Archive for the ‘Blogging’ Category
Bloggers Honoring Bloggers: Award Nominees To Be Voted On At Blogbash CPAC
Tuesday, February 7th, 2012
Blogbash was created for one purpose: to honor the unpaid, activist bloggers who are making a huge difference in the conservative movement. They are, as Pamela Gellar said, “the ones who will change the world.”
This year, we’re adding something special: A tangible way for bloggers to honor bloggers by nominating posts, blogs, tweets, podcasts for awards. Seeing all the amazing things bloggers have done over 2011 in one place is inspiring.
Below, you’ll find the nominations for the different awards and you bloggers will be able to vote for the winners.
You’ll also note the categories of awards to be chosen by committee.
This is so exciting! Please tweet this post and share all the great work bloggers are doing!
See you Thursday!
Activism Post
(The Right Sphere) Brandon Kiser, Editor and (Tea Party Brew) Dennis Pedrie, Editor — Greater Food Bank of Boston/Occupy Boston, encouraging readers to donate
(RedState) Breanne Howe, Writer
(LaborUnionReport) Peter List, Writer
Investigative Post
Welfare Reform (Christine Rousselle – The College Conservative)
Occupy Wall Street (John Sexton – Verum Serum)
Weiner-Gate (Ace – Ace of Spades)
Sunlight Post
James O’Keefe, Project Veritas, New Hampshire Voter Fraud Expose
Matt Boyle, Daily Caller, Fast & Furious
Doug Powers, at Michelle Malkin on Solyndra
Best in Show: Podcast
Jimmie Bise, The Delivery Show
Andrew Lawton & Ben Swenson, Strictly Right
Fingers Malloy, The Snark Factor
Best in Show: Twitter
@rumpfshaker (Sarah Rumpf)
@iowahawkblog (David Burge)
@RBPundit Rebel Pundit
Best in Show: Video
Attack Watch: Ezra Dulis, Misfit Politics
New Hampshire Voter Fraud: James O’Keefe, Project Veritas
The Story of Citizens United, A Critique, Lee Doren
In addition, there are more awards that will be awarded, selected by a Blog Bash panel of your esteemed colleagues, including:
Best State-level Blogger
Changing the Narrative
Friend to Bloggers (Julie Laughridge Award)
Bloggers Stand With…
We will honor one pioneer blogger with the Legacy Award. And, of course, we will honor the Blogger of the Year.
Learn more at Blogbash.org
Blog Bash: What Was I Thinking?
Tuesday, January 31st, 2012
Three years ago, I thought it would be cool to do something fun for bloggers at CPAC. Everyone was gathering there, why not have a casual get-together for people who work so hard.
In fact, my thought was little more than a Tweet-up sort of deal. Ha!
Turns out, I wasn’t the only one thinking about doing something for bloggers. Ali Akbar, who himself, a young blogging buck, along with Aaron Marks, a young finance and tech genius who helped online fundraising for elections, also wanted to do something for bloggers.
So, we three started Blogbash. Like most things in my life, it started as a modest idea and morphed into something else entirely–sponsors, food, drink, cake, swag, speeches, awards.
Blogbash became a thing.
We continued the tradition last year. And this, year, Ali, Aaron, and I have been working nearly full time putting together the best Blogbash yet. Hours of work, endless conference calls, dealing with caterers, procuring bartenders –and we’re doing it all from out of state. Aaron is in Pittsburg. Ali is in Dallas by way of Georgia. I’m here, north of Houston.
We have helpers (learn more about everyone here): Devon Wills has worked on getting bags, shirts and other things printed up. Others like Lyndsey Fifield and Abby Alger will help organize in DC. In other words, it takes lots of work by lots of dedicated people to pull this off.
It’s important, too, to know that some groups have loyally supported bloggers by way of Blogbash–Freedom Works is chief among these. We are gratified to have their help again. We’ve had new supporters, too, like Heritage Foundation, Injustice the Film, etc.
This year, we’ve had groups clamoring to support the bloggers–some candidates, more industry groups. This is heartening for the conservative movement as a whole. Many industry groups have been afraid to “come out” for fear of punishment by the Obama administration.
Please go take a look at this (still incomplete) list of sponsor Blogbash.org/sponsors/.
Please make sure and thank them and remember them. Blogbash approached nearly every single group who asks bloggers to pimp their stories, candidates, ideas, etc. With sponsorships as low as $300, it didn’t take much to participate.
Finally, this year, we’re adding to the already big party atmosphere of BlogBash. Bloggers can nominate their peers.
Best Investigative Post
Best Activism Post
Best Sunlight Post
Best in Show: Podcast
Best in Show: Twitter
Best in Show: Facebook Fanpage
Best in Show: Video
Conservative bloggers are doing amazing work shining the light in dark places, causing real change. They are making a difference. Please nominate the posts, podcasts, social media stars. They will be voted on AT the party.
What started out as a friendly get together, has become that and much more–an event filled with surprise guests, renewed relationships, and rewards recognizing our peers phenomenal work.
It’s been an honor to put this together. Unlike the left, where the blogging community is almost entirely corporate, now, on the right, bloggers tend to be unpaid and independent.
Blogbash is a yearly token of appreciation for hard work and sacrificial commitment.
Pinterest: Why You Should Be Interested
Sunday, December 25th, 2011
A couple years ago, I immersed myself in Twitter over a Thanksgiving weekend. This weekend, I’ve done the same with Pinterest.
Some thoughts:
1. It’s going to change online search. People are more inclined visually anyway. So, imaging putting in “pink bedroom” and imagine hundreds of people sorted pink bedrooms which you now see after it has been filtered through Pinterest. Like Twitter, it’s a smart, people-driven search.
2. Artists, graphic designers, architects,interior designers will love it. In fact, I’d force my clients to do two weeks of “Pinning” before I worked with them. It’s one thing to describe what you want. It’s another thing to see it. This could be a way to diminish communication problems. A person can collect art, websites, logos, homes, living rooms, etc. and then show their designer/decorator.
3. Marketing to women has just changed. You know how I know Pinterest is a big deal? Every techtarded woman I know is on the damn thing and has ten boards going already. Women make something like 80% of home-focused purchases. Everything. Still. Retailers better make sure their website interfaces work with Pinterest so women can “pin” what they like. That includes you snobby tech sites.
4. Bloggers better make sure EVERY post has a picture so it can be “Pinned”. Have a favorite book? movie? military installation? gun? car? Just post a picture so it’s shareable.
Now, Pinterest has some shortcomings, but if they’re smart they’ll fix them soon:
Namely:
Share-ability. I’d really like to be able to tag people I think would be interested in something within Pinterest. Ironically, I can share something on Twitter or Facebook and tag, but it’s not easy (is it even possible?) in Pinterest.
Maybe (not sure) more ability to text modify the comments below a picture. Maybe some simple commands like bold, italics, underline like Google+.
Ability to make a board private or shareable with only a few people. I can see business and family applications here. A group project where you can share all sorts pictures and ideas? Pinterest is ideal for that, but not if the whole world sees what you’re up to.
Finally, Pinterest needs a killer iPad app because, really, it is a match made in visual social media heaven.
For those scorning it — namely dudes– get over yourselves. It is a fantastic organizational tool. I’ve saved the best part of Pinterest for last:
You know all those things you see online and you hate your bookmark bar and lists because they’re a hot mess? Pinterest really is logically made to organize. It is fascinating how people break things down already based on their interests/needs. I especially love my Tech board. I’ll see something cool and then forget about it. By pinning it, I can come back to it. Do I want to buy it? Do I really like it? Maybe.
At least squat on your name on Pinterest. It’s going to be a big deal. It’s the first social media that I’m aware of that is dominated by women out of the gate. Facebook was both guys and girls (college students) to start with. Twitter and Google Plus (predominately male to start and then women joined). Friendfeed? Well, that was dominated by Robert Scoble. Heh. Get your name before someone else does.
Andrew Malcolm Gets A New Job!
Thursday, September 15th, 2011
So excited to announce that Andrew Malcolm, formerly of the L.A. Times and currently my Malcolm and Melissa blog partner will now be writing for Investors Business Daily! Here’s the press release:
LOS ANGELES, CA (September 15, 2011) — Investor’s Business Daily is proud to welcome acclaimed blogger Andrew Malcolm to its Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial team with a new blog at IBD’s award-winning site, Investors.com.
“Andrew has built one of the most incisive and entertaining political blogs,” said Chris Gessel, IBD’s Executive Editor and Chief Strategy Officer. “He is a veteran journalist who’s also worked inside politics. His experience and insight are both unique and impressive, and Andrew’s enthusiasm, wit and exuberance are infectious. I’m sure our readers will feel the same when he kicks off his new blog on Investors.com next month.”
Malcolm is a veteran national and foreign correspondent and editor with 36 years experience in journalism and another eight in government and politics, including a national presidential campaign. He’s been based in Chicago, San Francisco, Vietnam, Tokyo, Toronto, New York and the United Nations.
The winner of numerous journalism prizes including the National Headliners Award, the George Polk Award, and a Pulitzer Finalist in 2004, Malcolm for the past four years has written the highly-rated Top of the Ticket political commentary column at LATimes.com. He is one of the top-ranked conservative writers on Twitter, where he has 73,000 followers, and is a regular commentator on HotAir, LibertyPundits, XM/POTUS, Fox & Friends and KABC.
Malcolm is also the author of 10 books, including two best-sellers and two that became TV movies. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Northwestern University and was an adjunct professor of communications at Montana State University.
Feel Hoodwinked?
Wednesday, April 13th, 2011
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Spring Cleaning & Spring Colors
Tuesday, March 29th, 2011
So, I’ve been wanting to change my website for some time, but haven’t had time to do it. I worked with Ali Akbar for months on and off when we had a chance to chat talking colors and ideas to make my blog look more like “me”. Turns out, I’m rather difficult to pin down.
Finally, though, with the push of another designer, we got here. The guts of the website design are the same and we’re going to add a few things here and there in a bit.
Still, I’m very curious about what you guys think. The colors are very daring. Well, as daring as a website can be. But let’s just say that according this Gender Color Theory, the colors are all wrong. And yet, when I asked people what colors they thought of when they thought of me, they said orange (go figure) and a golden yellow. Many also said pink. These colors are not traditional political colors. They’re not traditional anything colors.
We’ll see.
Also, I’ve been rather quiet here mostly because I’m blogging all over the place and don’t like duplicating content. I’ve decided to make this site more personal and kind of a page where you can see everything I’m up to lately and then go to the links if you’re interested.
Many thanks to Ali Akbar and the designers at Vice & Victory. They do great work. Check them out for political consulting, online stuff and online fundraising.
Thanks also to Daniel J. Summers my long-suffering tech guy. He has been a constant help for two years. I am extraordinarily blessed by the people I’ve met online. Daniel and I have never met in person and yet I trust him completely. New media world, baby! If you need work on your site, you won’t find anyone more knowledgeable, resourceful and reliable.
Your feedback is welcome! Please share your thoughts on the New Look. It was time for some spring cleaning around here.
Hot Conservative Men And The Men Who Could Have Been
Monday, June 7th, 2010
Well, there’s one way to get a male’s attention: make sure he doesn’t make the Top Twenty Hottest Conservative guys (in case you guys think you don’t want to see that nonsense, I would suggest that you look at the judges). I have received direct messages, emails and got regaled by the bitter Matt Lewis on his podcast this morning [30 minutes of hilarity]. Somehow I doubt that John received the same sort of hew and cries from the women. Women are stoic that way.
If nothing else, objectifying men in this shameless way has revealed the gender differences. Women are unsure of their beauty and few would dream of nominating themselves, much less complain when they don’t make the list…it would be a confirmation of what they secretly suspect.
For men, who all seem to view themselves as incredible specimens no matter the package, it’s an affront to not be nominated and worse, to not be on the list.
As my friend Stephen Kruiser says, if men weren’t confident like that, men and women would never hook up.
Anyway, the women judges were all kinds of wonderful. They had diverse tastes and some of the people who didn’t make it scored well–they may have just inspired strong feelings both ways.
The list of men is great from the perspective of getting to know what people are up to in the movement. There are many great men and women doing impressive work.
Erick Erickson Describes Dave Weigel’s Role At The WaPo–UPDATED: The Anthropologist Responds
Wednesday, May 26th, 2010There are a few reporters out there who view conservatives with the mystified wonderment (in contrast to bald-faced hostility by most reporters)–such strange, exotic creatures, conservatives–and their reporting reminds me of anthropology reports given in National Geographic.
“The natives have strange rituals: they show up at Tea Party events with hand drawn posters and seem to really believe the government is too big but on the whole seem naive and rather dull-witted. They are friendly enough, for racist, bigoted, homophibic, Nazi criminals.”
That is Dave Weigel: A nice guy when he’s not patting you on your silly little naive head. Erick Erickson describes him here:
In fact, if you go through Dave’s archives you’ll find a slew of stories from the most recent one as I write to others that no one on the right really cares about, but people on the left who see the right collectively as fringe will eat up. And that’s the whole point of why he’s there.
There’s nothing unique about this situation. If the job is to cover the right from “inside the conservative movement,” that’s not actually happening. It’s like they put Weigel in a gorilla costume to infiltrate some gorillas in the mist and he stumbled into the wrong camp and is now reporting on activity completely unrelated to what actually matters. Never mind that the Washington Post’s online coverage of conservatives reflects a view that gorillas are more civilized than conservatives. And never mind that Weigel’s reporting is clouded with the groupthink you get among up-and-coming self-styled thinker/journalists who live together in D.C., are out to have an impact, but have never lived outside the clique. Insular groupthink journalism isn’t just useless because it doesn’t talk about what’s really going on, but because it only exists to coo at the pet ideas of the epistemic closure elites, usually preceded by a Media Matters press release to help direct their path.
Sure, Dave Weigel is a nice guy. But don’t treat his reporting from “inside the conservative movement” as serious when he clearly is not on the inside. He’s there because of what he wrote for publications funded by Tim Gill and George Soros, he’s there to track the fringe, to make the fringe look like the middle, and to dig in on agenda-based topics which kowtow to the narrow views of DC elites. His smarter readers know that’s the case, and are just there to enjoy the ride — the only one who seems to think otherwise is the adolescent naif Ezra Klein, late of the Center for American Progress, who doesn’t have any journalistic incentive to be objective toward the right or even passably fair.
Like Erick, I like Dave Weigel–in the same way I liked the trained Siberian Tigers at the Sigfried and Roy show: they look interesting and exotic, but are extraordinarily dangerous–as poor Roy learned the hard way. A journalist is a wild animal with an appetite for conservative meat and should be interacted with that way–always.
I do not expect Dave to be unbiased or fair. I do not expect him to defend a conservative point-of-view, ever, and therefore, I’m not disappointed or offended when he snaps off some pithy, demeaning, diminishing remark about conservatives or conservatism generally.
When he says something sufficiently irritating, I might respond, but mostly, I suppress the urge as it’s useless. Joking at a conservative’s expense and yucking it up is easy peasy. Everyone does it. So trendy.
So no, I don’t take Dave Weigel seriously. I think he’s a gifted writer and has interesting insight. He has an sophisticated mind and I enjoy talking to him. But he’s as ideologically left as the rest, he’s just willing to lower himself to hang with the natives from time to time. And he’s welcome to do so. Conservative people treat him with more kindness because he is willing to at least publicly view conservatives as a species of human. When it comes down to it though, his reporting sounds like reports from the out-back bush.
It would be fascinating to see what conservative, inside the conservative mind, reporting would look like. Too exotic for the Washington Post, that notion. Better stick with blogs.
UPDATED:
Dave Weigel responds to Erick and me here:
What I try to do is understand why the people I cover are doing what they’re doing — where an idea comes from, where a grudge comes from, where a “meme” (like Greece playing the role of “dark future that socialism will bring us” that France used to play).
Sometimes I sympathize with what’s going on. Sometimes I’m critical. I try to be open about that. But the people who talk to me know I’ll accurately report what they’re doing, and my report can either be used by some liberal to attack “those wacky conservatives” or used by some conservative to get a newsy take on something in the movement.
In his own way, I think Dave is agreeing with my assessment of his role. The thing is, Ezra Klein writes from within the neosocialist movement on the left. He writes as one of them. So even when he disagrees, his affection for the ideology shines through pure and clear.
The WaPo has no such conservative kind-eyes. Dave looks at the conservative movement with interest and to clarify and/or critique but not to defend or explain. And that’s the difference.
New Venture
Monday, April 5th, 2010
Hi Dear Readers!
I’m really excited to share a new venture with you. Over the weekend, Bill Dupray, Clyde Middleton and I rolled our blogging into one site called LibertyPundits.net. It’s a new kind of site which will include everything from politics to culture to religion to Tea Party news. Everything!
I hope you’ll follow my work over there. It’s going to be bigger and better than anything I could ever do alone. And I’ll highlight some posts in my Twitter feed–just to make it easier.
So, if you’re a blogger, I’d really appreciate a link to the site. We’re still working on our blogroll–it will be a very interesting way to do it. If you’re included, I think you’ll really like it.
Anyway, my website will now be a home where all my work will be fed through it. So, you’ll see the podcasts, posts and other content I create here, still, but it will look different once the site is redesigned.
Thanks everyone!
Melissa
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Bloggingheads TV: Well, I Think We Can Establish That Liberals Really Dislike Me, They Really, Really Dislike Me
Saturday, March 6th, 2010Thursday, I had my debut on Bloggingheads with the liberal blogger Bill Scher of Liberal Oasis. I had never met Bill before, though we had had some pleasant exchanges on Twitter.
Here’s the link to Bloggingheads.tv and our show. I was a little nervous and was short on prep time. There is no question I need better lighting in my office. Overall, though, it went okay.
The libs (which looks like the main audience on this site) did not like me talking about average Americans. That seemed to rile them more than anything–as if Beltway libs aren’t Americans. Of course the Bubble Boys and Girls in DC are Americans. I don’t think, though, they have an understanding for what makes sense to those living in the heartland. And that was my point.
While liberals like all the parts and pieces of this huge health care bill, most people are thinking about jobs. If I had a job, an unemployed worker thinks, all this health care talk would be moot. An average person also doesn’t believe that the federal government makes anything cheaper.
So while people tighten their belts, the Federal government is expanding with health care?
That’s the meta message that Americans reject and the liberals just can’t seem to get through their pointy heads. It has ceased to be about policy because the overall principle defies common sense.
Anyway, my musings on this topic were like provoking a caged bull. The Democrats are at each others throats, as Bill rightly noted, which is why they can’t come up with a cohesive message. Oh, the message has gotten through loud and clear. The American people reject it soundly.
So, the comments reflect that impotent rage. And, they just don’t like an unapologetic conservative-libertarian.
