Saturday 28 February 2009

Local blogosphere busts a gasket

The comments section for Policy Frog's latest post is at 73 and counting. What's all the fuss about? Well two things actually:

  1. Policy Frog is (*gasp*) sitting in at CJOB for one week.
  2. Pork.
That Frogger was lured over to the dark side of the media by evil MSM emperor Vic Grant seems to have riled a few feathers. Apparently he is losing his bogosphere "cred" and can no longer be trusted to provide independant alternative media commentary. Even after his gig with 'OB is up, emperor Grant will be pulling his strings, or Peter Mansbridge will be wiring him talking points for his blog or some God damn thing.

Seriously people, chillax. First of all, if you're relying on an anonymous internet blogger to provide you with the straight unbiased goods on anything, you need to rethink your strategy for gathering information. Second, can any anonymous blogger be trusted? I sure as hell can't. Ask me to watch over your poodle and I'll have it stuffed full of hash and shipped across the border to a crooked vet in no time. Third, the possibility does still exist that Frogger has integrity, and may not be permanently scarred by MSM brain washing probes that Vic Grant had implanted in the Seinnheiser headphones that he'll forced to wear.

Look, bogging is entertainment. Some blogs are pure entertainment; some like Frogger's are more informative; but it's still a blog. Even if PF turns into a drooling CJOB lackey it's not the end of the world. I say why shouldn't PF take the opportunity to share his views with a wider audience? Good for him. He wouldn't be the first local blogger to do it, but for some reason he's taking the most flack.

Now about the pork thing: the scandal that wouldn't die (or get resolved). I sentence Marty Gold to 13 lashes with a K-Tel Miracle Brush if he mentions "pork" again on a blog other than his own.

17 comments:

Scott MacNeil said...

Cherenkov,

Agree the entire PF on OB "Excuse me" is outta hand. Personally, I wish him well - whoever he is. Work permitting - I know I'll be listening. Curious what he's going to say. Would be funny as hell if he decided to spend a segment attacking Winnipeg bloggers!

As for Pork - I am getting so sick of this story I can't even look a ham sandwich in the face without cringing! No more Pork!

We must fight for a Peg blogosphere that is Pork free!!!

Unknown said...

Well said Peanut. I'm a bit stunned by the whole thing to be honest. I was expecting some good-natured ribbing given my previous criticisms of 'OB, but this has gone waaaaaaaaaay overboard. It's 450 seconds of radio. A chance to have a little fun and experiment with expressing myself through a different medium. Truly making a mountain out of a molehill.

Christian Cassidy said...

You're bang on with your comments, cherenkov.

PF's been asked to do an audio version of his blog for a few days. I don't see it as any different than a national paper picking up a regional column and running it while their guy is on vacation. How would that destroy the "cred" of the local columnist ?

A good point was made at PF that the people whining "sell out" have all probably written a letter to the editor or posted in the comments section on the Globe or CBC and seem fine with their direct contact with MSM.

I'd like to think that a good side effect of having an 'info / opinion blog' (and, in turn, a network of them) provides commentary and info that gets people thinking. If the rule is that MSM must keep their nose out and the only people that should be privy to that info are others who read blogs all day that would a sad thing IMO.

The Rise and Sprawl said...

I see they got to you, too, Peanut.

How much money did it take? Or did you sell out the sanctity and integrity of blogging simply for Free passes to the CMHR? Invites to Manitoba Club BBQ's? Weight-lifting tips from Bob Silver? Thirty pieces of silver?

Anonymous said...

Peanut vendor- I don't have any problem with your perspective on the sellout but I am concerned with your latent desire to watch over poodles

Nope, nope, not in your care .....at least not without a doggy virginity belt!

Anonymous said...

You have Hash ?

I'll take some.

cherenkov said...

FA: You're really Bartley Kives, aren't you? Ah ha. I knew it.

PF: It shows the loyalty of the following you've developed. But for some people it's an 'us' vs 'them' issue with the MSM. To me, it's a natural progression. People like Curtis Brown has been straddling the line all along.

I hope they pod cast it.

Mr.C: agree. It's all good.

R&S: I guess I should come clean. I am a ghost writer for Gordon Sinclair. That column about the frightened dogs? All me baby.

Bob: My baby sitting rates are very reasonable. ;-)

Mr.No: Can I trust you?

Scott MacNeil said...

@ Cherenkov,

I mean no disrespect: But who is this Mr. Kives and why does everybody keep referencing him?

Graham said...

I'd like to say that I don't see it as "selling out" at all. It's not that the Frogger switched sides, it's more like a promotion.

You know, something that should be congratulated?

A blogger has graduated from the underground to a place where the voice will carry. How many CJOB listeners know who PF is, or read any blogs at all?

Frogger will get his one week of (deserved) fame, then Vic will come back and instead of subjecting ourselves to his shitty and often ignorant/shortsighted commentary, we'll all go back to visiting PF on a daily basis.

As a side note I think this is indicative of society at large...somebody works hard and moves up in the world, and everyone laments him for it.

cherenkov said...

FA: Don't read the Freep much, or are you just being facetious? To save you from googling: Bartley Kives, son of Philip Kives of K-tel International fame, is a reporter for the Free Press. As such, Marty Gold assumes Bartley has the inside scoop on Pork Gate (and possibly a freezer full of Pork himself), leading to the tangent that the comments on PF's blog went off on.

The Great Canadian Talk Show said...

There is no assumption. Kives was a union spokeman during Porkgate and attcked those who criticized the diversion of pork from the poor to his picket line under shady circumstances.

"It's a despicable way to try and manipulate well-intentioned humanitarian outreach"

Even after David Northcott admitted the diversion was unfair to the poor (who followed Winnipeg Harvest procedures and were waiting for food) and apologized to the public on CJOB, Kives and the union have never apologized.

And the newspaper did not report on the public health warning issued by the city, after Bruce Owen admitted some of the pork had been tossed away as spoiled, and some of the rest was being targeted for Chrismas hampers.

They never made amends to Harvest or the government that paid for the pork, and they refuse to identify the delivery man -- who may have stolen the pork from a food bank before bringing it to the Free Press strikers.

So when Kives criticized Policy Frog for being nameless and faceless, it was a brazen act of hypocracy, as the union relies on the identity of the delivery man being kept a secret to ensure the answer of whether the taxpayer-subsidized pork they enjoyed was stolen can't be asked, let alone answered.

Scott MacNeil said...

@GCTS
OH MY FREAKING LORD!!! Now this comment thread is in danger of becoming a forum for Pork-talk! Where's the humanity? Let it go man! Let it go! Really, the more you talk about it without offering up any new evidence on who buggered what up when - the less we care.

For the love of Jesus - let it go. you're strting to sound like that raving maniac over at Raging Tory!

Is there not Blog in this city safe from Pork?

Shaun M Wheeler said...

Yeah, one or two...

cherenkov said...

I'll spare Marty the 13 lashes of the Miracle Brush this time, since I started it.

Anonymous said...

Hi, everybody. I'm afraid my good friend from the GCTC has erred.

It was Vic Grant who referred to PF as "nameless and faceless," not me. I simply made a jovial reference to Vic's blog.

While I'm here, Phil Kives is not my father.

Have a good one.

bart

cherenkov said...

If you really are Bartley Kives than you would know better than I. My mistake on saying Philip is your father. I know people who grew up with you in Garden City and I was told that he was. No harm done, I hope.

Anonymous said...

No harm at all, C. My dad is Harold. Phil is his first cousin.

If you ever have a question, feel free to e-mail me at bartley.kives@freepress.mb.ca.

bart

 
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