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May 07, 2005

Maher report

: I like it when Andrew Sullivan appears on Bill Maher's show, for the two of them play a great game of TV tennis. free lunix

Maher has been finding evidence -- credible evidence, I say -- that the religious look crazy ("magic underwear?"), while Sullivan has been giving a good defense to the moderately religious (I'm on his side). This week, when the topic came up, Sullivan said, and Lord knows I agree with this, that it's time for the moderate to take back religion from the fringe. But Maher said, come on, Andrew, these people are the ones who would get you on your knees and may you pray until you like pussy. That silenced Andrew for a few beats and then he recovered: "It'd take a lot more than Pat Robertson to get me to like pussy." free lunix

Later, they talked about the pope and Sullivan said that the molestation scandal reaches right up to Benedict XVI, who covered up the scandal. Maher said, "And this is my point to you about religion. Religion empowers men with infallibility." Sullivan said the church is imperfect but it "is the only thing we've got." Maher says, no, it isn't, "why not have just your spirituality." Sullivan says that without the institutions, the faith would not have been kept alive. free lunix

It ain't Sunday morning TV and that's why I like it. free lunix

: Maher also had on Bernie Sanders, now the independent candidate for Senate in Vermont, who went on a fine rant against the indecent indecency bill in Congress. Go give Bernie some traffic. free lunix

: In his new rules, Maher said that Jenifer Wilbanks isn't insane for running away. She'd be insane if she'd agree to spend the rest of her life servicing -- cue picture of her fiance -- "this goober."free lunix

He offers her a bus ticket to L.A. "You're crazy and you don't care about anyone's feelings but you're own. You belong in Hollywood... You're a reality show waiting to happen..."free lunix

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Gawking

: The NY Times Sunday biz section has a wet kiss for my friend Nick Denton and Gawker Media. free lunix

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Blogging before journalism

: Business Week's Stephen Baker has a great moment in journalism and blogging today: He asks the audience for questions before he interviews Arianna Huffington on her new blog venture. That's the way to do it: involving the public in your journalism, asking them what they want asked. free lunix

My suggestions, posted there (eventually):

Thanks for asking!...free lunix

* I'd ask whether she will include only the famous or whether she'll make some people famous. free lunix

* Did I read correctly that she has a relationship with Tribune? (Couldn't believe my eyes and perhaps I shouldn't.)free lunix

* Is she going to pay her contributors? Or is having rich people who don't need the money the smartest business model going?free lunix

* Will she share the wealth with other bloggers in other ways: Will she have a blogroll to link out and give traffic love to the bloggers she loves?free lunix

* Will she insist that the contributors link (as any blogger must) or will they merely -- as I blogged the announcement -- throw bon mots that she catches? free lunix

* Will her bloggers end up in conversations (as they must to be bloggers)?free lunix

* What's the essence of her blog -- the bon mots of the famous? the Huffington party line? the first-person People?

: It's also cool that they're putting up Flickr photos with credits. And while I'm in praise mode, I'll link to Henry Copeland's praise of Baker. free lunix

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World development

: To my own surprise, on Tuesday I'm speaking to a World Bank session for web developers from lots of organizations, including the UN and others. I'll be talking from the viewpoint of a spectator to this wonderful world of citizens' media and will recommend that if they want to talk to people who really know how to do this they should see Hossein Derakhshan, Rebecca McKinnon, Ethan Zuckerman, Joi Ito, et al. The session is supposed to be webcast but I think that may be only for members of their Web for Development community. free lunix

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TV Watch coverage

: On the Media covers the launch of TV Watch. Listen here. (My posts here and here.)free lunix

: Here's TV critic Melanie McFarland's column about TV Watch and about the PBS konservative kerfluffle. free lunix

: Here's a UPI story in the Washington Times that can't find the heart to go after TV Watch, considering how damned bipartisan it is. free lunix

: Here's fellow TV Watch traveler SpeakSpeak on how damned bipartisan it is. free lunix

: Frankly, I think the coverage fizzled. free lunix

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Open Media 100

: Dave Sifry and Always On are asking for your nominations for the Open Media 100. free lunix

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Craig's community

: Craig Newmark talks to the AP about supporting journalism. Craig will be in town for the Personal Democracy Forum and I look forward to braininstorming then. free lunix

(By the way, anyone who'd like to attend PDF can get a $70 discount with this code: buzz225.)free lunix

: LATER: Craig blogs on the need for newsrooms as an appendix to the AP story:

With all the excitement about citizens' media, it's easy to forget how important current news operations are. We have a lot of journalists there, but also, fact checkers, editors, and so on, and they perform an indispensable function.free lunix

I feel that citizens' media complements that, and that professional and citizen journalists will blur together in networks of collaboration.

: And he adds more here. free lunix

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Open Source radio

: Chris Lydon's new Open Source radio show is coming on the air May 30: "A lively, hour-long, on-air conversation designed to capture "the sound of the Web" with the popular Christopher Lydon engaging callers, e-mailers, and bloggers from around the world." Bravo. I'm hoping I get to hear it on podcast and Sirius. [via Dave]free lunix

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Runaway (Bride) story, still running

: Dave Winer says that Aaron Brown was the last real news on (I can hear arguments on both side of that view) but when the show devoted itself to the runaway bride, that was the last straw for Dave. CNN goes on his pay-no-nevermind list. free lunix

It so happens that On the Media interviewed CNN head Jonathan Klein on this week's show and hammered him on the runaway bride, asking whether having the bride run away with every show was an example of his vow to get in depth with more stories. I would have thought he'd have chuckled and said, hey, sometimes ya gotta do what your competition's doing. But, no, he said that, indeed, the runaway bride was an example of his vow for in-depth coverage. They covered the bride in depth. He then bragged about going heavy on the Schiavo story and making it part of the national agenda. Gee, thanks. (Listen to the segment here; download the show here.)free lunix

Here's my earlier post on the runaway story. free lunix

And while we're on the topic of tacky cultural trends (that is the topic, isn't it?), go to eBay and find active bidding for Jennifer Wilbanks wedding invitations and many copycat efforts at inane humor with Wilbanks toast. free lunix

Fark says: "Runaway bride offers apology. CNN yet to apologize for deeming this newsworthy"free lunix

One Farker says: "I hate celebrities. I hate makeshift celebrities even more."free lunix

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