Morning Edition
Hello, I’m Bob Edwards, and this is Morning Edition
Later on the program we’ll have report from the central front in the war on terrorism, Iraq.
But first, with me in the studio today are two bloggers. Blogging – the practice of maintaining a regularly updated journal on the Web -- has been the subject of much attention in the media lately. These reports have in turn been blogged, with the major theme being that the reporters don’t get it. So we decided to go to the source.
First of all gentleman, what aren’t we getting?
How much time do you have, Bob?
He’s just kiddin. He listens all the time. Big fan.
I especially get a kick out of the reports on TARE-ER-ISM.
Don’t blame Bob. Nobody gets it.
Bob: You mean nobody understands blogging?
Blogging, terrorism. Nobody gets either one. One’s real, one isn’t, but most people have it backwards.
GWOT are you talking about?
Yes.
Bob: GWOT?
Global War on Terrorism, Bob.
Bob: Are you saying it’s not real?
Well, no, Bob. Not as presented.
Bob: But Blogging is?
Well, it’s “as if it’s real.” And that’s as close as you can get nowadays.
Bob: But you’re saying GWOT is “as if it’s real”
True, Bob. True.
GWOT? I’m so confused.
Hehe. Good. That’s a prerequisite.
GWOT the hell.
Yep. GWOT—The Hell.
Of our own making.
Bob: Wait a minute, gentleman. You’re here to talk about blogging. It’s a hot media trend that has the digerati talking. Is this the future of communications?
Damn Bob. Is that, like, automatic? What’d you do, hit reset?
No Bob. It’s right now. The future? Who knows, we might not be here tomorrow.
Yeah, what if we lose the GWOT? You ever think about that, Bob? I know, unthinkable, especially with our technology.
Some day, we’ll meet again
Don’t know where
Don’t know when…
Bob: So bloggers are thinking about GWOT?
Nah. Most think about technology.
Yeah, it’s nerd city.
But one man’s nerd is another man’s fascinating hobbyist.
And one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter. To draw the obvious parallel.
People are crazy and times are strange.
Really, Bob, though, what do you think about this war on terrorism?
Bob: I can’t say. I’m a journalist.
Well, see, that’s why blogging is interesting. We don’t check our feelings at the door. We can’t repeat an administration line, like the one you used – Iraq as the central front of global war on terrorism – without laughing our asses off, so to speak.
Or crying our eyes out. Depends on the day.
It’s rough out there, Bob. High water everywhere.
Think about it, Bob. They say this war won’t end in our lifetime.
Which is one of the few truths to escape their mouths.
Right, how could you possibly stop oppressed people or victims of faceless violence for mercenary ends from reacting violently? With more oppression and violence?
Madness, no?
Bob: Gentleman, you’re here to talk about blogging.
Hell, Bob. Blogging is writing on the Web. What’s to talk about? You either do it or you don’t. You either get it or you don’t.
The main thing is, it’s raising your voice in public. Even if the public that hears it is very small. It’s every bit as meaningful as when one of your journalists broadcasts a report.
I would say moreso.
Well, with the exception of a few real, courageous journalists out there.
Yeah, well, everything’s micro these days. You have your monolithic institutions – corporations, the media. Ya got a populace jacked into that mindset. Unthinkingly adopting boatloads of official doctrine as they ply a worn-out trade. Then you have your individuals, working to throw off the BS.
And a lot of them have landed in blogland, Bob.
Yeah, it’s just eels oozing up to the bar.
Bob: Eels oozing up to the bar?
A line from one of his poems, Bob.
Bob: And what does it mean?
I don’t know Bob. Neither does he.
And that’s the beauty of it, Bob.
Yeah, just feel it, Bob.
How does it feel?
To be on your own?
To have a blog of your own.
With no direction home.
We love Bob, Bob.
So belly up, Bob. Have a drink.
Yeah, start a blog. We kid ya, Bob. We know you can’t do it in this forum. They’d have Ray Sanchez in here in a heartbeat. But we’d love to know what you think.
You might even surprise yourself.
Nectar of the Gods, Bob, nectar of the Gods.
Pixilated. But still.
(Cue Elvis Costello: As I walk through this wicked world searching for light in the darkness of insanity. I ask myself, is all hope lost, is there only pain and hatred and misery….and each time I feel like this inside, there’s one thing I wanna know, what’s so funny about peace, love and understanding, Ohhhhhh what’s so funny about peace, love and understaaa-aannnding [fade out on ringing guitar])
Hello, I’m Bob Edwards, and this is Morning Edition
Later on the program we’ll have report from the central front in the war on terrorism, Iraq.
But first, with me in the studio today are two bloggers. Blogging – the practice of maintaining a regularly updated journal on the Web -- has been the subject of much attention in the media lately. These reports have in turn been blogged, with the major theme being that the reporters don’t get it. So we decided to go to the source.
First of all gentleman, what aren’t we getting?
How much time do you have, Bob?
He’s just kiddin. He listens all the time. Big fan.
I especially get a kick out of the reports on TARE-ER-ISM.
Don’t blame Bob. Nobody gets it.
Bob: You mean nobody understands blogging?
Blogging, terrorism. Nobody gets either one. One’s real, one isn’t, but most people have it backwards.
GWOT are you talking about?
Yes.
Bob: GWOT?
Global War on Terrorism, Bob.
Bob: Are you saying it’s not real?
Well, no, Bob. Not as presented.
Bob: But Blogging is?
Well, it’s “as if it’s real.” And that’s as close as you can get nowadays.
Bob: But you’re saying GWOT is “as if it’s real”
True, Bob. True.
GWOT? I’m so confused.
Hehe. Good. That’s a prerequisite.
GWOT the hell.
Yep. GWOT—The Hell.
Of our own making.
Bob: Wait a minute, gentleman. You’re here to talk about blogging. It’s a hot media trend that has the digerati talking. Is this the future of communications?
Damn Bob. Is that, like, automatic? What’d you do, hit reset?
No Bob. It’s right now. The future? Who knows, we might not be here tomorrow.
Yeah, what if we lose the GWOT? You ever think about that, Bob? I know, unthinkable, especially with our technology.
Some day, we’ll meet again
Don’t know where
Don’t know when…
Bob: So bloggers are thinking about GWOT?
Nah. Most think about technology.
Yeah, it’s nerd city.
But one man’s nerd is another man’s fascinating hobbyist.
And one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter. To draw the obvious parallel.
People are crazy and times are strange.
Really, Bob, though, what do you think about this war on terrorism?
Bob: I can’t say. I’m a journalist.
Well, see, that’s why blogging is interesting. We don’t check our feelings at the door. We can’t repeat an administration line, like the one you used – Iraq as the central front of global war on terrorism – without laughing our asses off, so to speak.
Or crying our eyes out. Depends on the day.
It’s rough out there, Bob. High water everywhere.
Think about it, Bob. They say this war won’t end in our lifetime.
Which is one of the few truths to escape their mouths.
Right, how could you possibly stop oppressed people or victims of faceless violence for mercenary ends from reacting violently? With more oppression and violence?
Madness, no?
Bob: Gentleman, you’re here to talk about blogging.
Hell, Bob. Blogging is writing on the Web. What’s to talk about? You either do it or you don’t. You either get it or you don’t.
The main thing is, it’s raising your voice in public. Even if the public that hears it is very small. It’s every bit as meaningful as when one of your journalists broadcasts a report.
I would say moreso.
Well, with the exception of a few real, courageous journalists out there.
Yeah, well, everything’s micro these days. You have your monolithic institutions – corporations, the media. Ya got a populace jacked into that mindset. Unthinkingly adopting boatloads of official doctrine as they ply a worn-out trade. Then you have your individuals, working to throw off the BS.
And a lot of them have landed in blogland, Bob.
Yeah, it’s just eels oozing up to the bar.
Bob: Eels oozing up to the bar?
A line from one of his poems, Bob.
Bob: And what does it mean?
I don’t know Bob. Neither does he.
And that’s the beauty of it, Bob.
Yeah, just feel it, Bob.
How does it feel?
To be on your own?
To have a blog of your own.
With no direction home.
We love Bob, Bob.
So belly up, Bob. Have a drink.
Yeah, start a blog. We kid ya, Bob. We know you can’t do it in this forum. They’d have Ray Sanchez in here in a heartbeat. But we’d love to know what you think.
You might even surprise yourself.
Nectar of the Gods, Bob, nectar of the Gods.
Pixilated. But still.
(Cue Elvis Costello: As I walk through this wicked world searching for light in the darkness of insanity. I ask myself, is all hope lost, is there only pain and hatred and misery….and each time I feel like this inside, there’s one thing I wanna know, what’s so funny about peace, love and understanding, Ohhhhhh what’s so funny about peace, love and understaaa-aannnding [fade out on ringing guitar])
