Riehl World View

Tommy Christopher's Ignorance In Online Reporting

It's being asserted by some friends, one reporter and others that Mediaite's Tommy Christopher did adequate due diligence to prevent publishing bogus information on the Weinergate story. That's incorrect. I've employed more rigorous standards going back to 2005, when I began covering the disappearance of Natalee Holloway and other notable crime stories. There is no shortage of individuals looking to play a blogger, or a reporter on line, whatever their motivations.

@AceofSpadesHQ @DanRiehl Yeah I can't blame @tommyxtopher much on that...Obviously some whenever someone's wrong, but not much...

There are multiple publicly available databases to confirm, not only an adult individual, but their location, family members, financial and criminal history, and much more. And it doesn't take more than a name and a state to start. Good heavens, it's as if no one has ever heard of People Search, or Zabba, to name just two alternatives - though I usually do it myself, or with help from a friend, without cost. He could have discovered the fraud in five minutes before publishing BS. There are also multiple Wikis and resource pages with instructions on how to search what's generally called the Deep Web.

Another case in point, some of you may recall Jesse Griffen, an allegedly anonymous Alaskan blogger part of the pack obsessed with Sarah Palin. Before I was done, I revealed where he worked - a kindergarten- and cost him his job, as his online presence risked exposing children to his perversions, and even mentioned portions of his finances and extended family, as appropriate.

Despite claims of being an anonymous blogger at Immoral Minority, research suggests that, through possible misjudgment, Jesse Griffin appears to have created a situation in which he has been easily identifiable as the blogger Gryphen, particularly to children, perhaps for as long as two years. School-aged children who were PC literate apparently could have had access to information posted on his blog including questionable statements like this below - apparently posted by assistant kindergarten instructor Jesse Griffin himself when discussing a possible military draft. As of this minute, the content is still live.

Christoper didn't even need to go to that length if he had exercised a little patience, assuming he didn't want to simply try to exonerate Weiner, whatever it took. One can have an adult tell you where they work. By securing the main number from the phone listings, you then call and ask for said individual by name. They are either there and the same individual, or they are not. This ain't rocket science, people.

Phone listings, alternate online identities people use as part of their actual life, as opposed to playing games on Twitter, all provide opportunities for valid cross verification. Obviously, Christopher employed none of them, while lecturing others on his alleged tremendous professionalsim as a journalist. What he and his editor are are fools, which is precisely what someone played them for - that, or they were in on it and they were exposed by the New York Times. And ignorance is no excuse when you purport to be publishing real information from, or about real people that may have an impact on their lives, as well as, or the lives of others.

Stupid, lazy or corrupt - take your pick. But one, or more of those shoes fit Mediaite. If the shoe, like the package, fits, sorry, but you can't acquit. And it certainly should not be passed off as professional, and or competent.

New Media Continues To Change Politics

In a recent Bloggingheads TV video, Matt Lewis mentioned a post of mine and also said a lot of bloggers may not want to get involved in the race for RNC Chair because it might demonstrate a blogger's lack of influence. Could be.

But mine may be the first blog to have an entire contentious RNC committee member email thread named after one of its posts, a thread that's now gone on for days and is getting worse for Reince Priebus. I've even sort of been called a hater by Henry Barbour, so there's that! Heh! More here.

Today, multiple states are realizing that Reince Priebus lined his own state's pockets at their expense, in some cases, likely costing the GOP some key races.

Subject: RE: My Review of Riehl World posting

I'm with you Cindy - RI lost a Governor's race by 2 points and had to beg for under $100k this cycle. If somebody had just told me I needed to spend more time in DC I would have found a way . . .

And this below, too. Tell me, again, how Priebus is the guy for the RNC, given his poor fund raising stats, as compared to his boasts? Then tell me new media isn't changing politics!

Members - Aside from Gio Cicone's reviews on the Preibus Pay Day, CT barely received $250K and we are finally getting the last few dollars for our Victory program. Vermont got $37,000 after getting $600K in 2008. Tom Foley, CT Governor candidate lost by 5,000 votes and VT's LT Gov. Dube lost by 4,000 votes. Had either state gotten a few dollars more, we could, maybe, have had two more GOP Governors and maybe one Congressman. But to take credit for getting millions for simply being Mike Steele's Tom Hagen (Godfather reference) doesn't qualify for the big time. It seems if you were either Steele's friend, you got more money than you needed. Give Steele credit, he took care of his friends

Tonight On WCRN Radio w/ DaTechGuy From 9 - 10 PM ET

DaTechGuy has the show run down and links up on his blog.

You can find us at WCRN AM 830 on your dial and if by some chance you can’t pick up or incredibly strong 50,000 watt signal check out our live stream here.

On not making Matt Lewis's "Top 25 Conservatives on Twitter"

Bloggerissimus Dan Collins of POWIP, who twitters under the name of vermontaigne, somehow got our number and enlisted us in his "Island of Misfit Bloggers." As we twittered at the news, "No one ever called me a misfit blogger before. Shall we just have a cigarette on it?" 

By Sissy Willis of sisu

"Ooh, I can't stand it. Ooh, it's my stomach. I haven't felt this awful since we saw that Ronald Reagan film." You know the feeling. You didn't make the cut even as some of your best buddies are sitting pretty. We don't want to talk about it, but since you asked, here lie four former friends amongst Matt Lewis's "Top 25 Conservatives on Twitter," each well deserved even as we eat our "importance of being noticed" heart out:

@MelissaTweets -- While many conservative writers, politicians and activists have wisely leveraged Twitter to advance their ongoing efforts, the medium seems to have propelled Melissa Clouthier to our attention. To be sure, Clouthier is also a good blogger and podcaster, but this mom (who also runs a part-time chiropractic practice) has Tweeted her way into conservative opinion leader status.

@Cubachi -- We don't know Jennifer's last name, but we do know her Twitter handle, "Cubachi," relates to her Cuban/Chinese heritage. Jennifer exercises an outsized influence on Twitter, due to her ongoing conversations with other prominent conservatives. Jennifer is prolific on Twitter, and this includes her coverage of events like American Idol and the World Cup. Non-conservatives who think conservatives are boring old white men who only talk about policy would find following Cubachi to be an enlightening experience.

@rsmccain -- Robert Stacy McCain has aptly been described as "the conservative Hunter S. Thompson." Now imagine if Hunter Thompson was on Twitter!

@danriehl -- Most notable for his willingness to call-out powerful conservatives, Dan Riehl blogs at Riehl World View. In Riehl's world, no one -- from RedState's Erick Erickson to National Review -- is above questioning.

With apologies to Dylan Thomas:

"Tweet, tweet against the dying of the light."

Crossposted at sisu and Liberty Pundits.

Penetrated By Goat In Park, Weiner (D-NY) Runs Caption Contest

Apparently the caption contest with the goats was planned before the spearing.

May the best caption win. NPR is leading the headline contest: A Democrat, A Republican And Two Goats Walk Into A Park ...

h/t DailyNews on the contest:

By the way (and thanks to a reader for pointing this out) I'm guessing it was prior to the bloodletting that Weiner decided to use his joint appearance with Lancelot and Arthur as a Facebook caption contest.

Talking Reagan, Ska Music, Helen Thomas And Tom Reed (NY-29) With Duane Lester

Okay, we didn't talk about all those things, mostly we talked Helen Thomas. But they're all in this podcast I did this past weekend with Duane Lester of All American Radio. In my segment, Duane claims he was hesitant about meeting me at CPAC, because I seem like such a hard-azz, I guess. He then says, afterward, he thought I was one of the nicest blogger guys he met there. Eventually, I am sooooo going to kick his azz for saying that in public. Just you watch! Heh!

My goal is to have one of these out every Monday. That was my goal this week.

I know. It’s Wednesday night. Life happens.

Will "Blogger" Become A Bad Name?

A relevant few insights related to this Matt Lewis item. I know for a fact that Palin has a positive view of what bloggers can do when they're interested in accuracy. And she did also hire individuals associated with C4P to officially join her team. So some quotes from her are more likely of the for me, or against me variety quite common when politics meets media.

Also, having watched the entire Carol Bartz interview from intro to close for its insights into the tech industry, the f--- off comment was overplayed, likely resulting from some pre-interview banter and a lively, engaging exchange.

Finally, call it what you will, pure blogging is a conversation, different from, but not at all worse than, what this, or that, money may prop up on all sides today. To make a good living as an alleged, more traditional blogger today comes with a steep price, or is at best no better than being a flack for this, or that particular point of view, or bias, if you prefer.

Contrary to what some might think, I've never allowed myself to be bought, so my consulting is limited to research and behind the scenes stuff. No one gets to determine, or officially object to, or even edit what gets published on this page but me. That's grassroots blogging, in my opinion. I'm simply engaging in a conversation as an individual, from which a consensus may, or may not appear. And to engage in it, one better be prepared to be poor, or make your living another way.

I've tried to raise money for genuine independent blogging without ultimate editorial control on the Right. Good luck with that is all I'll say. In my opinion, the bulk of the conversation on the Right is likely to remain more corporatist, or establishment, even if conservatively so, as a result.

But make no mistake, whether its Salem Communications, Eagle Publishing, or some other entity, stray from the party line because your opinions change and you'll find yourself trying to make it again as an actual blogger. But there's nothing wrong with that. It's democracy in action, even if the wheels of capitalism turn differently, or perhaps more slowly.

But if anything, pure grassroots blogging is the sort I've always most admired and been more interested in precisely because it is democracy in action. And the Constitution doesn't guarantee anyone the right to get rich, or even make a living to participate. It only assures your right to do so. If anything has made blogging less interesting today, it's the influx of big money that always comes with a very big, if unseen, string attached.

To get back to Carol Bartz, I generally tell people promising that to f--- off to preserve my right to engage in the conversation unencumbered by editorial restraint.. Heh! But I do it at the expense of my bank account, make no mistake. The world isn't perfect and one can't have everything, after all, contrary to the Leftist, more utopianist point of view.

Some have made it - Glenn Reynolds, Michelle Malkin, though even then, there's a benefit from cross over effect, at least in Michelle's case. And Glenn still makes his living as a professor. And there's nothing wrong with that. Perhaps things will change, perhaps not. But what's important is for the conversation to go on. But for so called bloggers drawing a regular pay check, you may enjoy some range on the reservation - but try going off it too far and I suspect you'll find out how quickly that check disappears. That is capitalism, after all. But pure blogging as many of us came to know it it is not. You're publishing on the web for someone else. Woo hoo!! Last I checked, they called that having a job. lol

This all makes me wonder if, ultimately, the "blogger" brand will be destroyed. Will bloggers be forced to find a new name for what they do -- just as many liberals now insist on calling themselves "progressives"? Is blogger the new lawyer? Will we have to say, "No, Buffy, I'm not a blogger. I'm an online opinion journalist!"?

Chuck DeFeo, CEO of Campaign Solutions, a top online strategy firm (and formerly my boss at Townhall.com), agrees: "As bloggers have expanded their audience and their influence, their ability to impact public opinion has become as strong as some in the mainstream media. With that influence comes the likelihood that some in power not only won't like what you have to say but, more importantly, they now need to respond."

Of course, not everyone would say the attacks are a form of flattery. What is clear, though, is that the hostility toward bloggers isn't merely relegated to politics. Just the other day, Yahoo! CEO Carol Bartz publicly told a tech blogger to "f--- off." Those words are not unusual for a blogger to hear, mind you, but what is unusual is for someone to say it while on stage. And it's not a convincing argument.

DC: Hackers Hack Hacks In House

Actually, this is serious stuff.

The hackers targeted many House Dem freshmen, including Reps. Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), Harry Teague (D-NM), John Boccieri (D-OH) and Steve Driehaus (D-OH), as well as at least 5 other more senior Dems and the site owned by GOPers on the House Oversight Committee. "F--- OBAMA!! Red Eye CREW !!!!! O RESTO E HACKER!!! by HADES; m4V3RiCk; T4ph0d4 -- FROM BRASIL," the messages read.

Lucianne Goes Blog Crazy?

Has Lucianne gone blog crazy? Or perhaps including us crazy bloggers in her well-trafficked site, Lucianne.com, is a better way to put it. An early Freeper, Lucianne launched her own forum years ago. She is one of the earliest Republican players out here on line. Her readers and commenters are referred to as L-dotters.

The page which incorporates blogs is called Blogs Lucianne Loves. Participating bloggers will feel the love through increased visibility and site traffic. Having been linked there before, that ain't a bad thing! I'm pleased to have been invited to participate, along with some very fine bloggers. Check it out.

We are launching a new site! It is called http://www.blogslucianneloves.com/: the Lcom for Blogs. We are getting a gradual start over this lazy Thanksgiving day weekend. Take a look at the site and get yourself familiar. It works just like Lcom does, except it is for news blogs only by bloggers we invite to post.

Uncle Jimbo Re-deploys In War With Allah

It seems yesterday Uncle Jimbo took Allahpundit to task and more for a post he made. Today he has apologized. h/t Dan Collins on Twitter.

Gag! This place is becoming a bunch of limp-wristed, flaming metro-sexuals on the Right. lol Hot Air is Michelle Malkin's site. Love her, or hate her, I read her first and foremost because she's still got ballz. We'd have gotten a full week of fun from the escalating tirades back and forth three years ago until someone called someone a Nazi, or we got bored. heh! My how things have changed what with the adults looking in. Okay, I confess, I did love singing Kumbaya in fourth grade choir but I was always an ornery bastard, even then!

Yesterday: Aww c'mon now. I do my best to avoid red on red fire, but sometimes it is absolutely called for. Noted beta male and "many moons ago" entertaining blogger Allahpundit at Hot Air throws three Navy SEALs under the bus just to appease people who are only safe to be appeased, himself included, because of these rough men. No link from me.

Today: So I apologize to him for the overkill, my bad.

I launched both barrels at Allahpundit from Hot Air yesterday about what I considered a sorry post accepting the idea that the SEALs charged with splitting the lip of a terrorist could be made an example of. I still believe that his post was far too casual and in agreement with the idea that a "wrist slap", which would end their careers, was appropriate. I do think, having had some time to cool off and think about it, that I didn't need to come down as hard as I did. I remain outraged by the fact that these SEALs are facing court martial and will continue to push against that. But I don't think it gains us much for me to be pummeling someone who I have far more in common with than not.