Carnival of the Vanities #42

Welcome to Carnival of the Vanities. This brainchild of Silflay Hraka started as a way for smaller bloggers to get noticed, but has since gone beyond that mandate to become a mine of interesting blog posts you wouldn't have found otherwise. "42" is of course the answer to "life, the universe & everything"... which nicely describes the range of posts before us.

All posts are listed by category, then by blog title in reverse (Z-A) order. It's not like I have a chip on my shoulder because our blog starts with "W" or anything... yes it is. Categories include:

• Life
• The Universe
• .Biz
• Culture
• Humour
• Media
• Politics, International
• Politics, Domestic

Finally, I should also mention the July 9 Carnival of the Liberties, now taking submissions from bloggers (incl. bloggers listed below) for their best posts about liberty in Iran. Many, many Iranians are taking real risks for freedom, and today is a very important day for their future - and ours. Add your voices, and do your bit to help the Iranian people achieve liberty without war.

LIFE

• The Yeti, Tales From A Yeti Suit: NotDating™ IX.
  Tales from a Yeti Suit lays out the math behind his NotDating™ program. Learn exciting new algebra equations to calculate a woman's weight, number of partners, and her dating range.

• Maddy, The Twins Tell the Truth: Golf Camp
  One 11-year-old twin goes on a rant about how her sister got treated at golf camp.

• Wandalicious, my2cents: The Greatest Man I Ever Knew.
  He was not just a jack of all trades, he was a Master of all trades. He could fix anything, including a little girl's skinned knees and broken heart.

• Jack Bogdanski, Jack Bog's Blog: Mile 100.
  Weekends "down the (Jersey) Shore," circa 1970.

• Ipse Dixit: A Lovely Little Country.
  8 days in Central America (340k).

• David Melle, Facts Of Israel: Guide Dog helps blind Israeli victim of Palestinian terrorism .
  Eyal Noifeld is a 20-year-old Israeli who lost his sight and hearing when a homicide bomber from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad blew himself up on August 4, 2002. The rest of the report shows how a guide dog for the blind might help Eyal during his recovery.

• Andrew Ian Dodge, Dodgeblogium: Dodgeblogium is back.
  All archives moved over thanks to Dean! Plus The Fallen: a short film staring Andrew.

• grs, Beyond the Near: Queerness and Choice.
  "Some of us believe that human sexuality and gender are fluid. We believe this because we know it, the same way that Mr. Sullivan knows that he is gay and cannot be otherwise. We believe that it is, on some level, a choice, whether or not to explore and live in that fluidity."

• Harvey Olson, Bad Money: A Sea Story .
  Almost everyone knows what a bad hangover feels like. This is what one looks like.

• Adam, A Single Guy In The South: The Proper Way To Light A Lady's Cigarette.
  With New Yorkers bemoaning the loss of smoking liberties and others bemoaning the loss of decency of society, The Single Guy In The South decides to combine the two issues. Read on for the proper way to light a lady's cigarette and the reasons why.

THE UNIVERSE

• Jay Manifold, A Voyage To Arcturus: New Found Lands (V).
  Nanotechnology, space colonization, risk management, overregulation, asteroid mining, the cloning ban, and the drug war. Among other things.

• Rand Simberg, Transterrestrial Musings: How's The Weather Up There?
  Here's the site for those who really want to know about the weather in space.

.BIZ

• Dave Pollard, How to Save the World: Why the Predicted Talent Shortage Will Never Happen .
  After a brief flurry of workplace 'people power' in the 1990s, employers have wrenched back control of labour, and turned people back into 'human capital', this time for keeps.

• Cory Doctorow, Boing Boing: Emailing Ourselves to Death .
  The NYT attacks the idea of time-slicing and multi-tasking and ubiquitous connectivity, arguing that always-on people (ahem) are junkies for the adrenaline rush of juggling a peak load, where one slip means disaster, and that they (er, we) get less done as a result of our divided attention.

CULTURE

• Meryl Yourish, Yourish.com: The Fourth at Fort Lee.
  I spent the late afternoon and evening of the Fourth of July at Fort Lee....

• Jerome du Bois, The Tears of Things: Santiago Sierra: The Little Conquistador .
  How do we make sense of the success and public encouragement of an artist who sadistically exploits the weak? Santiago Sierra says, "I make luxury objects for rich collectors," while he makes poor people suffer. And nobody calls him on it, until now.

• Sarah Fitz-Claridge, Taking Children Seriously: Optimism .
  This is the 1st entry from the brand new blog from Taking Children Seriously (TCS). The piece below highlights the parallel between the role of optimism in capitalist society and its role in TCS-style parenting.

• Solonor, Solonor's Ink Well: Reinventing the Automat .
  "A fellow goes into the Automat and starts pumping nickels into the machines and taking out pieces of pie, one after another..." For the rest of the joke, and a tribute to a postwar Americana icon that's being given a new lease of life, read his entry.

• Sean-Paul, The Silk Road Journal: Negotiations.
  Blogging from Uzbekistan, where our hero finds an 11-year old who can sing the Texas A&M Aggie Fight Song. He recovers from his shock, and...

• David Ferguson, Sketches of Strain: "Do You Like Good Music?"
  About the power of music and the glories of working hard.

• Tiger, Raggin' & Rantin': Parental Guilt and Stay At Home Moms.

• Andrew, Pathetic Earthlings: Silkscreen the Revolution
  Andrew comments on Revolucion : Cuban Poster Art, a new book about Cuban propaganda posters.

• Judith Weiss, Kesher Talk: New Weekly Feature - Pintele Yid .
  For gentile friends and Jews who want to rediscover their heritage - recommending quintessentially Jewish cultural works (books, TV specials, CDs, Torah teachers, poets, websites, and more) which transport you inside a Jewish skin and show you the world through Jewish eyes. This week - exciting worldbeat Iranian Jewish music.

• Iain Murray, The Edge of England's Sword: Dalrymple's View of Britain.
  Dalrymple's main point is that Spain is a more cultured society than the UK is at present. I happen to agree with this. I also happen to think the US is a more cultured society than the UK, at least by the indicators Dalrymple uses.

• Da Goddess: A Matter of Pride .
  Why bother with the sweat, the grunting, the groaning, the moaning, and all that work for something that's over in about 15 minutes? Why bother at all?

• Brian Jones, Boviosity: "Sad And Foul Traces".
  Why isn't this wonderful phrase used every day?

• The Group Captain, Across the Atlantic: "The Perfect Cup of Tea" is described, including the setting it should be enjoyed in.

HUMOUR

Special mention: Chuck Simmins gets 2 listings today, as his response to the Goggle searcher who came looking for "pre teen pussy" is too good to resist. With all the inbound links, this should go to the top of Google! Just doing our bit for the Net...

• Kevin Aylward, Wizbang: Bonfire Of The Vanities - Week 1 .
  Bonfire of the Vanities is a showcase of the worst posts from otherwise excellent bloggers. The submission process works just like the COTV process, and entries for Week 2 are being accepted now. Who says bloggers are self absorbed? Prove them wrong by mocking yourself!

• Peter P., The World According to Pete: "Just An Old-Fashioned Love Song."
  Pete is firmly convinced women want one thing and one thing only. Three letters: S.E.X. And he's none too pleased by this disturbing realization.

• People's Republic of Seabrook: 4th of July Warning Signs .
  Fun with Photoshop.

• Mad Kane: Bush Misleads (to be sung to Let It Be).

• Gunther, The Gunther Concept: Coded Message To Someone .
  Do I have an admirer or a stalker in the Texas State Government? [JK: Pig Latin alert!]

• Joey deVilla, The Adventures Of AcordionGuy in the 21st Century: Dolphins & Wingnuts .
  If dolphins are so smart, how come they hang out with these guys?

MEDIA

• Michael Gersh, Zero Base Thinking: Michael Savage Fired. [permalink]
  A post on the Michael Savage termination, from a TV show promoter's point of view.

• Wind Rider, Silent Running: Multi-Meme - Bringing it together
  Daniel Schorr's commentary on NPR is a prime example of mixing left wing memes for maximum confusion and effect.

• The Raving Atheist: Comic Book Catholicism .
  The Raving Atheist examines the Catholic League's demand that Marvel Comics introduce a Catholic superhero.

• Courtney, Courtney Blog: Writing About Terrorists.
  My favorite author of fiction is Suz Brockmann, whose bestselling book about a terrorist hijacking, came out two weeks before September 11th. I excerpt a small portion of an interview in which she discusses the challenges of writing the genre in the post-9/11 world.

• Romulus, Judicious Asinitity: "CBS News Hits a New Low." Ratings are in freefall. Romulus has some advice.

• Timekeeper, Horologium: Clinton looking for the Spotlight.
  The Timekeeper responds to Bill Clinton's fatuous op-ed article on the FCC media brouhaha.

• Joe Dougherty, Attaboy: Settling Spikes.
  Spike Lee has settled his case against Viacom and Spike TV. The frightening things are that he's getting something from this, and that new legal doors might be pushed open.

INTERNATIONAL POLITICS

• Chuck Simmins, You Big Mouth You!: Death.
  Take heart, my fellow Americans, and stay the course. We're winning, and the fruits of victory will be sweet.

• Stephen Green, Vodkapundit: Joseph Conrad Was An Optimist.
  When it comes to Africa, it is with a sigh that Robert Kaplan sees a return to the 18th century - if not earlier. What we can do, what we can't do, and what we should expect in Liberia.

• Woty Freeman: The end of the world .
  The world where we could think that everyone was civilized ended on 9/11, and the Villepinists think it's our fault.

• Sarah, Setting the World to Rights: What are armies for?

• Sasha Castel-Dodge, Sasha and Andrew's Roundtable: O'Keefe Talks to the Roundtable!.
  "Human Shield" Ken Nichols O'Keefe corresponds with Sasha.

• Pieter Dorsman, Peaktalk: Pim Fortuyn Trial: The Appeals Phase.
  Pim Fortuyn's murderer got off lightly during his initial trial. Last week the appeals phase kicked off and the prosecution team again is looking for a life sentence.

• Norbizness: "Pay Attention, Iraq and Afghanistan. Professor Paul Wolfowitz Has Some Civics Lessons For You."

• Conrad, The Gweilo Diaries: Revolt in Hong Kong.
  Conrad summarizes Hong Kong's developing political crisis, including updates, some analysis, and kudos to a brave legislator who stood up for freedom.

• Greyhawk, The Mudville Gazette: Part II of Democracy, Whiskey, Sexy?
  Greyhawk's continuing look at what Bloggers everywhere think should make every Iraqi happy. (Bonus! Can also work in Iran!)

• C. Blake Powers, The Laughing Wolf: Never Forget.
  A look at 9-11, the responsibilities of citizenship, and lessons we must remember.

• James Griffith, Griffany Online: Refugees from Europe .
  Musings on the effects of the proposed E.U. Costitution on emigration patterns, and what effect this would have on the world

• Jeff Medcalf, Caerdroia: Liberia.
  An exploration of why I think the Left wants the US to intervene in Liberia, and why I think it's a bad idea.

• Randy Paul, Beautiful Horizons: U.N. Peacekeepers.
  A personal perspective on a hotly debated issue.

DOMESTIC POLITICS

• Pietro, The SmarterCop: Patriotism and Political Bent.
  This is a reflection on the differences between liberals and conservatives concerning patriotism and pride in America, brought on by a couple of recent news stories. I try to find an explanation for liberals' lack of pride in our country...

• Christopher Genovese, Signal + Noise: A Strategic Virtue.
  Without a blue-dress moment or an utter economic collapse, the Democrats are in an almost hopeless position for 2004. Here's how they should be thinking.

• Sean LaFreniere: My Country Wrong & Wrong.
  The entire structure of the WMD debate makes me ashamed to be on the Left. And the entire thrust of the sodomy debate [sic] makes me ashamed to be on the Right. Once again, American politics leaves me homeless.

• Allen Brill, The Right Christians: Walking in the Way of his Father.
  In ancient Judah, terrible King Manasseh was followed by his even worse son, Amon. Sound familiar?

• Rick DeMent, The Rant: We Find These Truths to be Self-Evident....
  An essay on political discourse and the wisdom of rational compromise.

• Steven Taylor, PoliBlog: Interpreting the Declaration .
  PoliBlogger wonders how to apply "original intent" to the Declaration of Independence.

• The Philosophical Cowboy, Layman's Logic: Harry Potter and the Extended Allegory.
  If you're willing to brave a few spoilers, and want to see the likely (and occassionally unlikely) deliberate parallels between Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and the Third Way/modern Britain/other bits and bobs, then check out the lit-crit of Harry Potter and the Extended Allegory.

• Hollywood Halfwits.com: Republicans For Sharpton! .
  What could be more fun than Bush v. Sharpton in 2004?

• Graham Lester, GrahamLester.com: An Open Letter to Uncle Sam.
  Dear Uncle Sam, the US Citizenship Oath contains idiotarian language that has the effect of discriminating against the United States' allies in favor of sociopaths, freeloaders and terrorists.

• James DiBenedetto, The Eleven Day Empire: Texas Politics.
  With all the fuss over the Texas legislature and its Amazing Absconding Democrats, I decided to take a look at some actual numbers...

• Michael Van Winkle, The Chicago Report: Stanley Fish, Authoritarian.
  Exposing Stanley's empty arguments and fishy polemics with a word or two about the rule of law.

• Justene Adamec, Calblog: The California Mess.
  Democracy, representative government and that mess out there in California. All you wanted to know, and probably a little more than that.

Note that Caerdroia is hosting the next Carnival of the Vanities [#43] - and so we pass the baton on to Jeff, and thank you all for your participation. If you're reading this and you have a Carnival of the Vanities submission, contact Jeff. If you have an Iran related post, submission instructions are here.