Random Thoughts on Various Subjects

1. EGYPTIAN REVOLUTION

History has a way of happening and gradually then happening suddenly. From 9/11 to the housing bubble collapse, things happen rapidly, but they overlook the conditions that persisted slowly and quietly for years. This revolution is just like that.

Right now, the USA is in a bit of shit over this. This is because American foreign interventionism has led our political leaders to back Mubarak. The result is that the average Egyptian hates America. I shudder to think what lies on the other side of this.

I am like everyone else. I am watching as events unfold. The one thing we can learn from this is the stupidity of shutting down social media and the internet. That was an incredibly dumb move on the part of the Egyptian government. My advice to Mubarak is to negotiate a safe haven in some foreign country and get the fuck out.

2. VIRAL POSTS

It was bound to happen sooner or later. I was going to write a post that was going to touch a nerve and go viral. In this case, it was the triathlon post. The attention it has received has actually been quite small relative to the size of the internet. I would probably do better to get linked by a site like Instapundit. From past experience, I know this flurry of attention will be short lived, and I will go back to being a total nobody on the internet.

The one thing I have learned from this is that posting a lot of shit in a month will get you noticed simply as a result of the law of averages. It is the same thing I learned from meeting a lot of chicks or applying for a bunch of jobs. You spread your bets and let crazy shit happen. Of course, that crazy shit can also be bad, too.

I had the same thing happen before from the ultrarunner crowd when I reviewed the Badwater Ultramarathon DVD. Ironically, I have softened my stance considerably on those folks. I don't think they are that extreme though Badwater is pretty damn insane.

I have an incredibly thick skin, so I am simply amused at the anger and vitriol I have managed to stir up. I scored a direct hit on a group of people who never saw it coming. Vanity and narcissism are no substitutes for self-acceptance. This too shall pass.

3. WIKILEAKS

So far, the US Government can't find any link between Bradley Manning and Julian Assange. When you consider that Wikileaks is an electronic drop box, this makes sense. People have seen more on this than just one guy copying shit onto CDs. But that is all it is. As for the rape charges against Assange, I suspect they will be dropped at some point. Wikileaks is the new reality, and political leaders are adjusting. But looking at what is happening in Tunisia and Egypt, it behooves leaders to leave this shit alone. The internet is bigger than them, and it will swallow them whole.

4. OPENLEAKS

OpenLeaks is the creation of Daniel Domscheit-Berg, a WikiLeaks defector. Instead of being a publishing unit like Wikileaks is, OL simply acts as a middle man between leakers and established media. Will this new strategy work? I can't say. This is a period of evolution for media. But the one advantage of this approach is that it eliminates the editorial burden on the hackers. The downside is that the established media already gets info like this and sits on it. At least with Wikileaks, it stands a good chance of being published unedited. I see both organizations having the same goals but trying out different strategies. Which strategy will ultimately prevail is something I will have to wait and see about.

5. PIERS MORGAN

CNN's experiment in being the tabloid news channel is turning out to be a real dud. Piers Morgan is losing out to Rachel Maddow and Sean Hannity. Why is this?

The public wants partisan news. Talk radio reflects this. The internet reflects this. The history of journalism is replete with examples of newspapers that took a certain editorial viewpoint. Is this the end of "objective" journalism? Probably so. Even libertarians are getting in on the act as they watch Fox Business News with Stossel and Napolitano.

CNN does have its bright spot in Anderson Cooper. I don't get Fox Business or MSNBC, and I don't watch Fox News. But I enjoy good journalism which is why I still read the Times and the Post and listen to NPR. CNN should explore this territory more, and they should try and get Dan Rather from whatever exile he is currently in. They should ditch Piers Morgan and make an offer to Charlie Rose. Quality journalism instead of popular journalism should be CNN's niche. But they won't go for it.

6. RON PAUL

I've been watching Ron Paul on the various programs, and he seems tired. They always ask him if he is going to run for POTUS again, and he seems very ambivalent about that prospect. When talking about the Tea Party, it is that same ambivalence. I don't see the same vigor or optimism he had when he ran in 2008. Then, he seemed surprised at the attention that he got. Now, he seems to understand it hasn't resulted in real change and probably won't. I suspect he will not run again. But he doesn't need to either.

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