Street News and Paradigm Shifts

One of the interesting things about the blogoshere is how quickly certain bloggers, blogs or issues can rise to the top of the consciousness heap, where they either gain traction or fade away. The Flying Spaghetti Monster letter, (today's No. 3 top link) for example, appeared several months ago and refuses to die...so much so that it now has its own Wikipedia entry (today's No. 6 top link).

Today's top blog post comes from newcomer Michael Yon's Online Magazine: Gates of Fire blog, an independent soul offering lengthy on-the-scene reporting and photos from the ground war in Iraq. "Every sentence is packed with life...and death," says Black Five; "must-read...won't see this kind of reporting anywhere else" is how Instapundit describes it.

Let's change things a lot...
The Bush administration wants to at the United Nations, where newly anointed ambassador John Bolton seems ready to unleash his tact with a few hundred suggestions for change (today's No. 8 top news story). Running Scared blog has a new monkier for Mr. Ambassador "Mouth of Sauron" Bolton (a reference to the bad guy in Lord of the Rings); Captain Ed calls Bolton's mission "a giant step" for reform.

Paradigm No. 2: Got an opinion? Just be quiet about it, OK?
The members of the American Legion has a novel new (and 1984-ishly scary) suggestion for people who feel inclined to air their opinions about the war in Iraq: shut up and be declared illegal? (today's No. 12 top link). "American Legion Goes Berserk" declares Shakespeare's Sister; "Defending Your Rights By Denying Them" points out Bark Bark Woof Woof, who also happens to provide live coverage of Hurricane Katrina...at least until the power goes out.