EPA: Egotistical Psychobabble Analysis

Today is being spent clicking through the blogosphere in search of new and interesting commentary on everything.

Over at Science And Politics one may find an interesting article on the first university class on blogging, with links to the students' blogs. One student posted her final paper on her blog in seven parts. I skipped ahead to The Rhetoric of Blogging (Part V): Daily Kos to get this student's critical academic analysis of that elitist lib rag. What I read I found to be surprisingly objective, especially coming from a self-proclaimed "disenfranchised, rutterless liberal". The writer performs a thorough analysis of the means and methods employed by the egomaniacal fascist dictator Kos, lord of the blog. She concludes her analysis by saying,

"Okay, I just have to make one comment: I find the whole thing a little creepy. Mr. Kos is probably a great guy, but I don't know him. I appreciate the need to moderate comments to keep things from degenerating to the "that's just stupid, stupid" level that we see on most blogs. However, I feel censored and a bit manipulated when I read this blog. The articles are often edgy, but they are heavily skewed to the left. Isn't there occasionally room for debate? I also
don't like the pressure to be funny and original, and who cares if I'm on blogspot? Plus I can't help wondering: what is Kos leaving OFF this blog?"

In their review of the blogging class, Science and Politics author Bora Zivkovic questions, "Does one's persona emerge on one's blog in ways that carefully managed image in real life cannot?" They go on to suggest a new way of teaching that would incorporate both professor and student blogs into the curriculum as early as high school. The suggestion, IMO, could have either make or break budding individualists. It could be a great way to rid the public school system of the groupthink that brainwashes our youths, but at the same time it could have some dangerous side-effects. Teenagers often don't understand the beauty and couth of self-censorship. In an educational system bent on self-esteem, how free would these students be to say exactly what they were thinking, especially if their grade was contingent on producing their opinions in the public forum? In other words, where will the line between individual thought and groupthink be drawn, should such an educational forum exist? Will students really be free to voice their thoughts if they know their teachers (aka Big Brother) are standing over their shoulders, gradebooks in hand?

Speaking of Big Brother, Ed Wonk over on The Education Wonks has reported on more Americans Spying on Americans' Library Records:

"A senior at UMass Dartmouth was visited by federal agents two months ago, after he requested a copy of Mao Tse-Tung's tome on Communism called The Little Red Book."

Do federal agents also visit all those Barnes & Noble shoppers who purchase copies of Mein Kampf from the History section of their stores?

"...The student, who was completing a research paper on Communism for Professor Pontbriand's class on fascism and totalitarianism, filled out a form for the request, leaving his name, address, phone number and Social Security number. He was later visited at his parents' home in New Bedford by two agents of the Department of Homeland Security, the professors said."

Now, see, I'm torn. I give the kid credit for going all that way for a source, but really-- he could've just based his paper on a not-so-thorough-analysis of the New York Times. Other appropriate and much more easily accessible primary sources can be found on the Internet here, here, and here. According to Google, I pulled up those sites in .2836 seconds. Really, kid, fascism and totalitarianism? Maybe next semester's schedule should include something more along the lines of Research Methods I.

Ed finishes his post by commenting, "And for the record: If any of you Keystone Kops D.H.S. types come to our home and visit harass me or mine, over our library reading-list, you'd better have your warrant and your badge numbers. Both will be publicized on this site."

Is there some strange irony in promoting a person's right to read communist tripe while, at the same time, telling a democracy that they have no right to do their job? Hm, maybe Ed's real last name is "Wank." I'm all about my freedom of thought as an American, but how hard is it to tell a Federal Agent (if they even do investigate these sort of things, which Ed was rightly skeptical about) that you're obviously a red-blooded American; real communists (or terrorists-- nevermind, they don't even know how to read) are too busy spewing propaganda to actually read and study what they believe.

Your Blog Should Be Red

Your blog is full of intensity and passion.You are very opinionated - and people love or hate you for it.You have the potential to be both a famous and infamous blogger.

What Color Should Your Blog or Journal Be?

A really great analysis of Leftist versus Righty, or Statist versus Libertarian blogs can be found at The Politburo Diktat.

Damn. The Transit Strike in NYC is possibly going to end tomorrow. I was really hoping for some good mob rule to lead to a declaration of martial law during Dick Clark's Rockin' New Year's Eve. That would be so prime. Ah, yes, breaking news via Drudge has confirmed that the TWU will be back to work tomorrow:

"The city's crippling three-day mass transit strike ended Thursday after union leaders -- facing mounting fines, possible jail terms and the wrath of millions of commuters -- voted to return their 33,000 members to work without a new contract."

At least I get a smack of satisfaction from knowing that the Union lost. I wonder if any of those unionists are now contemplating how much earlier they could retire if they were allowed to bank the union dues taken out of their paychecks every week.

Go over to Townhall.com and Thank a Soldier in honor of Thank a Soldier Week. A screen will automatically pop-up when the page loads; simply type in your name, email address, message, and zip code, and your email will be sent to a soldier overseas. Take five minutes to support the guys and gals who've joined the ranks of the real freedom fighters of this world.

Here's what you aren't hearing about the NSA "Spying on Americans" non-story floating around the MSM: "The New York Times admittedly sat on the story for a year...so why release it last Friday?" Try successful Iraqi elections and an upcoming Congressional vote on the Patriot Act. Silly, silly New Squawk Times.

Heh, those sex-crazed sweater girls over at saveroe.com are at it again:

"A 26-year-old Missouri woman was refused EC [Emergency Contraceptives] when she handed her prescription to a pharmacist at a Target store in Fenton, MO, on September 30. The woman was told by the pharmacist, “I won’t fill it. It’s my right not to fill it.” Target does not support a policy to have valid prescriptions for birth control, including emergency contraception, filled in-store without discrimination or delay!"

You know what that means. It's Reality Quiz Time! Fill in the Blank:

The 26-year-old Missouri woman shot back at the pharmacist,

A. Dude, you don't understand. I haven't been laid in sooooo long and he's soooo hot!

B. Have you ever suffered from a condition known as Beer Goggles, Sir? Have mercy!

C. You didn't see this guy. Trust me, if you saw him, you'd know this was the right thing to do. Unless you think more psychologically disturbed children running around the globe is a good thing.

D. Welfare told me they won't pay for any more of my babies until the new fiscal year begins!

If you grew up loving Superman as much as I did, you'll realize the grand importance of finding a Clark Kent for Conservative voters before 2008 after reading this: Zod for President.

Now that I have officially reached the "Longest Ad-Lib Blog Post" record, I'm going to publish this entry and start looking for employment in an industry that won't leave me with 7 empty hours on a weekday. And I'm going to shut my eyes. For a long, long time.