After The Storm

Bloggers become big-hearted in times of peril, and, as was the case yesterday, their chatter is full of news and concern about Hurricane Katrina, which cut a path of ruin across the Gulf Coast. News stories about the hurricane dominate our Top Links today, with the no. 1 being a newspaper blog with blow-by-blow reports about the storm. "Terrific journalism," says this blogger. CNN Anchor Miles O'Brien also has a blog in our top links, and no. 7 is this New Orleans webcam. The warm response of bloggers to crises has become the norm, whether it's a tsunami, a terrorist attack or a hurricane: As in those times, one of our top links shows people how to make donations to the Red Cross.

Bad Words And Coffee
Even hurricanes can't keep controversy out of the blogosphere, as evidenced by a few of the other things that popped up in BlogPulse today — a school in England will allow students to curse at teachers up to five times during a lesson. A parent calls this "ludicrous" and bloggers are agreeing. "This is a policy that will, of course, prepare these students for the real world. Where cussing at your boss or co-workers will likely not be tolerated at all," writes the aptly named Say Anything blog. Then there's this story, about a conservative group objecting to a quote on a Starbucks cup about being gay, prompting Zero Boss to ask if they're mixing their messages: "For months I've been seeing this ad on conservative blogs which shows a picture of Hilary Clinton with a cup of espresso, with the text railing against "latte-sipping liberals". How many fundamentalists even buy designer coffee? An economic boycott of Starbucks by the far-right wing would cost the company, what, $40?"