May You Live in Interesting Times

So here I sat yesteday, despondent at the $$ not coming in this week thanks to a client cancellation, and worse; although he's rescheduled for later in the week it seems his financial (read pain) tolerance has dropped from a 4 to 2 hour session. Waaaahhhhh. Yes, I admit, tattoos hurt... but does anybody consider how it hurts my bottom line when you can't Bitch -Up and have some ovaries. Shees!! (I could never say this over on my ink-blog, An Artist's Journey, over there I need to be professional and sensitive (and I am, really!!!), but a grrrllll's gotta blow off steam somewhere, right?? So if I can't poke um, I'll just have to poke fun attum.

My my, what a wonderful two day ride on the blogosphere. First my menopausal meanderings are salved by Nonsensical Ravings of Finely Tuned Insanity and his crew with explanations and lessons in blogging that are indeed much appreciated.

A lighter, but nonetheless valued take on my blog etiquette angst is provided by BlueGal, and then I get further and further ensnared in the whole KS-Hatespeech-Cyberbullying-Mysogeny-he said-she said-Insanity

The longer I spend on the Internet trying to figure out what the "real" story is, (pick a story; any story), the more I am convinced that I'm one of the Lemmings, one of the sheep, one of the rats (You know, the ones that followed the Pied Piper??).

Yeah, that's it; rats. Following after that enticing music, leading me along by my heart, my guts, and only finally - my mind.

The following are excerpts and quotes from comments I have flung willy nilly far and wide on threads that in one way or another related to the KS thing.

Greetings. I'm not directly an part of any of this KS issue; just came upon it at BlogHer, and have been following from link to link to try to get a general idea of the whole story (being the "fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me" type).
As I commented on another thread:

There are alot of valid points made in the original post here, as well as by many of the commenters. I myself, have had strong and varying feelings and thoughts on this topic since first catching wind of it.

Here are just a few:

"OMG!! That's taking it too far. This is NOT satire. Noone should be threatened this way."



"KS is so overreacting"



"How irresponsible to link to a hate site"



"Wait, was it a hate site or a juvenile satire site"



"What about free speech?"



"How can people be so hateful toward each other"?



"Who is crying wolf now"?

I could go on, but I suppose what I'm trying in my fumbling way to express is that I am constantly surprised by my own naivetee. I'm repeatedly getting caught up in "Spin". It's difficult to keep the facts straight, especially when we don't really know what the facts are.

Iif there was a death threat made it should be appropriately investigated and adjudicated.



If it's a matter of character assassination it's Civil. (whether against or by KS or both)

Intimidation is a tool of the ignorant, and Trolling and Baiting and Flaming have practically become an Internet institution unto themselves.

I have a delete key and am willing to use it.

That said, I really think that the bloggers and site owners that would abide by your "Code of Conduct", probably already are, for the most part and as they see fit. Although you have made some valuable suggestions, in it's entirety your "Code" is flawed in some of the ways already mentioned, and perhaps in ways as yet unforeseen. As a blogger and a citizen of this so-called "free" country, we are already plagued by legal provisions in the Patriot Act and elsewhere that impinge seriously on our right to express ourselves freely, and guilt by association is again (as in the days of McCarthy, Hitler, and countless others) is a tool of the powers that be.

Will and should we as bloggers attempt to implement a "Code" that amounts to censorship? Or shall we continue to each operate our blogs in the way that meets our own comfort level?
KS is not some 13 year old that has been lured to a remote site by a sexual predator, and she herself, has fallen short of your proposed "Code".

By your "Code" should I be ostracized for posting this,
I Repudiate Fear

publicly, in my personal life journal after having doors in my house kicked in, my grandmother and daughter terrified, and my life directly threatened face to face?

Let's think, people.

Like a rat. It's true. Jumping from emotional response, to opinion, to consideration of logical commentary, and in the end. Lost.
Maybe not. I think I ended up with something like:

Fuck Censorship

yeah....that's it.

Then I started thinking about how all this Internet drama and chasing down sources while trying to get to the "real" story, is just like my search for understanding on everything else; politics, religion, taxes, history, science, life the universe and everything.
It's a paradox. It all makes sense, and none of it makes sense.
(And does any of it really matter in the face of things like the Iraq war and Guantanamo?)
Wooooahhhh. Trippy dudes!!!

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