White House Blogger Chat

One of my blogging friends, friend over at Crooks and Liars, John Amato, was at the White House today to chat with President Obama. John was invited by the President to attend the session with four other progressive bloggers. I can't wait to see what he finally has to report about that little event at the White House.

All I know is that my friend Mike Finnigan who does Mike's Blog Round Up must be pretty damn jealous. John is the guy in the middle of this picture that was stolen from Crooks and Liars. I'm an honest thief.

Papamoka

Just Mike

I’ve been writing this little blog for a couple of years now and over that time I have gathered many an online friend or simpatico reader. Somehow we managed to contact one another by email and the correspondence over time has morphed into what I would like to think as a personal friendship. If any single one of them needed my help, then I would be there for them in a heartbeat. Even though I have never met many of them.

In the back of my mind I build up a picture in my head of what these online email buddies look like and I have to admit, I have a very horrible imagination or dare I say ability to picture what they actually look like. I’ve been wrong every single time. Being an idiot or simpleton, I build up a picture in my mind based on what they write on their respective blogs or in our email chats. Trust me, the FBI would never want to ask me to be their profiler.

Anywho, one of my longest blogging and email buddies has been Mike Finnigan who does Mike’s Blog Round Up over at Crooks and Liars, I email him tips on posts, he emails me back one or two sentences. Short and to the point. That’s just Mike being Mike. My poor old imagination pictured this kid in his early twenties, probably wearing a Greatful Dead shirt for a week at a time sitting at his computer for 23 out of 24 hours a day just surfing the net. Maybe a little bit overweight from too many bags of potato chips and slices of delivered pizza. Empty Diet Coke's scattered on his bedroom floor like dead soldiers. His mother yelling up the stairs that the trash needs to be taken out and his father just shaking his head wondering where he went wrong.

Yup, I was wrong. Never in my wildest imagination could I have pictured he was a talented and well known musician. Here is Mike in what I would like to say is one of the best inspirational music videos I have seen in a very long time…

Video Link



Here I sit in my little world and all this time I’ve been exchanging emails with a guy named Mike Finnigan that has worked with Cher, Eddie Money, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Bonnie Rait, Jimmy Hendrix, and the list of talent he has worked with in the music industry over the years goes on. Needless to say, I’m an idiot. I’m in the presence of greatness and to me it was always just Mike.

My thanks go out to William K. Wolfrum Chronicles for pointing out what a gift Mike Finnigan is to the world. I have to now go write an apology email to my friend Mike for being just Mike. Then I have to wash this Greatful Dead shirt. It’s a wee bit ripe if you know what I mean. Maybe I’ll jump in the washing machine with it and kill two birds with one stone.

Papamoka

Blogging, Blog, Writing On Line

Many of the friends that read this site are from all over the world. With Papamoka Straight Talk being a national political blog we talk about and write about politics that is not on the local over the fence level. In retrospect, many of my readers are from the heart of New England, Worcester Massachusetts. Proudly, and locally we can boast politically that our states Lieutenant Governor is the former Mayor of Worcester, Tim Murray. For the record I think he and Governor Deval Patrick are cleaning up the Mitt Romney mess very well. But I digress. My five year old had breakfast with Lieutenant Governor Murray last year at a local event so that is my local connection to politics in Mass-a-two-sticks. A phrase I use often to describe the taxation status of Bay State residents and what we have left over after we pay all the damn taxes tossed on us.

Getting back to my original point… Many local blogs and people visit this site day after day and all of the contributors and I appreciate that. They are the reason we write day after day and offer opinion on national politics but in the same perspective I have built many personal relationships with people that link to this blog, write for this blog, and email me on their blogs latest posts. Some I have never met and some I think as my brother or sister with a DNA link with a high speed internet connection.

In the format that the “This Blog is Rated E for Excellent” I offer the following ten amazing reads, some local and others around the world. Punishment if you receive this award and have to pay it forward.

My number one "E for Excellent" award goes to someone that I consider one of my closest online friends and that is Michael Linn Jones who is also a contributor hear at Papamoka Straight Talk. No matter how many times I scream at him to write a book he refuses. Through him alone I personally have grown as a political writer and following his lead is why he is my number one E for Excellent nominee. If you love Mark Twain, one of my favorite authors of all time, then you will love visiting Michael Linn Jones.

My number two link "E for Excellent" is yet another group of folks that reached out to me and caught me when I was down and I will never forget that. Bring IT ON is a national site with writers from all over the United States that write from the heart on a moderate to left leaning perspective and each one has a unique view on national politics. Pick an issues and Bring IT ON has it coming up on the radar. My thanks to Jet and Cranky for believing in me and letting this writer cross post on their site. If you have a left sensing personality then Bring IT ON is a must visit site.

My number three "E for Excellent" is of course the Gun Toting Liberal. If you want to read real opinion and real thoughts then Gunny has it covered when it comes to national politics. I consider the GTL my mentor and my brother from another mother. We are kindred political and personal friends. I absolutely loved writing for the Gun Toting Liberal and the site is just amazing with all of the posts that make you think out side of the box. Visit the Gun Toting Liberal and be enlightened. Private message to Gunny, you’ve been tagged bro so pay up and you better link back here… LOL!

Number four for "E for Excellent" is all of my friends from Poli Gazette to Chells Roost to Pissed on Politics to Vim and Vinegar which reminds me...

Number five is of course Vim and Vinegar. If you want from the heart political news and opinion then she has it covered in spades! She also contributes when she can here at Papamoka and when she does it is always a great read. Just Wondering has a spin on politics with a Southern twist and she calls it like it is. Painting a fire in her words is what she does best on her site at Vim and Vinegar and yet another must read.

Next on my list for "E for Excellent" is at number six my good friend BJ at I See My Dreams. One of the things that makes me read a blog is the love of writing from the site owner. BJ is a retired news paper editor in South Carolina and I just love reading her posts. Liberal leaning and on topic with facts and links to back up all of her posts. In her heart is what is right and from her perspective is always an amazing read. I just love her work. Who loves ya BJ!… Tag, your it my friend! You can see her work at I See My Dreams and get addicted yourself.

Number seven "E for Excellent" who I will personally forever email all of the emails that demands you forward to twelve thousand friends or your head will pop off is I’m From Worcester. Photographs out of this world and local events and culture is her heartbeat. This is where I go to find out what is actually happening in the real world in Worcester culturally.

Claudia is an amazing person and she has a gift that she hasn’t tapped to its full potential as a blogger yet. That reminds me, I have to forward her this great opportunity to get a piece of the action from a dead banker with $26 million dollars in escrow with no family in Africa email…LOL! I’m thankful to the author and blogger of I’m From Worcester for putting Papamoka Straight Talk on the local scene. Visit I’m from Worcester and check out her insight and thoughts on life in Worcester. Thank you Claudia for including this little blog.

Number eight "E for Excellent" comes in as Worm Town Taxi. This a great blog by yet another on line friend. Jeff drives a cab keeps us all posted on the goings on in Worcester. He doesn’t just end it with what’s going on but has some great tips on the latest electronic gadgets out there. In-between all the great pictures he puts up on Worm Town Taxi is his personal thoughts and opinion where the local paper is way off the mark and that is why I read his posts daily. That and the fact that this is one site that has inspired me to write many national related posts. You don’t have to pay the fare for visiting the Worm Town Taxi but it is worth the ride.

Number nine is A View From Battleship Cove. This site has a great writer in Lefty covering everything that is Fall River in Massachusetts. If you want to know what is going on in Fall River then you need to read A View From Battleship Cove. My personal thanks go out to the site owner for contributing here and linking to this site where he has. If you want to know the truth about Lizzie Borden then Lefty at A View From Battleship Cove has it covered. If you like Fall River Politics, or love great photography of Fall River he has that nailed!

Number ten is my email friend that has linked to this site time and time again from Crooks and Liars. Mikes Blog Roundup is an inkling to small fish in the sea that are not on the radar. When it comes down to blogging there is no better sense of making it to the big time than being linked on Crooks and Liars. Mike has been kind to me at Papamoka Straight Talk and I do appreciate it more than he will ever know. If you want the latest politically the Crooks and Liars is a daily must see.

That is my list of ten blog’s that I think stand for Excellent in content and worth your reading. If I listed your site then I am immune from the tag so go get the blogs you think are worth reading. You can mention this blog and I would appreciate that.

If you clicked on any of the links here I thank you for visiting sites that are all friends and favorites of Papamoka Straight Talk. Each one is a gem and if you find yourself addicted to them then please let the writer know that. Comment on the sites and just let them know what you think. Bloggers do not make much money if any for the most part for what they write and this is just something we do. If it entertains you then that is a plus. Visiting their sponsors helps though. For all the people I listed today, tag, you have been chosen as an Excellent Blog and now it is your turn to pay it forward. Ten Blogs you love or appreciate.

Papamoka

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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Blogging

This evening I had the pleasure of talking with Mike Jones who cross post’s here time and again. We talked about politics but we also talked about the reality of life in general. Mike and I do not see eye to eye on all the issues in life but we are for the most part best of friends. We do not pull punches with one another and we do not edit one another’s posts. We tell it like it is. His perspective or mine is the real deal. That is unique on most blogs or syndicated reads.

We do not have a political agenda other than what is right for you and our readers on our respective sights. Yes we talk and bitch politics and frankly, we love politics. If it were not for politics, we would not have much to say. And yet we do. Take from our posts and comment as you feel. Commenting is the only way to voice your opinion if you agree or disagree with any post on this site. Keeping silent puts you in the back seat as the drivers of our nation steers the car over the edge.

Lately, Mike has had a post picked up by Reuters. That post with the Calvin peeing cartoon was picked up in its entirety. We have had a few post’s picked up by the Wall Street Journal and Reuters. By no means am I patting Mike or myself on the back but you have to say that we are writers that some folks think have a legitimate opinion on life in these here United States of America.

Blogging is an art form that depends on building not just a readership but a network of friends that believe in you and what you write. It isn’t about writing what people want to hear or what the main stream media is telling you what cliff to run off of. Blogging is a sense of self and letting the world know that you as an individual has an opinion. It might not be the popular thought at the time but it is the thought that needs to be heard. In that same thought process similar minds come to read here at Papamoka Straight Talk.

We have huge Blogging friends to thank like the owner of the Gun Toting Liberal site and of course Bring IT ON! I have my local friends like Claudia Snell and Worm Town Taxi for picking up Papamoka Straight Talk and putting this Worcester blog out there locally. Steve from the Bingo Ditch is my new lawyer from Texas expert and I rely on his opinion more than he knows. I can not forget Vim and Vinegar or View From Battleship Cove and all the support they have given us by linking back and supporting this site. I can not forget Mike from Crooks and Liars and his round up post’s that has been very supportive. Chell’s Roost is also a favorite of mine because she is just so real. Google search the links and have a ball on their sites. Come back to Papamoka Straight Talk and MichaelLinnJones.com when you want the reality of life from two moderate opinionated sons of B**ches. Did I mention we keep the language clean here because you want your kids to be able to read it too?

That all being said, Michael and I will try to keep you entertained with our opinions on everything that effects you as an American and we appreciate your linking back to our site more than you know. Matter of fact we encourage it. Link love is posted on every post we find a link pro or con.

Take care of you and we will take care of the politics that is life in America. Some could say that where your voice is not heard then we have an obligation as American’s to make it heard. Others just call us idiotic bloviating jerks. You decide and come back again for another look. Feel free to email your friends or family on the latest that Michael has to say or I have to rant on. By all means comment and do so as your heart feels compelled to do. Find your voice and express it! Let close to 3,000 visitors a month see what you think too!

Papamoka

Feel free to link to this post or steal it...

*****Worcester Magazine has linked to this post...

Bloggers Choice Award 2007 Nominee!

Holy f#$@!*# Batman! This fact came totally out of left field for me. My little site has been nominated by a scout from Bloggers Choice Award for best political blog! I am jumping out of my freaking skin with excitement. I never would have thought that my words written here would even show up on the big boys radar but they apparently have. Thank you President Bush for all that you and your people have done to make this all possible.

Thanks to Mom and Dad, God rest their souls, my loving wife for putting up with the clicking of a keyboard at late hours of the night, my children … hold on. I don’t want to get big headed and take the limo ride to the awards just yet. Apparently, I need votes. I just got the email from them telling me that I was nominated so my spirits are very high tonight. I just feel so pumped up that my blog has been nominated so early in the voting process. That is a huge event in itself. That blows my mind and they scouted me from the award agency.

Maybe, just a maybe this little corner of the world has been heard? I look forward to accepting the 10,345,222 place runner up email notice.

But I sure as hell am posting the nomination notice up in the side bar and if you like what you read here… vote often for Papamoka Straight Talk!

To be honest with you, I haven’t even checked out the fact that my site is even nominated but I think I will just for giggles.

Then again maybe I won’t. It’s like that $100 million dollar lottery ticket you have and you fear to see if you won because the chances are you might have lost are greater.

Papamoka

More than ever please feel free to link to this post! Umm and if this is true vote...

Try this link to vote... you might have to enter papastraighttalk.blogspot.com in the search box.

The Van Der Galien Gazette has linked to and voted for this site...