There Can Be Only One For this new year I have but one goal, a single objective that I will be pursuing with a fierce and steely-eyed dedication: To overtake the Lutherans.
Thursday: The New Friday CBS News still believes they are operating in the pre-blog era. Why else would they release the Rathergate report on a Friday afternoon? In the old days (circa 2003), if you wanted to bury a story you’d release it on Friday afternoon since most people are more distracted, ready for the weekend, and paying little attention to the news. In fact, there’s even evidence that companies are better off using the “strategic release of information on Fridays” tactic when they need to dump negative news or poor earnings reports. *
But while that may have been a smart move when the mainstream press controlled the news cycle, it can backfire in the blogosphere. The MSM has to churn the news, even on weekends, and by Monday the Friday release is stale product. But the blogosphere slows down considerably on the weekends. A post on news released on Friday will likely set at the top of a blog all weekend, ensuring that it gets noticed by the few readers that remain. Often, bloggers will simply save the information for their first post on Monday. Instead of being “buried” it carries over for longer than it normally would have if it had been released earlier in the week. That why Thursday should be the new Friday.
Because bloggers often swarm a story, news released late on Thursday will be the subject du jour on Friday. But while the negative attention may be overwhelming for a day and possibly even carry over to Saturday and Sunday, by Monday even bloggers will have considered it to be “old news” and will likely have moved on to the next hot topic. The Thursday dump would lead to a spike on Friday and then a drastic decline by the start of the next week. Business executives, politicians, and down-on-their-luck media companies may want to keep this in mind. They should start “thinking outside the box” by “thinking inside the blog.”
*HT: The Kirk Report
A Wink and a Nudge Across the Border The Mexico Foreign ministry doesn’t condone its citizens illegally immigrating to the U.S. But if they do then they should add salt to water to avoid dehydration and wear light clothing to make their swim across the Rio Grande easier. And just in case they aren’t quite sure what they should do when they are doing what they shouldn’t do, the Mexican government has a 32-page comic book called “Guide for the Mexican Migrant."
While the guide doesn’t explain how to obtain a legal visa, it does provide advice on how to act after you slip into the States without one: Don't call attention to yourself. ... Avoid loud parties. ... Don't become involved in fights. Doing these things, of course, would cause them to return to their homeland – which, according to the Foreign Ministry, they shouldn’t have left without a visa. At least the Mexican government is clear about what they expect of their citizens. Obey the immigration laws if you can get a visa. And if you can't, just be careful not to get caught or killed crossing the border.
(Related: Shep has more info, including graphics from the comic book.)
I am Envy LaShawn Barber ponders whether the Nick Coleman kekerfuffle was just a case of blog envy.
7. State your proposition and show the truth of it by asking the opponent many questions. By asking many wide-reaching questions at once, you may hide what you want to get admitted. Then you quickly propound the argument resulting from the proponent's admissions.
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It is difficult to have reasonable discussions about all of this due to the language barrier. Not English v. Spanish. I grapple with it over at ItsComeDown2This.
On a lighter note, I think it could be a boon for an American company like U-Haul. See why at my post.
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Not to quibble, but shouldn't the title for this post be "01.07.05"?
And why would should we expect CBS to have a clue about bloggers yet. It's not like blogs have impacted their world at all. :)
posted on 01.07.2005 2:10 PM3
Did I miss something? Where is the "Guide for the Mexican Burgler" or "Guide for the Mexican Auto Thief"? I mean, aren't all of these people just trying to make a better life for themselves (cough..illegally...cough...and at someone else's expense)?
posted on 01.07.2005 3:32 PM4
I like the way Rob put that - two languages. It's hard to talk about it intelligently with so many people because the debate has become so polarized.
What a lot of Americans don't realize is that our grain companies (ADM, for one - I can provide documentation if you want) are subsidized and hence we are now underselling local farmers in Mexico (especially Oaxaca).
A lot of these farmers, out of work, head north. I live in San Diego, and I've worked a bit with some groups of the indigenous people living along Baja. They are originally from Oaxaca but they lost their jobs due to this practice by American companies. Many of them aren't able to get good jobs because they don't speak Spanish so they try to cross the border. Conspiracy theorists speculate that the US government does this on purpose to create a cheap labor pool, if you're into that sort of speculation. I prefer to stick with what we do know, which is what I have written here.
To be sure, the Mexican government owns a lot of responsibility from this but so does our government, and our industries. I don't think that blaming the poorest and least able to change the situation will do anything to help.
posted on 01.07.2005 6:04 PM5
You'll catch those Lutherans. "Evangelical" is a bit of a misnomer when it comes to the ELCA anyway.
posted on 01.07.2005 6:05 PM6
I converted to the Catholic Church from MS Lutheranism.
It was going to a few ELCA "services" that made up my mind about returning to Mother Church.
It's not "evangelical" that's the misnomer in the ELCA, jon, it's the "Lutheran"
posted on 01.07.2005 7:09 PM7
Lex Rex: 35/152,000. But how many people actually search Lex Rex?
posted on 01.07.2005 7:57 PM8
There Can Be Only One For this new year I have but one goal, a single objective that I will be pursuing with a fierce and steely-eyed dedication: To overtake the Lutherans.I'd be happy to catch up with my old blog, still at #2. It ain't going to happen any time soon, though. My old URL had a Cornerlanche, an Instalanche, and a link from Best of the Web. Still, it's disheartening when your new blog is still sixty-two places below your old one after it's been in business just as long. posted on 01.08.2005 12:59 AM
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Quote from Joe: At least the Mexican government is clear about what they expect of their citizens. Obey the immigration laws if you can get a visa. And if you can't, just be careful not to get caught or killed crossing the border.
What is clear from that observation is that the Mexican Government doesn't respect American sovereignty in regards to American's right to enforce its own immigration policy. Unfortunatly, the Bush Administration doesn't seem understand that fact which is why is Bush continues to "work with Vincinte Fox." The problem is that you can't really "work with" someone who doesn't have any respect toward your interests.
The Bush Administration's immigration reform plan is hopelessly flawed because it fails to understand that Mexico doesn't care about improving the security of the American side of the border and niether do the U.S. businessmen who illegally exploit cheap Mexican labor.
What this Guide is evidence of is that the Mexican Government nows feels that it now safe to openly publish materials which encourage immorality because illegal immigration has already created a culture where lawbreaking, exploitation and disrespect is completely acceptible. The only thing the Mexico's government feels compelled to suggest this the lawbreakers don't get caught or killed as that would be inconvient for the Mexican Government which as this point seems uninterested in the concept of law.
The sad thing is that the more illegal immigration
continues this culture of lawsbreaking, disrespect, and exploitation is reinfornced here in American. The Bush response is rather than trying to discourage this culture the United States government's only choice is also
ignore the problem and simply make it easier for the Government by essentially putting a time delay on enforcement. All this teaches is that the Government simply will bend to corruption when there is enough of it.
Shame on US Business,the Mexican people, the Mexican Government, and the Bush Administration. Face and challenge the evil in your mist; don't run from it or look the other way.
posted on 01.08.2005 11:50 AM10
"overtake the Lutherans", eh? I guess the gloves are off now. You've awakened the sleeping giant this time. What is you don't understand about "salvation by faith alone" and "Christ is not uniquely present in the Eucharist, but MORE present in the Eucharist"? I hope you are prepared to spend the afterlife drinking endless cups of weak coffee and eating piece after piece of too-sweet cake.
posted on 01.08.2005 12:00 PM11
Terry "overtake the Lutherans", eh? I guess the gloves are off now. You've awakened the sleeping giant this time.
Oh, they may have a four-hundred year head start on me but they will eventually succumb to my protracted Google siege. If I have to then I'll form an alliance with the Catholics. I bet their still looking to get some payback on ya'lls rogue monk.
posted on 01.08.2005 12:04 PM12
Joe-
Re: "protracted Google siege" better pipe down or the next time you go to church you might find that a list of disputed theological points has been nailed to its door by an excitable, but the nonetheless righteous, monk. I'm saying, is all.
As far as an alliance with the Catholics goes, at least you haven't threatened to go a thousand years further back in time and make allies with a certain sect, founded by Chas. T. Russel, that has revived the heresy of Arianism.
13
I added you to Google a few times, but I don't know if it will help at all since you are already in second place.
posted on 01.08.2005 3:13 PM14
You could always hire an SEO expert. Give David a call over at Clix. Tell him "Tre sent me."
posted on 01.10.2005 11:53 AM15
Joe, I think you just helped them by linking to them in a site with 'evangelical' in the title.
posted on 01.10.2005 4:24 PM