The Hypocrisy of the National Blogs

John Avarosis has on numerous occasions blasted progressive organizations for not advertising on progressive blogs. Here's his latest. What's interesting is that he's finally not the only one. Kos, Jane Hamsher (of FDL) and John Amato (of Crooks and Liars) are finally speaking up about the subject too. Blogging full time means struggling to make ends meet, all the while progressive organizations spend hundreds of millions on often-ineffective ads and consultants (who are sometimes paid tens of thousands just to reach out to bloggers) -- instead of contributing pennies on the dollar to progressive blogs, who have been at the forefront of pushing for the progressive agenda.

John, John, Jane and Kos are all right. However, they're all thinking of themselves, too. If this is a conversation about "what have you done for me lately," I'd like to ask the national big boys the very same question. As a full time/small time blogger, I used to spend a huge, inordinate amount of time reaching out to the national blogosphere. I've had a few of my stories linked to on national blogs that get tons of hits -- such as Towleroad.

However, I stopped doing that, because more often than not I found that these blogs wanted my expertise in being able to find the story, but wouldn't link to or even provide a hat tip to Ryan's Take. This happened frequently on gay rights issues: I'd get the story, send it out, the bloggers would cover the story, but they'd either link to the media version of the story (usually printed later) or looked for some Cooler Kids to talk about it, such as the BMG version. I can't count the number of times this happened.

All of this is fine. Honestly. If national blogs don't want to promote smaller blogs, no big deal. If they'd rather print the MSM article instead of promoting a blogger they don't know well, whatevs. The blogosphere has become so big that it's a giant chorus -- our voices are inevitably drowned out at some point.

However, when they start to complain about similar, related things -- other people wanting all the results, all the spoils, but not sharing the work or helping by buying some ads -- then I'm going to scream "Hypocrite." John Avarosis may have trouble paying his mortgage as a full time blogger, but small bloggers who spend nearly as much time blogging have trouble paying for the gas to go to events they're begged to cover. One link by a site like Americablog or Towleroad, however, may pay for some of that gas to cover that event which they'll then cover on their blogs.

In the end, John Avarosis should be angry and complain about groups like Americans United for Change not spending tens of thousands on a single banner ad. However, I'll be criticizing the big gay blogs and national blogs for not spending the 10 seconds to bother linking to the small blogger who first uncovers a story that becomes nationally important, but happen at a local level. If they're so worried about fostering progressive talent -- and that's what Avarosis says this is all about -- then they could do a whole lot more themselves by just stepping a foot outside of the Blogger Status Quo.

New Rule for Journalism

Shall we call it Jane's Rule? If a reporter or blogger is granted anonymity, but uses it to lie to discredit the actual truth (that others are reporting), then the journalist or blogger who granted the anonymity has a duty to reveal the source.

Hoping Kerry Gets SoS

Everything's rumors at this point, but it doesn't look like the Obama team is thrilled about making Kerry Secretary of State. I think he'd excel at the position - and it would be a great exclamation point to his career. Plus, while I also think Senator Clinton would be a very admirable Secretary, I'm sort of hoping she'll take more of a leadership role in the Senate. Needless to say, I'm not confident of Reid's ability to lead the Senate. (Some good news on that front here.)

More Nuclear Now!

Because Nuclear Energy is so safe, as Senator McSame says.

Eek.

The allure of nuclear technology disappears once people have a better understanding of it.

• Over the lifetime of a plant, which far exceeds its lifetime as a functioning, energy-producing plant, the costs of that plant will by far outweigh the energy it produces. (Even when accounting for recycling technologies, which I do support for existing nuclear plants.)
• The short term costs of making a nuclear power plant are great, the long term costs - as already suggested - are staggering. Investing in more nuclear power as a means to become energy independent makes about as much sense as investing in Lehman brothers right now.
  
• We still don't have an effective means to dispose of the waste, which is a problem that will last, oh, say, forever.
  
• If anything does happen to these plants, the word "catastrophic" seems minimal and simplistic. And, honestly, when it comes to human beings, accidents are always going to happen. See France and all of their "safe" plants.
• There's plenty of better ways to invest our money than investing it in what is now old technology at this point. Focusing on wind, solar, conservation and new battery technologies seems like a much better effort to this layman's mind.
• Did anyone ever mention that nuclear power is a limited resource? No? More nuclear plants will mean we'll use all our Earthly nuclear supply rapidly, running out of it perhaps quicker than fossil fuels.
  
• I wish I could find a link to an awesome documentary I watched on Nuclear Power about a year or so ago. It didn't take sides, trying to present a full picture so people could make up their own minds. I came into it with an open mind, left dead-set against nuclear plants. Given their long term costs, never mind potential for disaster, they're just not a logical path toward energy independence or a solution to Global Warming.
• I was inspired to write this blog in response to this one.
  

The Dangers of Bipartisanship

Jane Hamsher said it better than I could. There's a greater theme here that applies to a certain Purple-America-loving candidate, but I'll give my fingers a vacation.