Blogswarm: Take Back the Blog

Take Back the Blog: "in support of the rights of women to participate fully in all aspects of our society, including specifically online in the world of blogging but indeed everywhere and at all times, day and night, without fear of harassment, intimidation, sexual harassment, online stalking and slander, predation or violence of any sort."

Oh goodness. I hope that I can fully explain my point, although it does deviate some from the general point of this Blogswarm. I suppose, though, that I should start with a preamble for those who are just joining me and do not know me personally. Then, perhaps, my position may make more sense.

Abstract: A portion of the internet is populated by the lowest common denominator. The effort to stop them is a waste. The responsibility instead lies with the reader to recognize these posts and comments. An intelligent reader or a professional will use discretion. But...

The blog, livejournal, or online authorship program of an individual's choice is a new medium of communication, expression, and dialogue. News articles tell the public this. News companies have even attempted to ride the want of publication by incorporating the public as lay journalists blogging and posting footage on the news website.

The online community allows for social networking with sites like MySpace and Facebook. Professional communities have even started to adopt this format for networking within disciplines beyond ListServes.

Blogs are a place for an individual to post musings and observations. It has become a place for political commentary and, dependent on the reader, threatening political dissension. Remember that: dependent on the reader.

The blog is not static, not discrete. It involves its readers in various levels, based on the anonymity of the author, the ability to leave comments, and the anonymity of those.

So - why do I bring this up? I live in the US (dropping a slight vestige of anonymity, I guess), I have no need to worry any politically charged blog postings being held against me. Do I?

No - I do not, thankfully. At least, to a point. This point is where we get to have our discussion. Anything that I post myself, or that is posted about me, is unregulated. That is the beauty of the internet. Anything can be written, and it should be that way. These "trolls," however, can cause damage. Therefore, a responsibility is placed on the reader.

Although it is not appreciated, any of you readers do have the ability to threaten and demean me in my comments. Until I moderate my comments and remove these posts, subsequent readers have the ability and the right to read said comments regarding my (lack of) sexual proficiency involving a candelabra and a goat. The responsibility lies in the reader, however, on whether or not to trust these commenters on an appropriate judgment of my possession or quality of goat-alabring skills.

So - where does this seemingly off-the-wall example lead? One more point and then we will tie it together.

I would expect my professional community to not post such goat-alabring comments on my professional profile. Why? Because it's not professional. Simple, right?

Not so much. The main example which leads to the TBtB post of today is documented here by WaPo, as well as here and here by an individual impacted.

What is to be done when a professional community turns on its own members, in this instance objectifying based on gender (here, also synonymous with BioSex)? When an employer Googles a potential hire, what is to be expected when comments on breasts and supposed STDs are returned? Is the potential employer expected to have this discretion? Either way, this is a liability to the individual commented upon.

So, dear reader, spread the word on intelligent comment processing and THINK. Those who we would truly wish to remove from the general population are destined to stay. Its our Catch-22. So learn to live with them, and spread the word.

Trackback

Metal 2

Here's something I found in the woods in February.

The scary thing: we think we know who it belonged to.

meta-blogging haiku

primary information

love. blogs have lots of info.

but all second hand.

Work and Play

Also called:

• Academics
• and Search: (Alcohol OR Sugar) AND Music Result: FUN

I'm just getting so burned out on this school thing. But my book chapter is in. WOOHOO!

"I" turned in 75 pages to my prof. I'm saying "I" because I actually compiled 75 pages for the chapter I'm leading on, but contributed to a total of 4 chapters. See, this is how we're doing it:
There are four of us Historic Arch's in the department. We each have our complimentary facets of archaeology that we're most interested in: Domestic, Military, Industrial, and Bioarch/Mortuary. There are also 4 distinct time periods that we need to deal with: Proto-His and EuroSettlement, Early Statehood and Antebellum, Civil War, and Reconstruction. As most site reports deal with the function of the site (dom, mil, ind, biomort), it's much much easier to write a paper on a site type rather than a time period, or else everyone will use the same 80% of the reports and miss major chronological connectors and themes. So instead, we each wrote a section on our theme (mine being indutrial, natch). We got them out to each other by Thursday noon. Then Thursday afternoon we were supposed to copy/paste the relevent sections into chronological chapters. We had divided responsibility for these chrono-chaps as one to each of us. This way, we each get a SELF et al citation. Yay! plus, we are also recognized as the et al in three other chapters.

So - I get a good amount prepared for each of the chronochaps, and I get sections for my stuff, and put it together. We were all thinking we'd get 45-50 pages, right? I got 75. The whole reason: a heck of a lot of archeology was done on Antebellum sites. I keep getting criticized for the size of my chapter's draft. but, think about it. In the Proto/Settlement time: there were few people around to make sites. In the Civil War: we have 5 years worth of sites. In the Reconstruction/Victorian time: things are not as old and still standing so they don't get dug or they're not as old and people don't care so they don't get dug. The Antebellum however: HUGE population explosion, major building episodes, major buildings, plantations and increased social stratification (ie: slaves), and stuff is "old enough." Therefore, LOTS of archaeology is done in this time period.

So - it was handed in at 15.30 on Thursday. Marvelous! Why? Because I could work on my Paleo paper!

HAHAHAHAHAHA! Of course not, don't be stupid! Thursday night was the free George Thorogood concert! So - as i am quite a fan of classic rock (and free concerts and plenty of beer), I load up A and E (my apparent constant partners of crime) into my car and we head off. Well, think of the demographics of a GT concert held during a local bike week. Dirty, old, leather clad gents and their ladies drinking cheap beer (how someone would drink a 3$PBR when Newcastle and RedStripe are only 4$ is beyond me, but mebbe it's an image thing)pervaded the atmosphere. No worries. Well, before GT got on, we hung out in the PrezPub for a bit. Two beers down and a stage hand, approx 50yo and tiny as all comes up to me

Stagehand: You know, you're awfully cute?
Me: You know, that's quite a coincidence. You know why? Because every morning I wake up, look in the mirror, and say "God DAMN! Why do I have to be so damn cute?"
Stagehand: So - You like George Thorogood and the Delaware Destroyers. You know - Bad to the Bone?
Me: Oh please, he has hell of a lot better songs than that overplayed trite. Plus, is he going to destroy anything while he's here That would be cool.
Stagehand: Well, he destroyed Delaware.
Me: Dude, seriously. Delaware is like, Delaware. You can destroy Delaware, swing down to Rhode Island, have a long lunch, swing by the store for some milk on the way home, and still be able to mow your lawn before the kids get home from school. Is he going to destroy anything while he's here? If he's not, I don't want to talk to you.

We get back to the crowd and in front of the stage as GT is about to get on. Sidetracked, A and I separate from E in order to talk to a few other classmates. No worries, we'll find each other eventually. Besides, E was probably going to the front to take pictures (his shtick)and A and I just wanted to have fun. Well, the classmates left for more beer. A and I made our way into the crowd. We were 10m from the stage (maybe) and in the direct center. Well, the concert rocked. It was loud, it was roudy, and he was a legend. Now, as a legend, he was on his downhill slope, and he did employ some cheesy lights, but - whatev - it was GEORGE FUCKIN' THOROGOOD! And I was tempted to order the one bourbon, one scotch, and one beer. But - I had to drive.

So - concert's over - we regroup back at the PrezPub. One more beer because E ordered Newcastle and they gave him a draught. He prefers bottle. So - leftover beer is still beer, and Newcastle is nice. We're hunched against the bar, I'm sorta standing, but leaned over the bar and we're mostly huddled, talking about our problems with the opposite sex. I straighten up and get hit by a DOM (dirty old man) on with the cheesy "you're cute" thing again. I blow him off, hunker over again, we laugh. I stand up again, a new DOM shows up "You're cute" blow off hunker down. Repeat ad nauseum. I start to think about this statistically. Are we weighted because of the proliferance of DOM skewing our normal curve? Or am I suddenly this darned swan? I think it's the former, no matter how I would like to believe the latter.

But, my "favorite" was with this 500 lb 50 yo with sweat pouring down his stringy long hair:

Dude: Hey - I think I know you.
Me: Probibly not, man.
Dude: No - I know your grandmother. It's Bettie Page.
Me: Dude - seriously. While that's one of the better lines I've heard all night, you still need some practice on the delivery. Go - elsewhere.

Soon after, we left. Walking home, we saw some other classmates as they yelled from their car "WOOHOO LOOK AT DEM ARCHAEOWHORES!" Now *that* was hilarious.

Saturday (today), A and I decided to celebrate Earthday KnoxVegas style: with a free all day music festival within walking distance of our office! We slathered on our SPF 50 sunscreen and headed over there at about 4PM. We had us some funnel cakes and snowcones. Yay! Sugar! A left at about 5.30 but I stayed for about another hour. After all, Dishwater Blonde ( www.myspace.com/dishwaterblonde ), one of the local bands I really really like, was playing. Thankfully, there were really no DOM there (at least of the GT calibre), so The GT experience was not continued.

And to all who know my music preferences: Yes, I realize Wolfmother is playing tonight (right now actually) at the Bijou, but I am too poor for $35 tickets. Especially since I spent the same amount to see the King Tut exhibit when I go to Phili. No worries. I'll just see them in a few years when they play the Sundown circuit.

Well, it's 10PM on a Saturday, and I'm blogging. I think it's time to pack up and find some dinner.

I don't think I'll be doing much with music during the rest of the week. I really need to work on this Paleo paper.

I'm always a few days behind these things.



I would blog about it. But I'm still trying to sort it all out.

Huh...

I don't advocate the oppression, suppression, or repression of anyone for any reason - why am I doing it to myself.

Music again! and one (two) other distraction(s)

So - this has been a good week. On Easter I decided to take a day to myself and devoured two books. A very surreal combination, but yaay for Jane Eyre and Neuromancer. Somber British romance followed by a cyber punk dystopia of the most lurid. (interesting, cyber is not recognized by firefox as a word - irony of ironies)

Bottom line: I would recommend either to anyone.

Now I'm working on work - of course. Well, not *now.* Consider it a Newton-esque law of mass applied to time. But last night was again a break from the grind. I joined Mssr. E (a friend of Mdme. A, who appeared in an earlier post) to see a mutually enjoyable band. Cutthroat Shamrocks (of my St. Patrick's day adventure) played at the Corner Lounge last night. The CL is approximately 1K square feet of coolness, with a bar (of course) along the side, miniscule one stall bathrooms which may or may not flush, and a barely elevated stage at the front. Posters and Tshirts of all the awesome musicmakers who graced their venue crowd the walls, ceilings, and hang from the rafters. NewKnoBrewCo on draught and $1.50 PBRs add to the shabby/chic whatever-ness of the joint. It is - a joint.

We got there, had a few beers before the band got on stage, and when the band started I noticed that it wasn't Cutthroat Shamrock. Instead, it was a group in corpse paint doing a boyband routine. Intrigued, I made my way to the front while E took pictures (that's his shtick). The gentlemen on stage composed Zombie Bazooka Patrol and regaled us with such songs as "worms in my head" and "undead brotherhood." I won't stick them in a genre, but shall instead continue with my evening.

After they played, Cutthroat got on stage. And the setlist was fricken HUGE! probably three feet long. The ZBP-ers washed off their face and hung out in the intimate rowdy crowd of the front. I ended up hanging with them a bit, talked to the bass player some, and even shared the last of my cigs with them. I love when bands are accessible. Everyone was so awesome and energetic. Being up front and on the more sober end of the spectrum, I inadvertently kept an eye on some of the sound equipment and saved a speaker (amp?) from toppling off of the milk crates that elevated them.

They played till 2 AM, at which point E and I talked with the bass player a bit more, and E showed me that he snagged the set list - FOR ME! He also, coincidently, had him a Sharpie. So I played the ironic fan-girl and snagged the signatures of the band members on the set list. I do plan to scan it eventually, but that'll be a bit later. No worries. I also purchased a "Limited Edition EP" of Zombie Bazooka Patrol (self burned and numbered) to add to my growing CD collection. I do believe that I shall listen to it on the way home.

After the excitement of the venue, we went home. Mmmmm - the sleep after adrenaline pumping. The day of work afterwards. Back to paper writing.

Metal 1

I'm going to try to weekly add a random piece of metal from one work or another.

Here's one. It's suspected to be a piece of a still. Fun fun.