.

It seems that something broke with cron jobs in WordPress 2.9, which meant that, among other things, posts scheduled for a future publish date would not publish and trackbacks and pingbacks would not happen. The WordPress team put together what they tested to be a fix, and scheduled it for WP 2.9.1, but since Shoebox uses post-dating, and we both use trackbacks/pingbacks, I couldn’t wait to implement it.

That means, if you see this, it works.

Several of the milblogs I read, from Blackfive to CDR Salamander, to This Ain’t Hell to Confederate Yankee to Argghhh! to Neptunus Lex to Uncle Jimbo, have gone into radio silence to protest the treatment of milbloggers in the military, and especially C.J. Grisham of A Soldier’s Perspective. As DrewM said, even though I’m not familiar with Master Sgt. Grisham’s blog, the fact so many who I trust have decided to back him speaks volumes. I’ll use John’s version:

15 DECEMBER 2009

MILBLOGS GO SILENT FOR FELLOW BLOGGER

Milblogs Go Silent

On Wednesday 16 December 2009, many milblogs – including This Ain’t Hell, From My Position, Blackfive, Miss Ladybug, Boston Maggie, Grim’s Hall, Bouhammer, and those participating in the Wednesday Hero program – are going silent for the day.  Some are choosing to go silent for a longer period of time.

The reason for this is two-fold.  First, milblogs are facing an increasingly hostile environment from within the military.  While senior leadership has embraced blogging and social media, many field grade officers and senior NCOs do not embrace the concept.  From general apathy in not wanting to deal with the issue to outright hostility to it, many commands are not only failing to support such activities, but are aggressively acting against active duty milbloggers, milspouses, and others.  The number of such incidents appears to be growing, with milbloggers receiving reprimands, verbal and written, not only for their activities but those of spouses and supporters.

The catalyst has been the treatment of milblogger C.J. Grisham of A Soldier’s Perspective (http://www.soldiersperspective.us/).  C.J. has earned accolades and respect, from the White House on down for his honest, and sometimes blunt, discussion of issues – particularly PTSD.  In the last few months, C.J. has seen an issue with a local school taken to his command who failed to back him, and has even seen his effort to deal with PTSD, and lead his men in same by example, used against him as a part of this.  Ultimately, C.J. has had to sell his blog to help raise funds for his defense in this matter.

An excellent story on the situation with C.J. can be found at Military Times by clicking here.

While there have been new developments, the core problem remains, and C.J. is having to raise funds to cover legal expenses to protect both his good name and his career.

One need only look at the number of blogs by active duty military in combat zones and compare it to just a few years ago to see the chilling effect that is taking place.

Milblogs have been a vital link in getting accurate news and information about the military, and military operations, to the public.  They have provided vital context and analysis on issues critical to operations and to the informed electorate critical to the Republic.

On Wednesday 16 December, readers will have the chance to imagine a world without milblogs, and to do something about it.  Those participating are urging their readers to contact their elected representatives in Congress, and to let their opinions be known to them and to other leaders in Washington.

Some milblogs will remain silent for several days; some just for the day.  All have agreed to keep the post about the silence and C.J. at the top of their blogs until Friday 18 December.

The issues go beyond C.J., and deserve careful consideration and discussion.  We hope that you will cover this event, and explore the issues that lie at the heart of the matter.  Contact the milbloggers in your area or that you know, and hear the story that lies within….

You can donate to CJ’s Legal Fund by logging into PayPal, go to the send money page, and put in his email: dj_chcknhawk (AT) yahoo (DOT) com; or, you can send donations directly to:

Grisham Legal Fund
c/o Redstone Federal Credit Union
220 Wynn Drive
Huntsville, AL 35893

Please write “Grisham Legal Fund” in the memo line if you use this option.

Milblogs have been a vital link in getting accurate news and information about the military, and military operations, to you. Today, many milblogs are gone and others are under attack from within and without. Today, you have the chance to imagine a world without milblogs, and to do something about it. Make your voice heard by writing your congressional representatives and others, and by making donations as you see fit.

The battle for freedom of speech and the marketplace of ideas is fought on many fronts and in many ways. Without your help, the battle may well be lost.

Uncle Jimbo has opened up his own shop (again) over at In the Crosshairs. He has more ways to kill you than you can imagine, so don’t make him angry – put him on your feed reader today.