an imminent flurry of blogs

I recently returned from a fairy-tale-esque trip to Amsterdam, Paris, Prague, Vienna and Budapest, and I promise to write multiple blogs about my experiences there.

For now, though, let me change the subject to one that's being overly covered (but necessarily so): the election. We all know what's at stake; I'm not going to hound you about our place in the rest of the world, about our flailing economy, about our laws and freedoms... I cannot begin to lecture, because it's not my place. My personal convictions in this election are just that- personal.

I am neither an Obama nor a McCain fan, but Palin tips the scales for me. I will not attack this poor women; she's been attacked by too many people already.

I don't agree with her views on just about anything, but that's me.

I wondered what people here in Wales thought, and here is the response I got from people working with Plaid Cymru.

"She's a nutcase," one colleague said, "but she's hot."

Another said she disliked Palin as much as I did.

One passed me an article from the Guardian, which contained an edited transcript of the prank call. Here's the only transcript I can find Online: http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/081101/entertainment/palin_transcript (thanks to Yahoo news for this).

There is no doubt in my mind that the media is slanted against Palin and that my view of her has been slanted by all the articles I've read (particularly those from my favorite magazine, The New Yorker: http://www.newyorker.com/talk/2008/09/15/080915ta_talk_lizza, http://www.newyorker.com/humor/2008/09/22/080922sh_shouts_saunders, among others).

Still, I would rather have an enthusiastic, intelligent man as president who has a sturdy VP than one who has a VP with the demeanor of a flaky cheerleader. I like McCain; I like Obama. I'm not crazy about Biden; I can't stand Palin. So, by default, I suppose I'm keeping my fingers crossed for an Obama win.

P.S.- On a side note, I'd like to comment about my last blog. Matt Wardman did not exactly "reveal" that Wardman is his pen name; he unveiled that information on his blog a long time ago. I, however, had no idea that was the case. And, based on the numerous people who called him "Matt" at the conference, I don't think I'm alone. Either way, he's a fantastic blogger, and both he and Betsan Powys helped me adjust to Welsh politics.

To Blog or Not to Blog...

Last night, the Assembly hosted a program about political blogging. Six debaters attended: Matt Wardman, blogger (http://www.mattwardman.com/blog/); Betsan Powys, political editor and blogger at BBC Wales (http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/betsanpowys/); Annabelle Harle, impartial party from the Electoral Reform Society; Victoria Winckler, director of and blogger for the Bevan Foundation(http://bevanfoundation.blogspot.com/); Peter Black, blogging Liberal Democrat Assembly Member (http://peterblack.blogspot.com/); and Eleanor Burnham, Liberal Democrat Assembly Member against blogging.

Daran Hill, the managing director of Positif Politics, chaired the discussion.

The talks focused on already-popular and over-discussed topics: blogging as a new medium, the blogosphere being a self-contained bowl of information, and anonymous blogging creating problems with bullying and unreliable information, for starters.

"Matt Wardman" and Betsan Powys conversing

The best thing to come of the event were some fantastic quotes, which I shall list underneath each speaker's name.

Eleanor Burnham:
-"Fortunately for me, this was done over the influence of drinks."
-"I don't sit on a bloody screen all day long."
-Blogging "encourages lazy journalism" by letting them "sit on their bum and wait for things to fall in their lap."

Annabelle Harle:
-"The medium is not itself the message."

Betsan Powys:
-"I certainly wouldn't mind being stuck in an elevator with (bloggers)."

Matt Wardman (revealed "Matt Wardman" is a pen name):
-"All the interesting stuff that's done on blogs isn't done with blogs" (it's done with people on blogs).

Victoria Winckler:
-"I've the technical skills of a gnat but even I can do it."
-"Am I singing from the hill tops or shouting in the wind?"