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August 31, 2006
Details, Details, Duets and Hot Spots
Today, it's all about the details, such as who first uncovered the "made-over" photo of Katie Couric. The TVNewswer blogger at MediaBistro.com is today's No. 2 most-cited blog post for the initial find, even though mainstream media are now publicizing the photos without attributing the blogosphere, apparently.
Catching people in the actThe insightful-as-ever blogger Bruce Schneier offers more details on why publicly announced crackdowns on things that might be used to catch terrorists don't actually catch terrorists, while good intelligence and sound police work usually do. Elsewhere, Virginia Gov. George Allen apparently has more than the word "macaca" to worry about.
Tech details
Interested in chatting up your ebay purchases with Google advertisers via Skye? It could happen.
Hot times in Singapore
And if you though Utopia would be a land where wi-fi access is available to every citizen, it's time to visit Singapore, according to CNET.com.
Sing, sing a song
Couldn't help but notice that "Celebrity Duets" (a new TV show from Fox) is today's most-discussed blog phrase. I'd be interested, but only if they'd pair me with James Taylor.
Labor Day a time for...
Here in Cincinnati, we celebrate Labor Day by joining a half million or more of our closest friends on the shores of the Ohio River for one big hellacious fireworks display and party. Looks like lots of other folks associate Labor Day with...well, actual labor:
Posted by Sue MacDonald at 01:40 PM | Permalink
August 30, 2006
Did the New Orleans Levees Simply Fail?
Many remembrances of last year's Hurricane Katrina are floating around the blogosphere, and so is this video, billed at Wizbang as "The Video Congress Doesn't Want you to See" (it's on YouTube.com) and included in today's No. 11 top blog post. Watch it all the way to the end, and you'll discover why the claim is made: firefighters who watched the flood waters fill New Orleans from atop a hotel say the levee simply gave way from underneath and was not topped by storm waters.
Is it true?
Has Saddam Hussein really been forced to watch this movie?
Posted by Sue MacDonald at 05:06 PM | Permalink
August 29, 2006
Remembering Katrina
A year ago, as Hurricane Katrina slammed ashore on the Gulf Coast, no one had any idea how devastated the region would remain today. In the No. 10 spot among today's blog posts, ThinkProgress provides a year-long timeline that starts Aug. 26, 2005, when the first evacuation orders were issued.
A BlogPulse trend graph shows discussion rising again in conjunction with the first anniversary of the storm; the March spike occurred when video footage was released of President Bush being warned of the hurricane's potential for damage, despite previous statements that no one could have predicted the severity of the storm:
Posted by Sue MacDonald at 10:04 AM | Permalink
August 28, 2006
Let's Pause for Hard Questions
Bloggers are known to question just about everything, and some seriously hard questions are being posed today. Among them:
• Security expert Bruce Schneier's questions about the point at which public paranoia and publicity of questionable "terror" plots actually makes everyone less safe (today's No. 2 most-cited blog post) and mis-directs the mission.
• Maine war widow Hildi Halley's questions to President George Bush about policies that she feels are misguided, dangerous and un-Christian, featured at TPM Cafe (No. 11).
• Newsweek writer (and today's burstiest person) Michael Isikoff's questions into the won't-go-away investigation into who leaked CIA operative Valerie Plame's name to the press (today's No. 2 most-cited link); the State Department's Richard Armitage is mentioned frequently.
• And this post from BlogsforBush (sigh) that somewhat not surprisingly (sigh) questions the validity of science.
Back to school, everyone
No question about this: it's time to head back to school, and a BlogPulse trend graph shows the way:
Posted by Sue MacDonald at 11:30 AM | Permalink
August 24, 2006
Oddities, Strangeness and Curiosities in the Blogosphere
The blogosphere presents a cornucopia of oddities today, including actor Tom Cruise (today's second most-blogged personality), whose release from Paramount Pictures by honcho Sumner Redstone has pushed him back into the public eye (just when we were accustomed to his several-month absence). Common blogger reaction here.
Paper art, virtual music
If you're looking for an artistic journey today, don't download this Weird Al song but do check out some cool paper-cut art and library smut art (not what you think at ALL), both of which are among today's most-cited links. If you just wanna feel old, check out Beloit College's look at the world of today's college freshman.
A Tribute to women in the military
Kudos to The Daily Kos for a simple but touching tribute, "Beautiful Dead Girls," to women in the U.S. military who have died in Iraq.
Whither the mid-term elections?
A BlogPulse trend graph shows just how difficult it is for pundits to predict who or what will emerge as victorious from the upcoming mid-term elections, at least based on various references to the respective politcal parties.
Posted by Sue MacDonald at 11:21 AM | Permalink
August 23, 2006
President Says, "Nothing"; Stargate Says Bye-Bye
With a one-word answer ("nothing"), President Bush's answer to the question "What did Iraq have to do with the attack on the World Trade Center" left lots of people with their mouths open asking, "The President said WHAT?" And video of the press-conference exchange is today's top blog post. In response, are you thinking what this LiveJournaler's thinking?
Sci-Fi fans feel the pain
Word that Stargate SG1 is being canceled by the Sci-Fi Channelobviously struck a cord among sci-fi bloggers, mentioned as it is in four of today's most-cited links. And many, like this one, aren't happy about it.
Posted by Sue MacDonald at 04:26 PM | Permalink
August 22, 2006
Stuff on Planes, and Sunday School Lessons
What gives you the worst creeps: snakes on a plane, liquids on a plane or a little old church lady canned from her job because she's a little old lady? Let's take a look.
Actor Samuel L. Jackson, who apparently doesn't like snakes on his plane, is todays No. 3 most-discussed blog personality and the link to the S.O.A.P. movie site ranks No. 5 today as well. But we did something a bit different: tracked buzz about "snakes on a plane" vs. references to the suddenly-banned liquids on a plane to see which is more feared:
Obviously, the reptilians win. (So, too, apparently did the flick "Little Miss Sunshine," whose title is today's fourth-most-discussed personality because text-mining technologies say so.
Today's religious lesson begins with....
Maybe Mary Lambert of Watertown, NY, today's second burstiest person in the blogosphere, needs what's being promoted in today's third-most cited link today: Armor of God pajamas. Seems the 81-year-old woman whose 54 previous years of service to her church as a Sunday school teacher matter not to today's third-burstiest person, the Rev. Timothy Labouf, who relieved her of her teaching duties because, as everyone knows, women should be seen, not heard.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again: God is paying attention to stuff like this, and she's NOT happy about it. Neither is this blogger.
Thanks, Joe
Bloggers are noting the death of photographer Joe Rosenthal, whose WWII shot of American soldiers atop Mt. Suribachi on Iowa Jima is one of the world's most famous.
Posted by Sue MacDonald at 11:04 AM | Permalink
August 17, 2006
Guys With Something to Say
Who knows whether this weekend's "Snakes on a Plane" movie will turn out to be so good it's bad, or so bad it's good, but it's certainly earning a hefty share of blog buzz. Star Samuel L. Jackson (who hawked the flick in true Samuel L. Jackson style Tuesday on Comedy Central's "The Daily Show") is today's fourth most-discussed person in the blogosphere as a result, and the film's pre-buzz graphical line is certainly on the rise, no doubt fueled by the online ability to send a phone message to friends from SamJack himself:
Candidate says what?
Virginia Sen. (and GOP Presidential hopeful?) George Allen might not be so hopeful anymore, now that he's opened his mouth a little too widely (today's top news story). Discuss.
So long, "Fish Face"
It probably wasn't his best acting performance, but Actor Bruno Kirby's "baby fish face!" utterance during a game of charades in "When Harry Met Sally" certainly is memorable. Kirby (today's burstiest person) died this week of leukemia, and fans are mourning his status as an all-time supporting actor.
Tables turned?
One of today's most-cited blog posts, in the wake of momentus political/historical events, again comes from Glenn Greenwald, who looks at the impact of questioning the Commander-in-Chief, depending on which way one leans, politically speaking.
Posted by Sue MacDonald at 10:58 AM | Permalink
August 16, 2006
Cool Web Sites, Hot War Talk
From two ends of the spectrum come these blog discoveries today: the New Yorker's Seymour Hersh (author of today's top-linked news story) takes a look at U.S. interest - and involvement in - the current Israel-Lebanon War, and Time magazine ranks the 50 Coolest Web sites .
Hersh, who I'm pretty sure is listed as the Webster's definition for "investigative reporter," has opened the can of worms about Israel's now cease-fired campaign against Lebanon, but as the Tropics of Cancer blogger observes, "all of a sudden, Lebanon makes more sense." The rest of the Hersh-related commentary so far on BlogPulse is decidedly international in flavor.
Time's Top 50
As for Time's coolest Web sites, the singled out include Podcast Pickle, Not Martha and Seamless Web, for those who feel compelled to order restaurant food online. As one blogger asks, is it fair to rank your coolness factor on how many of the 50 you've actually visited?
OK, everyone. Back to the classroom!
Cruise through today's most-blogged phrases and you'll detect a definite back-to-school flavor. They include "school starts next Monday," "first day of band camp," "wisdom teeth pulled" (always done in summer, as every parent knows) and the ever-popular "financial aid."
Posted by Sue MacDonald at 05:08 PM | Permalink
Hey! Look Who Has a Blog!
You know the world is a profoundly different place when one of the newest blogs to capture bloggers' attention is written by one Mahmoud Ahmandinejad, one of the week's most-blogged-about people and a guy who just so happens to be the president of Iran.
The Dubai-based bloggers at "Notes from a Palm Island" provide some perspective, and a 7 Days news article provides even more. AnotherStinking Blog provides a link to an English translation. Ahmadinejad's RSS-enabled blog is available in several languages, too: Persian, Arabic, English and French. "I think it's brilliant!" exclaims the blogger at "Me, Myself and Bangladesh." (Personally, I think it's a paradigm shift of yet-undetermined proportions).
Posted by Sue MacDonald at 09:25 AM | Permalink
August 15, 2006
Effective Security...Or Security Theater?
One of the most popoular blog posts for the past few days has been security expert Bruce Schneier's examination of last week's crackdown on liquids on airplanes. Author of today's 7th-most-cited blog, he writes: "None of the airplane security measures implemented because of 9/11 -- no-fly lists, secondary screening, prohibitions against pocket knives and corkscrews -- had anything to do with last week's arrests. And they wouldn't have prevented the planned attacks, had the terrorists not been arrested. A national ID card wouldn't have made a difference, either. Instead, the arrests are a victory for old-fashioned intelligence and investigation." Discuss (and bloggers are).
Michael J. Totten, in the middle of things again
World traveler Michael J. Totten is live-blogging again from the Middle East (today's No. 7 most-cited link), where kidnapped Fox News correspondent Steve Cetanni (today's' burstiest person) and cameraman Olaf Wiig (eighth-burstiest) have been kidnapped.
A new blogging tool
Today's most-used phrase is a reference to yesterday's releaase by Microsoft of a test version of Windows Live Writer, software that allows bloggers to use a single application to publish to a variety of blog platforms, including Spaces, Blogger, LiveJournal, TypePad, WordPress and others. Bloggers are already testing it out.
Posted by Sue MacDonald at 10:33 AM | Permalink
August 10, 2006
Illustrating the Blogosphere: Iraq, Middle East and Joe vs. Ned
Does the ongoing conflict in Israel and Lebanon detract from a national focus on the conflict in Iraq? Did bloggers and Internet buzz truly fuel challenger Ned Lamont to a victory over Sen. Joe Lieberman in Connecticut on Tuesday?
Sometimes, the best way to track "buzz" in the blogosphere is to plot it on a chart, and BlogPulse Trend Graphs do that for those two issues. On the former, buzz about Iraq remains as high on recently emergent but continuing discussion of Israel and Lebanon:
And even though defeated Sen. Lieberman likes to "blame" the blogosphere for rallying behind Lamont and pushing him into the winner's column, a BlogPulse chart shows that Lieberman captured more buzz among bloggers in the month leading up to the Aug. 8 election than did Lamont.
Posted by Sue MacDonald at 02:12 PM | Permalink
August 09, 2006
A Day for Data and Revelations
It's a data kind of day, based on what's creating buzz in thh blogosphere, as in: AOL's release of users' data (today's top blog post) and competitor Technorati's udpate on blog data (fourth most-cited post).
Leopard vs. Vista?
But what's really got lots of computer users excited, given that today's two most-cited links are from Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco, where Apple's new Leopard operating system is being teased. The blogger at Born to do Dishes calls is "insane" (in a good way). Many are debating how Leopard will steal the thunder from Microsoft's still-delayed Vista operating system update for Windows. A BlogPulse trend graph indicates a definite spike in Leopard buzz.....
Whither Joe?
Defeated Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman is today's second most-blogged person (and curiously, defeater Ned Lamont doesn't appear on the day's lists, even though pundits "blame" his victory on those darned bloggers. Electoral reactions rangefrom "poor Joe" to "don't go away mad, Joe, just go away."
Posted by Sue MacDonald at 09:56 AM | Permalink
August 08, 2006
Fake Stars, and Real Ones
You gotta hand it to Will Farrell, a comedian/actor who's made a career out of making a fool of himself. He's today's second most-blogged personality because of the weekend release of "Talladega Nights," a NASCAR movie in which Farrell plays the two-named Ricky Bobby. Bloggers seem to like it because it's funny...or not-so-funny, depending.
Trail-blazing Butcher
Today's burstiest blog person is Alaskan Susan Butcher, the first woman to win the Iditarod sled-dog race (and who won it four times during her life). She died at age 51 of cancer. "She was an icon, and the state (mourns) her passing," writes one fellow Alaskan. Another blogger praises Butcher's inspiration: "When I'm struggling along in a long run or ride, my heart pounding, and my mind considers quitting, I think of other things to clear my head and limbs of the discomfort. One of the things I think of is Susan Butcher and her dogs racing in the winter darkness with miles yet to go before they rest. I think I can keep going a bit further...Thank you Susan for your inspiration." The blogger at Dances with Leaves offer another touching tribute.
Ok, white guys CAN dance
Today's third most-cited link from YouTube.com is living proof that yes, men of Caucasian ancestry...even on treadmills...CAN dance.
Posted by Sue MacDonald at 11:09 AM | Permalink
August 03, 2006
On "Wikiality": Stephen Colbert Strikes Again
In case you missed Monday's late-night airing of satirist Stephen Colbert's "The Word" segment on Comedy Central's "The Colbert Report," (a YouTube video of which is today's No. 6 most-cited link,) he invented another one: "Wikiality," which already has more than 150 search results on BlogPulse.
Today's 16th-most-cited personality and the guy who invented "truthiness," Colbert also got himself banned from Wikipedia in the process. He invented "wikiality" to illustrate the thinking that if enough people believe something false, it becomes reality in a democratic sort of way. Wikipedia, which got slammed by viewers who followed Colbert's advice and tried to edit entries about his own opinions and elephants, got banned from the site, according to Newsvine (No. 16 most-cited link). Bloggers noticed. Some were amused. Some weren't.
And the not-so-funny
But not everything's funny. Today's top-cited news articles from Vanity Fair and the Washington Post hint that Congressional 9/11 investigators felt intentionally misled by the Pentagon about what really happened on Sept. 11, 2001. Elsewhere, author Seth Godin has advice for authors, and Harry Potter fans don't want him dead.
STILL hot
And yes, it's STILL hot. Eleven of today's most-cited blog phrases include references of one sort or another to the weather or to heat, including the ever-popular "hottest day of the summer."
Up or down?
Congress is trying to kill two birds with one stone with a bill that sets an index for minimum wage increases but also cuts estate taxes at the same time (as if no on in Congress can remember how to address one issue at a time?). A BlogPulse trend graph shows more buzz for the lower end of the economic scale:
Posted by Sue MacDonald at 01:23 PM | Permalink
August 02, 2006
Hot. Really Hot. Heat Waves. Heat Index. Yeah, it's HOT
Sure, Mel Gibson has taken over the top spot this week as the most-blogged-about person, as has Fidel Castro (more buzz today than President Bush) and his now-in-control brother, Raul (today's burstiest person).
But what are people really talking about? The weather, and the wide-ranging heat wave that's gripped the country the past few weeks. A BlogPulse trend graph shows the way: 
Posted by Sue MacDonald at 09:41 AM | Permalink
August 01, 2006
Questions That Arise From Blogging
Certain questions pop into mind each day while cruising through the daily activity in the blogosphere. Today's cover the spectrum, and the first is: is blogging a force in Cuba, and will Fidel Castro's temporary handoff of power to his brother be blogged internally?
War photos and blogging
Today's No. 2 most-cited blog post from the EU Referendum includes some graphic photos shot from the ground in Lebanon, as do photos from today No. 4 most-cited news story. Curious that bloggers and journalists can freely shoot and publish these photos, but not photos of American soldiers' caskets as they return home from Iraq. A BlogPulse trend graph indicates the interesting and changing mix of geopolitical attention in the past few weeks and months:
Coming and going, electronically speaking
Some gadget lovers are mourning the announced end of E3, (today's most-cited blog post) the annual video game extravaganza, while others are drooling over the possibility of an iPod phone.
Posted by Sue MacDonald at 09:39 AM | Permalink
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