Solace in small things -- from latkes to torture

Who would expect that a simple correction and apology could give comfort? From the Detroit Free Press:

"Sorry!
The recipe for red-skin latkes with mushrooms (Dec. 2-8) should have said to mix the sautéed mushroom/onion mixture with the shredded potatoes."

Of course you blend the mushroom/onion mixture with the shredded potatoes. (Either that, or you set it aside as a topping.) You can read that and breathe deeply. All is right again with the latkes.

Setting the record straight, even the smallest of inconsequential details, affirms media credibility and our faith in the system. Our media care enough to correct the latke recipe in time to save our culinary reputation at the holidays.

Now, how about some large consequential details:

Did the CIA really destroy videos of brutal interrogations against the advice of the White House, Congress and the Justice Department? (source)

From today's NYT coverage, the lede:

"WASHINGTON, Dec. 7 — White House and Justice Department officials, along with senior members of Congress, advised the Central Intelligence Agency in 2003 against a plan to destroy hundreds of hours of videotapes showing the interrogations of two operatives of Al Qaeda, government officials said Friday."

Hundreds of hours of tapes showing the interrogations of two operatives?

"The chief of the agency’s clandestine service nevertheless ordered their destruction in November 2005, taking the step without notifying even the C.I.A.’s own top lawyer, John A. Rizzo, who was angry at the decision, the officials said."

Advice came in 2003, but the destruction was ordered in 2005?

Expect this story to linger and fester for months. It already has, like a tupperware container of leftovers, forgotten at the back of the fridge. It stinks and dazzles all at once with colors you never imagined. While you're reeling from the confusion of characters and subplot, don't forget to read the rest of the paper. Your latkes depend on it.

Michigan's Political Blogosphere--a Very, Very Brief Visitors' Guide

Bloggers have arrived. They are gaining credibility and attracting ire. Clearly, they are changing the journalistic, political and electoral landscape.

Editor and Publisher reports that "bloggers making Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests to the CIA will likely get them processed for free under new rules that broaden the definition of who is part of the 'news media.'"

All democratic presidential candidates will make appearances at the Yearly Kos Conference, for liberal and antiwar bloggers, in Chicago this weekend.

Monday, conservative talker, Bill O'Reilly blasted the Daily Kos as a hate site on par with the Klan in an effort to discourage dems from attending the Chicago conference.

Michigan has a diverse and thriving political blogosphere. Consider this an introductory visitors' guide to the virtual landscape.

Liberal Community Sites
Michigan Liberal, the foremost liberal social blog with a relatively open culture. While open to anyone who espouses liberal/progressive values, many participants are democrats.

Blogging for Michigan, a relatively new site, is a "managed progressive community" providing news and commentary, while aiming for high standards of citizen journalism. This isn't a progressive soap box. Moderators expect writers to do some leg work in crafting posts.

Conservative
Michigan GOP (That's Saul, folks!) While the name is whimsical and inviting, reader comments are not allowed. Saul Anuzis, state party chair, drafts the daily posts. Other bloggers listed as contributors include Michigan Republican Party staff--Jeff Timmer, Sarah Anderson, and Rob Macomber. Based on statistics from BlogNetNews/Michigan, some of the daily posts get a lot of external links.

Republican Michigander, based in Livingston County, is the work of two writers. Although identifying as republican, comments are welcomed without restriction and some interesting dialog can result. Republican Michigander's tone tends toward pragmatism and reasonableness with a clear point of view.

Media Critique
While media critique is central to blog culture, some blogs devote themselves to exposing skewed or inaccurate reporting, or underreported issues in the public interest.
Media Mouse, based in Grand Rapids, "is an independent media group that formed in 1999 in response to the corporate media's unwillingness to cover movements for social change and a recognition of the need for more independent perspectives in Grand Rapids."

Comprehensive Directory
Absolute Michigan's Michigan Blog has an extensive list of all sorts of blogs based in Michigan. You could spend hours exploring.

Issue Oriented
These run the gamut and tend to be hosted by individuals and nonprofit organizations with an interest in specific policy and political outcomes. Here is a small sample.
Right to Life of Michigan's Blog
Republic of M, Gay Michigan
Great Lakes Guy
Michigan Nonprofit Association's Blog
AutoblogGreen
Michigan Library Consortium Blog

As you travel, be sure to explore the blogrolls in the sidebars. You'll be amazed what's out there. You might even want to start your own blog. Enjoy your journey!

Tabloid News from Michigan

Michigan man arrested, accused of selling pot from company ice cream truck (France) Did you ever get a funny feeling about an ice cream truck? The creepy, evil clown feeling? Maybe it was merely second-hand pot smoke from the driver.

The Farmer File: Michigan counters our Skunk Ape with its own (Florida) In this global economy, states vie with each other for all commerce. In this case, Floridians are concerned that the U.P.'s Bigfoot tourism of late will take business away from the sunshine state.

Jogger trips up Detroit robbery (Canada) An anonymous jogger in Ferndale simply stuck out her foot, tripped the thief, sent the wallet flying and kept running. Although the the crook hopped on a bike and attempted a get away, the police caught up to him, crediting the jogger with giving them a critical few moments of time.

International Tabloid News from Michigan

Michigan couple finds baby on MySpace (Australia) Lookout, Craig's List.

No charges in wheelchair-truck ride (Canada) North American drivers heaved a sigh of relief for the trucker whose grille snagged an occupied wheel chair last week. There but for the grace of god...

Former treasurer of Michigan county gets top sentence in Nigerian scam (Austria) Snopes explains this confidence method, also known as 4-1-9 or advanced fee fraud. If you get an email from a stranger in Nigeria promising a lot of money in return for a little, remember--no free lunches. Not even in prison.

Michigan hotel pulls ladies-only floor plan (Canada) Marriott's intention for its new Grand Rapids hotel seemed good--safe space for business women traveling alone. But response from "international clients was negative. " This wouldn't have anything to do with certain ladies flying into Grand Rapids for the Michigan Womyn's Music Festival, would it? Ahem...On a positive note, rooms and the lounge on the floor in question still will feature details to please lady travelers: chenille throw blankets and jewelry holders.

More International Tabloid News from Michigan

Comic relief for a weary global village, courtesy of Michigan. By now you've probably seen it--the guy in the wheel chair stuck to the grille of a semi near Paw Paw. Thank goodness no one was hurt. This story has been making its way around the globe since Wednesday.

What's interesting is the variability of the details (was it a 2, 4 or 6 mile ride) and the inventive headlines:
An odd hood ornament (Canada)
No injury in wheely scary semi ride (Canada)
US man survives truck 'road' trip (Australia)
An electric, wild ride (South Africa)
Man cheats death on lorry (UK)
Wheelchair man gets highway ride (BBC)

More Tabloid News from Michigan

Man fined for using free Wi-fi. Picked up in the Netherlands as international high tech irony.

20-Story Michigan Building on Sale on eBay. Our real estate market is so weak that if you are trying to sell the tallest building in Battle Creek, eBay is your best chance of reaching someone, anyone, who can buy it! The owner says eBay is a good tool that "reaches a whole lot of people." Well, yes.

Canadian with Beaver Dam Bombs is Detained in US. The Ontario man, held and questioned by US Customs officials, claimed he used the suspicious device to blow up beaver dams along his trap line. According to the Soo Evening News, the beaver dam story was not confirmed, so why did WTOL in Toledo make that the story?

When Ann Coulter and I Were Children

Ann Coulter and I are just one year apart in age. We grew up in the same United States, she on the east coast and I in the midwest. I was taught that our government was created of, by and for We the People. That the Constitution protected our freedom to worship or not worship a god. I was taught that the United States is fundamentally a pluralistic society. That with the exception of native Americans, if you dug far enough, we were all transplants to this amazing land and owed a debt of gratitude to the people who were here first and to the land itself. That unity in our diversity of belief, practice, and origins was our source of strength even as bloody conflicts played out between various groups (north vs. south, management vs. labor, second and third generation citizens vs. new immigrants).

We were a democratic republic with a free press, free speech, freedom of religion, and freedom to make as much money as you could. I trusted my teachers and parents and came to embrace that vision for my country. Turns out, Ann and I didn't really grow up in the same country.

Ann came to embrace a wholly different vision for the United States through the life experiences that formed her. Her vision is one with distinct winners and losers. One where losers deserve to lose because of their own stupidity, weakness and mistakes. To her, our inevitable cultural conflicts reveal the worthy and the unworthy, the leaders and the wimps. If you do not win, you are a moron. She has mastered an inflammatory recipe for bestselling books and guaranteed national media coverage. She has maximized her Michigan Law training in adversarial sparring to convey her vision to the world.

But here's the critical difference in our vision and approach: she lacks heart. Her intellect is shiny, fast and nimble; but lacks awareness of its own humanity. It is assertive, but lacks humility. It is purposeful, but unkind. It is creative, but immodest. Diligent, yet merciless.

She's a winner. I am human.

That's Entertainment: Coulter in Livingston County

Is Coulter being brought in as a lecturer or an entertainer by the Livingston Economic Club and Cleary University? And does this distinction matter?

Here is a troubling hybrid: verbal abuse and propaganda merge with news and entertainment. And there you have the Imus problem, the Coulter problem, the O'Reilly problem, and more.

This communication approach presumes a single correct point of view for any issue and is utterly repulsed by dialogue. It has no use for other view points than to be foils for its own aggrandizement. If it really is entertainment, it aims to satisfy our demons not our better angels. Its central deceit is to portray hateful words and attitudes as playful articulation of beliefs held by a reasonable, but silent majority. (Glenn Beck does us the courtesy of self identifying,"Hey! I'm just saying what we're all thinking.") You all know who you are, apparently. And a number of you have already bought tickets for the Coulter event.

So, Coulter seems still to be commercially viable and politically useful.

From the Cleary website: "We at Cleary University have a strong past and proud tradition as a specialized business university and we remain committed to the enhancement of society through the many successes of our alumni and their employers."

Maybe for Cleary bringing in Coulter is an object lesson titled "Profitable Controversy: Hateful Sound Bite as Unforgettable Hook."