Weekend Blog Refrigerator Art Works

From time to time I like to point out to readers a few of the excellent blogs I read and why. These are the kids that a very proud Papamoka is glad to paste their art work all over his fridge. Just like every child paints or colors a picture differently, these creative writers have my interest peaked on a regular basis. Thus their artwork is plastered all over the Papamoka fridge.

Gun Toting Liberal aka my bro, has a point to make regarding Karl Rove calling the President Divisive.

Nancy had me nearly pissing my pants with her Tonsil Hockey comment about Obama bowing to a Saudi Prince.

I found this neat site called America Blog courtesy of Nancy.

Jeff at WormTown Taxi always has my local news worth reading. If it is happening in Worcester, MA then Jeff has it.

Infidel753 always has an interesting discussion on faith or the lack there of.

BJ of Demwit has an interesting post on Dickipedia and how Glenn Beck of Fox News ended up as an honorary listing.

Just Wondering, at Vim and Vinegar, our sister co-blogger, has a kick butt love fest for Jon Stewart video that I was going to steal but that would be wrong.

Steve from Out of the Binjo Ditch has this to say on Governor Perry of Texas and Glenn Beck’s weird relationship. Loved this one.

Last but not least, my buddy DB in Japan has this to say on Torture.

That is my kids pictures on my fridge for the weekend. I’m sure I forgot to mention someone, no offense to them intended. Check them all out and let us know what you think. All of them are in their own way great political writers and each one a gem in the rough.

Papamoka

Loving Margaret and Helen

I’ve been reading Margaret and Helen off and on for a couple of months and a friend and co-writer here on Papamoka pointed out an amazing response by Helen on Ann Culter’s latest book. I love these two woman simply because they can say it like it is and just don’t care what anyone thinks. The kicker is, Margaret and Helen are not teenagers with an attitude on Facebook or MySpace, or even some other social network, but two retired American woman in their late years on their own website just talking about the things they each have an opinion on. They are an internet and independent blogger miracle story that should be hailed across the main stream media but they are happy just passing notes to one another on their blog. Notes that you and I can read and enjoy.

Check this out from Helen on Ann Culter…

For those of you just joining us, I am summarizing Ann Coulter’s new book for my friend Margaret so she doesn’t have to buy it herself. It’s kind of my version of Cliffs Notes except I call it Hell ‘N Notes because reading an Ann Coulter book is like visiting hell… only this time the devil wears Prada in a ladies shoe size 17. They should give me a medal for this kind of sacrifice!

Snippet

For those of you who think I am being a bit hard on Ann and in particular her gigantic feet, let me spell it out for you. You know what they say about big feet right? Well, in Ann’s case the shoes fit. Here is the other joke she made about murdered children. Reprinted without edit:

In 2003, single mother Amanda Hamm, twenty-seven years old, drowned her three young sons, aged six, three and twenty-three months, so she could move to St. Louis with her boyfriend. It would have been a lot of trouble to bring the boys with them. Apparently, the prospect of hearing “are we there yet?” for eight hours was just too daunting for Amanda.

So you tell me. Am I being too hard on her?

Well Margaret, that brings us to the conclusion of another chapter from the best selling author, Ann Sasquatch Coulter. I think I’ll go pour myself a strong drink and pull out my fingernails. But do come back soon because I will eventually find the strength to read the next chapter. I mean it. Really. - Margaret and Helen

I love these two ladies and the way they think. I could picture my kids grandmother writing very much similar posts if she were still with us and the same for my wife’s grandmother too if she were still with us. Now those were two old broads that didn’t take crap from anybody and told it like it is. Like it or not and you did not sas them back with an opinion because they could each site facts and figures and put you back in your place with total recall memory.

Margaret and Helen should post a contribute button on the website because I would gladly toss them the cost of Ann Culter’s book their way and I‘m sure I would not be the only reader willing to do so. They saved me the cost of buying the book and tearing Ann Culter’s neck a new Adams Apple! Oh wait, you can support them by clicking here! Please do so and thank them for their talent.

Papamoka

Prayers Help

In all of our lives we come across so many friends that become more like family than our own familiy. I have several online friends that I would do anything for if it were in my ability to do so and they in turn would probably do the same for me. We bloggers don't get to wear colors like a motorcycle gang but we know one another, at least us old timers do, and we keep in touch.

I'm a huge believer in the power of prayer and my twin brother from another mother down in Alabama is in distress. He has a ton on his plate and he takes more on every single day as an Iraq War Veteran. It's a tough road to travel and he needs to travel it to get through it and past it. He is at the top of my prayer list. Always will be.

I have another friend that was the victim of a head on car and motorcycle accident that is in rough shape down in New Jersey. He's in a bad way but the prognosis is good so he will still be in my prayers. Can't hurt!

Either way, a prayer for my friend in Alabama is going out and so is one for my friend from Jersey. God bless ya both, God guide you and keep them both well on this side of the fence.

Do you believe in the power of prayer? As liberal as I am I still believe in God and the power of prayer.

Papamoka

MBA Clears Up AP Issue

I owe the Associated Press a huge apology. With all the hype over AP allegedly going after the Drudge Retort with a law suit, the whole matter was a very large misunderstanding. In an email from a fellow blogger I received a link to Media Bloggers Association that has all of the facts behind the AP issue with Drudge Retort. You can read it here. MBA is a group of volunteers that mediate on behalf of bloggers. They are a bloggers best friend when it comes to freedom of speech on the internet.

After reading all of the facts I have to say that I agree with the AP. Drudge Retort was posting entire articles including the headlines from the Associated Press and that is copyright infringement.

Wrapping this story up with a huge apology to the Associated Press.

Papamoka

****My friend over at the Gun Toting Liberal has linked to this post with his own thoughts on this issue...

Syndicated TO:

Bring It On!

To the Center

Associated Press Blindsiding Bloggers

*****UPDATE From Media Bloogers Association


On my own site and others that I post on I am a stickler for linking to the site the quote comes from, the author when listed also. Over at the Associated Press they are going after bloggers for monetary damages for using quotes in their posts that originated from AP.

You can check the Associated Press thought here.

What I just don’t get is the terms of their definition of “Fair Use” in the news and blogging world. My good friend is a retired Newspaper Editor and she has this definition of “Fair Use” listed on her blog. I may be way off the mark on who knows what is “Fair Use” policy in the printed media world but I’m going to trust my friend BJ. God forbid the Associated Press would go after someone that used to buy ink by the barrel that has a blog. I would be the first one to go to her defense with a fat check for her lawyer if the AP attempted to sue a retired editor that is slowly loosing her vision. I’ve deliberately not linked to her site to protect her happy retirement life from AP lawyers thinking they are on the scent of blood and bloggers… Sorry BJ.

"This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. I am making such material available in an effort to advance understanding of current issues. I believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes."

Tell me I’m wrong and that the Associated Press is making up there own rules for the internet use that they post on the internet that people read every single day. Most legitimate bloggers link back to the persons originally credited with the article which in exchange drives people to the AP post that was paid for by the news service posting it. That in turn pays the advertising bills for the site and thus money is made by the original site. For that fact to be true then Crooks and Liars can steal my work seven days a week if the link back benefits my advertiser. Daily Kos, feel free to hold my entire posts hijacked on a trip to Cuba. As for the Huffington Post, I don’t want those bastards stealing my works. What the AP is doing is picking and choosing what web sites or blogs they want there work to appear on and that is wrong. The law is clear and the AP does not write the law. Legally I don’t think they have a leg to stand on but I will defer that to the people in the know of the law, AP lawyers not included.

As a blogger I read dozens of blogs a day and each one is more or less opinion of the article written than content theft. In that same thought I have found myself clicking on many AP articles to read the associated quote from many sites across the internet. I’m not talking about just AP articles but many other sources of news in the “Fair Use” presentation of the articles posted online. If any organization posts its writers articles online then they are open and free to interpretation just as much a letter to the editor is in your local paper. Or are you guilty of theft if you send a letter to the editor in opposition to an article labeled “XYZ on ABC”?

Some of the folks in the undergound blogger union have spoken of a united front to boycott the Associated Press and I’m finding myself looking favorably toward that position. We bloggers have our own secret handshake and manifest destiny that compels us to rebel against the institution of society. And there is that other thing where we are just one person writing opinion where the media has no clue as to the real world in America.

At the next meeting for the local chapter of Bloggers I’m going to raise the resolution to ban AP from our posts. From now on I will be only quoting over the fence news from my neighbor. No, that won’t work. Maybe I could use this search engine called Google to find relevant information? I’ll have to just check that out.

Papamoka

Feel free to link to, borrow, steal, or call this post your own. A link back is appreciated though!

Syndicated:
Bring It ON!
To the Center

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Screw You MSNBC Blog Advertising

Papamoka Straight Talk is not a big fish in the sea of the blog world but we have standards. The contributors and I write what we feel and from our own perspective. Pick any topic in the news and we write about it if it has a political twist. In that context I try and ad things in the sidebar that might interest our readers and most of it is informative. Google ranking, Technorati links, Blog Cluster Maps, Widgets to different directories and of course Feedburner. A link that makes it easier for our readers to pick up the site in a quick read format. User friendly stuff like that. Any of the links are what you call blog candy or eye candy for the site.

Recently, I added the MSNBC widget to the sidebar simply because I thought readers would enjoy the latest video or topic that MSNBC is covering. This is a political site and video is great eye candy. Supposedly, there was some benefit that Papamoka Straight Talk would get out of having this MSNBC widget on the site and yet I haven’t seen it other than something neat for readers to click on. They have not paid this site one penny to have this free advertising.

How would you feel if you received this email from a posted for free link on your site?

Good Day,

We are writing to let you know that upon a routine review we have found that the MSNBC ad unit is currently placed towards the bottom of your website.

Please let us know if you are able to raise the units to a higher point on the website, as we are unable to let the unit run in its current position.

It is suggested that the unit be displayed about 800 pixels from the top but we understand that this does not have to be exact and we would be happy to assist you in any way that we can.

My blood was boiling mad! Who the hell does MSNBC think they are dictating where there widget appears on this site? Not for just giggles I emailed them back with my opinion and this is the email I sent to the nice folks over at MSNBC…

Excuse ME? I'll just pull your free to MSNBC advertising unit from my site. You are not paying ME to be up on my site and I will not be censored by anyone on MY Website! Your advertisement was put on my site for my readers and you can take your demands and file them as never to be seen on Papamoka Straight Talk ever again.

By the way, Crooks and Liars links to my site, Gun Toting Liberal links to my site, The Moderate Voice links to my site, Bring IT ON links to my site, Michael Linn Jones links to my site, The Left Coaster links to my site as well as every newspaper in the country that I write about. By the way, Imus was right, MSNBC has no balls and no class and for the record he has linked to my site on the air!

Don't threaten me with your position requirements. When you are handed free advertising on my site you have no say where the hell I place your ad unit. I'll put my readers needs over your demands any day of the week and as for the rest of the friends that link to my site, I respect them because they have honest opinions and not bias.

Your free advertisement will be deleted. Thanks for playing nice in the blogosphere. See this email at Papamoka Straight Talk... Screw you MSNBC!


Regards,
Matthew O'Keefe
Owner of Papamoka Straight Talk
http:/papamokastraighttalk.blogspot.com


As a blogger that writes for the love of writing I do not and will not tolerate anyone telling me that they demand my site bend to their requirements or loose the link. Screw you MSNBC or anyone else that wants to put me in a corner! The audacity of the email threw me over the cliff. I will delete the MSNBC link just out of spite for the bullying tactic they used in their email to me as the owner of this site. I have put my heart and soul into this blog and nobody is going to tell this political writer that they deserve a better spot on the sidebar over writers and blogger’s that have befriended me personally or simply linked to Papamoka Straight Talk.

I wonder how many other blogger’s that loaded the free MSNBC advertising up on their private sites have been threatened by this kind of email from MSNBC?

Deleted MSNBC Advertisement…

My apologies to any of our readers that liked it. I’ll find something to replace it in the next couple of days.

Papamoka

Feel free to link to or borrow this post…

By the way, I recently added an email link to the sidebar where you can have any of the post’s at Papamoka Straight Talk sent right to your in box. Feel free to sign up via Feedburner but come back for the candy.

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Papamoka Blog’s and more reads…

One more Republican steps down with minimal controversy over his child using her shoes in protest of her arrest. - Washington Post

Bring IT ON! has this on Bush Lied.

When we got to Baqubah and once found fifty IEDs on a stretch of road less than a mile long, we figured it might be a good idea to walk even more often. - Army of Dude

Zogby Poll on South Carolina from The Moderate Voice.

Florida 8th Congressional Race on Crooks and Liars with Alan Grayson… Must SEE VIDEO!

Suffer the Children from I See My Dreams on Bush being just an idiot. Who’d of thunk?

Michael Linn Jones on Huckabee and his arsenal of theocracy.

One more on Alan Grayson from Down With Tryranny.

Gun Toting Liberal has this on Hillary the Hypocrite calling Obama a slum lord buddy.

That’s a wrap up…

Papamoka

Weekend Round Up...

Just another check on what is going on around the blogosphere and what people are saying lately. I happen to have this special affection for bloggers that write not just okay but damn well and for the record, I don't consider myself in the ranks of some of these links. For some people there is a deep passion in thier writing and you can feel that passion when you read it. Those are the kind of people I like to read.

Starting off the list is Grandpa Nate who is no relation but he has the VATI bug and the full conviction of his belief right there in his post. Vote Against the Incumbents is his site and I look forward to more posts from him in the future.

I love the works of Michael Linn Jones because of the way he subtly inserts his southern humor into his pieces. Given the chance to write humor he excells at it to the point of pissing your pants laughter. Anyone over eighty and under two years old will need to check your protective undergarments after reading his humorous pieces. All of his other posts are simply out of this world logical reads that wrap your mind into the words.

Bring IT ON! has the best of the left and center points of view and the writers there amaze me with their ability to put an opinion on the political spin coming out of our nations capitol. Must read site! Unless of course you think George W. Bush is the second coming...

Lefty over at A View From Battleship Cove has the Bay State covered and so does Aces Full of Links. Both great reads.

Then there is one of my favorites, Gun Toting Liberal. The owner of the site and I are friends so I am biased. Then again he demands free debate about the issues from any point of view and that is a refreshing requirement around the blogosphere. We don't always agree but the fun of that is talking about the issue and letting the world know what you think. Debate the issue and not the commentator is definetly different.

One other amazing site to check out is Specious Reasoning. Marq writes often and he pulls no punches in his posts. Bush is an ass and he points out why with great links to back up his posts. Once again the passion and conviction of his thoughts are all right there every post.

Then I have to add The Moderate Voice as a must read too! Joe Gandelman has a group of people that blow me out of the water with all of the topics they cover. He and his group of writers is up there with another amazing crew of political opinion writers like Steve Soto of The Left Coaster. Both of these guys are huge as far as links go and I recommend them both highly. There is a reason for their success. Read it in thier posts.

I wrote this piece because of a post I read at A View From Battleship Cove. Lefty wanted to know if there were any good reads he should check out. This little piece only touches the surface.

As a writer of political opinion I like to keep my mind open. Reading other writers that are similar to my line of thinking has been a great influence in my life. Chell's Roost has inspired me to not take everything for granted and just enjoy life. Our life is all around us and it is up to us to take advantage of every momment.

I didn't include Crooks and Liars in this post up till now but I should. They don't need the praise from me because they have it down pat. I visit them daily like I do many of the posts I listed for a reason. Information is the key to change and change is all about the reader. Rock on Mike and keep up the mission of spreading the word of all the little folks like me.

Papamoka

Daily Kos on Colbert

This is a must see interview of Kos on Colbert....




Special thanks to Comedy Central

Chell's Roost

Picture courtesy of Chell's Roost

Every once in a while you come across a great web site that leads you to many other interesting sites. Just by chance and by commenting on a piece here I found an unbelivably great site!

My first thoughts were that I wanted to put this great new site that I stumbled on up on my own site . Blogger is having technical problems and I can't add anything to my template page. According to the error message it is an Adsense problem that is effecting all templates. I hope to hell that somebody at Blogger is talking to the people at Google to fix this problem right away.

Let's get all the people from Blogger with pocket protectors and all the people from Google Adsense with pocket protectors in the same room and fix it quick

Please check out my newest contribution to my Links I Recommended list Chell's Roost. As soon as I can edit my template that is.

My personal thanks to Chell for linking here and at Raising Kids in America.

Papamoka

Twisted Friday Thought

If teflon coated pans are a non-stick cooking surface then what is making the teflon stick to the pan?

Papamoka