Sexism in Weblogging

From a recent debate on Blogroots about a lack of female bloggers in blogrolls:

For the sake of argument, let's say more women blog in the style of a personal diary and more men post in the form of commentary on industry-related articles (and I'm not saying this is true). And let's also posit that people like to either connect themselves to people they know personally ("friend blogs") and are known to many others ("celebrity blogs"), or to sources considered to be of general substantive value ("substance blogs"). There are more male celebrity bloggers (like kottke and winer) and more male substance bloggers (which may also make up a substantial percentage of the celebrity ones). Let's continue in this vein of hypothesized generalizations (also known as "What I really think but have no statistics or New Yorker articles to back me up") and say that a study might reveal that there is a mix of 10% friend blogs, 30% celebrity blogs, and 60% substance blogs in all blogrolls. One conclusion one (or let's go ahead and risk "I") could draw is that all bloggers will choose more men in their blogrolls.

Voila - unintentional, uninhibited sexism. Like a Dormant Commerce Clause case, but without the sophisticated write-up by a Supreme Court justice. Solution? Human nature needs to change or more female bloggers, if they're so inclined, need to start writing about things in which everybody (and not just what their mother, shopping buddies, and stalkers) might find interest.

Or this is really a non-issue and everybody loves women bloggers just as much as men bloggers. Or maybe the women already have enough love and attention in their life anyway. Or...and this is the big one...some guy posed this issue to distract me and other women from our usual discussions of male genitalia mutilation.

Hillary, Hear Our Prayer

In response to an op-ed piece in The Times by Hillary Clinton, I wrote her the following letter:

Dear Senator Clinton:

First let me say that I am an enormous fan of both you and your husband and I am a devoted democrat. I am writing to you today because I read your op-ed piece in The Times which reminded me that you and many other Democrat leaders are in a difficult position right now and need the support and feedback of your constituents.

First, I agree with your piece and feel that economic and domestic issues have taken a back seat to the aggressive campaign of Bush and the Republican Hawks against the rest of the world (you maybe did not say all of this, but we are all thinking it). What has he done to relieve these financial burdens and pressures on every day Americans other than give tax breaks to wealthy corporations and obscure the obscene criminal actions of CEO's? His so-called "War on Terrorism" is really just another version of corporate welfare as he funds his and his cronies' oil and military ventures.

I am very concerned that Democrats are cowed by the alleged popularity of this President who was not even elected by the majority of the American people. We owe it to our fellow Americans and the spirit of our country to fight Dubya and his media machine with a consistent and constant message. We do not want war with Iraq for the sake of American oil interests, we want peace, security, and welfare for all peoples of every nation, and we will not stand for the fraudulent co-opting of the American dream by ruthless corporations bent on world domination via the almighty dollar.

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Anyway, she probably won't read my letter but I wanted her to know that not every American wants to race in and "give 'em hell."

"Blog"-ito Ergo Sum

In doing research on the topic of blogging I've come across so many weblogs I feel like I've acquired some of kind of virus. In fact, I fell asleep this afternoon because I think my brain (or my vision) couldn't handle the bytes any more. The really personal weblogs are cute but on the whole, probably of very little value in general to people who already have more than enough to read. I'd like to see weblogs that focus on a kind of amateur journalism - put real thought into their writing as if to compel others to read. I feel that some of these diarists are diminishing the art of writing by eliminating the barrier between personal and public, silent thought and spoken word. Writing also tends to makes one's fleeting notions, no matter how hare-brained, more concrete - if I wrote down everything thought that passed through my head in a day, I wouldn't know what I thought about anything anymore. It's true the keeping a journal tends to increase your proclivity to write, but blogging could turn that act into self-obsession and obliterate all formal writing for an individual. And I'm just a little worried that this explosion of blogs will crowd out the more purposeful voices and will lead to a general lack of interest in weblogs as a tool for public dialogue and commercial-free expression. As usual, it seems that our huge population with its widespread access and enormous amount of leisure time demands that blogging become professionalized to be useful. There was a time when people used to sit around a fire and play instruments, make up stories and songs, and sing or dance with abandon. Now we have orchestras, publishing houses, and music labels for that sort of thing. I have the feeling like blogging's hour will arrive sooner rather than later - if the hour has not already arrived.

From a recent email...

I saw the Manchurian Candidate on Friday night. I think the film presents an interesting perspective on society-wide paranoia bordering on hysteria. Even though the plot hinges on a Communist plan within the government to assassinate various officials, I think the real target of the movie is McCarthyism. Not that the Soviets weren't dangerous - they were just as dangerous as a variety of groups like the Islamic extremists in the Middle East/South Asia and fascists in Europe/America are now. But I think the real danger is in reacting with the kind of fear that paralyzes reason and suspends our humanity in a permanent violent paroxism. Fear is what leads to places like Auschwitz, Rwanda, Armenia, Kurdistan, East Timor, Cambodia, Vietnam, South Africa, Siberia, Argentina, Tibet, and even Vidor, Texas, the Trail of Tears, and Montgomery, Alabama. I don't know about you but I'm still holding out for an evolution of our civilization to accompany the ones that allegedly happened in our bodies and brains millions of years ago.

Turkey: Not a Good Spot for Honeymooning

From Turkey 2002

Jason and I chose Turkey as our honeymoon destination - why we chose this place, of all the wonderful, romantic places on the planet, will be an eternal mystery. But we have pictures and that's all that matters now. (We actually went in March of this year but I just got around to posting).

The Topkapi Palace

Tokapi was the first Ottoman palace to be built (1466-1478) in the newly conquered capital of the Empire. Located on the spot where the foundations of the city were first laid in ancient times by Megarian Chief Byzant in seventh century BC, the palace boasts one of the most beautiful views of Istanbul, incorporating the Bosphorus, the two shores and the sea of Marmara. (description taken from www.turkey.org)For more information on the Topkapi, visit http://www.ee.bilkent.edu.tr/~history/Ext/palace.html

The Dolmabahce and the Ciragan Palaces

Built in the mid-19th century by Sultan Abdul MecitI, the facade of Dolmabahce Palace stretches for 600 meters along the European shore of the Bosphorus. The vast reception salon, with 56 columns, and a huge crystal chandelier weighing four and a half tons and lit by 750 lights never fails to astonish visitors. (description taken from www.about-turkey.com). If you want to see the fabulously baroque and well-preserved interior, you'll have to visit this one yourself because they don't allow flash photography inside.

Jason and I stayed in the Ciragan Palace Hotel, although the actual Palace part is used for restaurants and fancy shops.Other than the Four Seasons, it's the only really nice hotel in town with any history.

Istanbul Miscellany

On our last day in Istanbul, we tried to hit all the major sites we'd missed on our lazy previous days: Blue Mosque, Haghia Sophia, Kariye Church (a 1312 Byzantine church with mosaics), the Aqueduct Valens (built by the Romans in the 4th centure CE), and the Grand Bazaar (indoor market built in 1461 now covering 4000 shops). For more information on: Haghia Sophia The Blue Mosque

Tour Istanbul with us...

Cappadocia

Jason and I stayed in The Gamirasu Cave Hotel in the Cappadocian village of Ayvily for several days. The rock formations (actually composed of solidified ash from a now extinct volcano) made excellent material apparently for fashioning cave homes.