I've added a new "What real bloggers are saying" section because I think the old one was full. I couldn't get it to save any changes, so I've deleted it.
I've also added a new "Culture Vultures" blogroll, since this is becoming an increasingly important part of my life.
Showing posts with label blogging. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blogging. Show all posts
Wednesday, 22 February 2012
Thursday, 22 September 2011
Collective Libertarians
One of the fallacies that I encounter about libertarians is that we're all selfish bastards who can never work together for "the greater good", whatever that might be. But the truth of the matter is that libertarians are absolutely sold on the idea of voluntary cooperation.
And one of the best examples of excellent voluntary co-operation on a libertarian basis can be found over at Anna Raccoon, who has gathered some excellent authors and accepts posts from total weirdos from time to time.
Her blog has been rewarded with a number of prizes at the Total Politics awards, including one of the "best group blogs" awards, an interesting challenge to the well-funded and/or political-machine-backed group blogs like ConservativeHome or LabourList. And Anna herself has also been rated as a top political bloggess in her own right.
It just goes to show that libertarian ideals can provide a viable alternative to clapped-out, boring, yah-boo-sucks tribal politics. Well done, Anna!*
*I'm not remotely jealous of the fact that the boot-faced old harridan thoroughly kicked my arse this year. Honest.
And one of the best examples of excellent voluntary co-operation on a libertarian basis can be found over at Anna Raccoon, who has gathered some excellent authors and accepts posts from total weirdos from time to time.
Her blog has been rewarded with a number of prizes at the Total Politics awards, including one of the "best group blogs" awards, an interesting challenge to the well-funded and/or political-machine-backed group blogs like ConservativeHome or LabourList. And Anna herself has also been rated as a top political bloggess in her own right.
It just goes to show that libertarian ideals can provide a viable alternative to clapped-out, boring, yah-boo-sucks tribal politics. Well done, Anna!*
*I'm not remotely jealous of the fact that the boot-faced old harridan thoroughly kicked my arse this year. Honest.
Monday, 19 September 2011
Hari kiri
I am absolutely amazed that despite being rumbled for plagiarism, Johann Hari has been able to keep his job at the Independent. I can only assume he has very special photos of Simon Kelner.
But it will, almost inevitably, be a Pyrrhic victory for the fat poof. The media has its dander up, and stories have been dripping out and will continue to do so. The worst to date is how Hari has evidently used sock puppets to attack his critics, particularly one called David Rose.
I struggle to see how the Independent can retain Hari after this, but as the Telegraph blogger Nero points out, it gets even worse. Imagine the Independent retaining an actual racist as one of its leading columnists!
Still, it's good that journalists can hold their heads high, secure in the knowledge that their professional standards and credibility are so much better than bloggers.
The cunts.
But it will, almost inevitably, be a Pyrrhic victory for the fat poof. The media has its dander up, and stories have been dripping out and will continue to do so. The worst to date is how Hari has evidently used sock puppets to attack his critics, particularly one called David Rose.
I struggle to see how the Independent can retain Hari after this, but as the Telegraph blogger Nero points out, it gets even worse. Imagine the Independent retaining an actual racist as one of its leading columnists!
Still, it's good that journalists can hold their heads high, secure in the knowledge that their professional standards and credibility are so much better than bloggers.
The cunts.
Thursday, 15 September 2011
You fucking cunts!
I'm gutted. I'm only at number 10, despite my desperate attempts not to blog for the whole year. Plus, I wrote a load of shit.
So actually, thank you!
So actually, thank you!
Friday, 26 August 2011
Currying Favour
Saturday, 30 July 2011
Reggae Blegging
I am mindful that my life lacks reggae. However, most of the compilations I can buy are filled with dreary pap. I have Natty Dread and Legend by Bob Marley, Bass Culture and Forces of Victory by Linton Kwesi Johnson and I have enough UB40 to be getting along with. Shamefully. I also have a decent ska collection, so I don't need any more of that.
I'm not desperate to buy vast swathes of albums, but I'm looking for interesting individual songs, I suspect that stuff from the early 70's to the mid 80's is probably a sweet spot.
As clues, I quite like Sinsemilla by Black Uhuru, Heads High by Mr Vegas, You don't love me by Dawn Penn and Montego Bay by Freddie Notes and the Rudies apart from the aforementioned bands.
I'm looking for stuff with a good beat and some kind of "hook".
Can anybody recommend their favourite reggae tracks?
I'm not desperate to buy vast swathes of albums, but I'm looking for interesting individual songs, I suspect that stuff from the early 70's to the mid 80's is probably a sweet spot.
As clues, I quite like Sinsemilla by Black Uhuru, Heads High by Mr Vegas, You don't love me by Dawn Penn and Montego Bay by Freddie Notes and the Rudies apart from the aforementioned bands.
I'm looking for stuff with a good beat and some kind of "hook".
Can anybody recommend their favourite reggae tracks?
Monday, 25 July 2011
Can I really face it though?
I can feel it. I'm getting sucked back into the world of trying to explain to people that we don't need a government with a gun to our heads to make us all get along.
I can see the endless, circular arguments because people are so terrified of not having someone to mollycoddle them.
Do I really want to get back into this?
I can see the endless, circular arguments because people are so terrified of not having someone to mollycoddle them.
Do I really want to get back into this?
Saturday, 23 July 2011
Administrivia
The more astute of you will have noticed that I've updated the look of the blog. I did this for two reasons, I've decided to get rid of some of the crappy buttons I've had for years and Blogger has done away with my original template. I know it's still around somewhere, but I quite like the new one I've chosen and it's not too busy.
As a result of reverting to the standard template, there are also a whole bunch of sharing buttons and rankings of my posts that can be done. I'm interested to hear what people think about these, whether they "add value" or not.
I've always believed blogging was about the content not the look, I like the simple look and feel of this template, and I've managed to get the twitter feed to look like it belongs quite quickly.
I've ditched the "Google connect" widget because it was clearly slowing the page load down a lot, and in the current world, it simply doesn't mean anything any more. Links between people with blogger ID's has quickly become passé in a world of Twitter and Facebook and Googleplus.
Various other dead bits of clutter are also going, like the LPUK news feed.
I've lost the "Labels" widget because it's just so big it doesn't have any use. The "Blog Archive" thingy is useless (I think!)
I've consolidated all my "awards" into a single blog post to remove the space they take.
I'm seriously contemplating the twitter widget, because it seems to be quite slow as well. Any comments on this would be especially welcome.
And finally, I'm also trimming my various blogrolls, because a lot of them appear to point at dead blogs. If I remove you and you are still blogging, just lazy, let me know and I'll put you back. Also, if anyone wants to be on my blogroll (which, let's face it, is also pretty passé!) then let me know.
As a result of reverting to the standard template, there are also a whole bunch of sharing buttons and rankings of my posts that can be done. I'm interested to hear what people think about these, whether they "add value" or not.
I've always believed blogging was about the content not the look, I like the simple look and feel of this template, and I've managed to get the twitter feed to look like it belongs quite quickly.
I've ditched the "Google connect" widget because it was clearly slowing the page load down a lot, and in the current world, it simply doesn't mean anything any more. Links between people with blogger ID's has quickly become passé in a world of Twitter and Facebook and Googleplus.
Various other dead bits of clutter are also going, like the LPUK news feed.
I've lost the "Labels" widget because it's just so big it doesn't have any use. The "Blog Archive" thingy is useless (I think!)
I've consolidated all my "awards" into a single blog post to remove the space they take.
I'm seriously contemplating the twitter widget, because it seems to be quite slow as well. Any comments on this would be especially welcome.
And finally, I'm also trimming my various blogrolls, because a lot of them appear to point at dead blogs. If I remove you and you are still blogging, just lazy, let me know and I'll put you back. Also, if anyone wants to be on my blogroll (which, let's face it, is also pretty passé!) then let me know.
Historical awards
Lest I forget:
First Month Awards (2008):
Top 100 Right Wing Blogs: 81
2009:
Top 100 Right Wing Blogs: 13
Top 20 Libertarian Blogs: 4
Top 20 Political Blogs: unknown
2010:
Top 100 Right Wing Blogs: 13
Top 30 Libertarian Blogs: 4
Top 50 Political Bloggers: 25
HOT 200 Political Twats: 4
100 Worst Political Blogs: 5
2011:
Top 10 Libertarian Blogs: 10
Top 10 Libertarian Bloggers: 8
First Month Awards (2008):
Top 100 Right Wing Blogs: 81
2009:
Top 100 Right Wing Blogs: 13
Top 20 Libertarian Blogs: 4
Top 20 Political Blogs: unknown
2010:
Top 100 Right Wing Blogs: 13
Top 30 Libertarian Blogs: 4
Top 50 Political Bloggers: 25
HOT 200 Political Twats: 4
100 Worst Political Blogs: 5
2011:
Top 10 Libertarian Blogs: 10
Top 10 Libertarian Bloggers: 8
Saturday, 18 June 2011
Monday, 2 May 2011
Blogroll update
It's waaay outside the normal zone of people I recommend, but I've added the lovely Katobell's blog to my roll. Feel free to dip in and out of it. It's lovely.
Friday, 5 November 2010
Remember, remember, the 5th of November
So, all the libertarian blogosphere is marching on Wastemonster again, hoping to draw attention to the plight of liberty and freedom.
I, on the other hand, am at the other end of the country, rogering a delightful young lady senseless in front of a log fire, followed by her feeding me champagne and nibbles.
Where are my priorities?
I, on the other hand, am at the other end of the country, rogering a delightful young lady senseless in front of a log fire, followed by her feeding me champagne and nibbles.
Where are my priorities?
Wednesday, 3 November 2010
Why I left blogging (for @hangbitch , @john_demetriou and others)
Well, all the reasons I gave here are true. I am working my cunt off. I have got a life, out of nowhere, too. The Cuntalition is more nimble at being cuntish. And I am still writing elsewhere.
But a brief outing in the comments section at Cuntishness is Free yesterday just reinforced the thing that really stops me the most: it's become so tedious to re-hash the same arguments over and over and over to an audience of people who don't appreciate the stupidity of their own "logic". And even when you "engage" with someone and they genuinely try to understand my point of view, they are all so blinkered that they might as well not bother.
It really is like banging your head on a brick wall. Every new statist I talk to brings out the same set of "killer" arguments that seem so self-evident that they've never bothered to question them. And when you question them, even as they trip themselves up they fail to see the inherent internal conflict of their point of view.
I don't want to pick on anyone in particular, but let's grab this one:
A libertarian government could only occur if it won sufficient votes to actually form a government. This would mean that a significant percentage of people would have to sign up to the libertarian model and actually, you know, vote for us. So we would have the same democratic legitimacy as any statist party. So why would this even be an issue?
Fuck me. This cunt is a genius or something. But actually, he also just goes on to highlight how shit his understanding of democracy is. Only about a third of the British population is required to become Libertarian in order for us to have outright control over the political agenda for five years. If we had 10% of the population, we could probably start moving the goalposts away from the default statist agenda.
But it does rather point out another major flaw in this cretin's thinking: one third of the population can get to set the way 100% of the population has to live, and yet he's comfortable with that, as long as no-one moves his particular cheese.
That was just one comment. It's all just far too much like hard work fisking people one by one, especially when you've done the exact same fisk or a 95% match a dozen times before. Even when people are seriously trying to discuss things, there are certain places their minds just refuse to go and they just run back into the arms of the state, crying like the little bitches they are.
And the people on the left who are suddenly crying for my voice to be raised against the civil liberty violations were fucking happy to grin and bear that shit while "their lot" were in power, so they're just shallow tribalists looking for another voice to cause trouble for the coalition, they don't actually care about liberty. All they want is for their team of statist cunts to be in charge again. So fuck them.
I'm no more happy about the political direction of this country than I was under Labour, primarily because the policies are indistinguishable and the state is still grown and the cuts are nothing of the sort and taxes are still shooting up.
But people aren't interested in learning about a truly different way of solving problems. People aren't interested in re-thinking their politics, even if they wind up in the exact same place.
So no, fuck it. The way I feel right now is that blogging isn't fun.
Update: As if by magic...
But a brief outing in the comments section at Cuntishness is Free yesterday just reinforced the thing that really stops me the most: it's become so tedious to re-hash the same arguments over and over and over to an audience of people who don't appreciate the stupidity of their own "logic". And even when you "engage" with someone and they genuinely try to understand my point of view, they are all so blinkered that they might as well not bother.
It really is like banging your head on a brick wall. Every new statist I talk to brings out the same set of "killer" arguments that seem so self-evident that they've never bothered to question them. And when you question them, even as they trip themselves up they fail to see the inherent internal conflict of their point of view.
I don't want to pick on anyone in particular, but let's grab this one:
OK, Mr Devil, let's take a case in point. 'Socialised' health care, the NHS, which uses taxation, which by definition must be 'coercive', to provide health care for the many. I am assuming that the libertarian principle would be to abolish the NHS because it depends on coercive taxation and presumably a libertarian government would take steps to do just that.
However it is clear that the vast majority of people in the UK support the principle of 'socialised health care' even if there are differences on how the NHS should be organised. So how does the a libertarian government square undoing a policy with coercive law that the vast majority accept? To use your own parlance, How can it threaten 'violence' to undo something that you oppose but the majority do not.
A libertarian government could only occur if it won sufficient votes to actually form a government. This would mean that a significant percentage of people would have to sign up to the libertarian model and actually, you know, vote for us. So we would have the same democratic legitimacy as any statist party. So why would this even be an issue?
And on a practical point, how on earth would a libertarian government ever come to power unless most people become magically transformed into libertarians?
Fuck me. This cunt is a genius or something. But actually, he also just goes on to highlight how shit his understanding of democracy is. Only about a third of the British population is required to become Libertarian in order for us to have outright control over the political agenda for five years. If we had 10% of the population, we could probably start moving the goalposts away from the default statist agenda.
But it does rather point out another major flaw in this cretin's thinking: one third of the population can get to set the way 100% of the population has to live, and yet he's comfortable with that, as long as no-one moves his particular cheese.
That was just one comment. It's all just far too much like hard work fisking people one by one, especially when you've done the exact same fisk or a 95% match a dozen times before. Even when people are seriously trying to discuss things, there are certain places their minds just refuse to go and they just run back into the arms of the state, crying like the little bitches they are.
And the people on the left who are suddenly crying for my voice to be raised against the civil liberty violations were fucking happy to grin and bear that shit while "their lot" were in power, so they're just shallow tribalists looking for another voice to cause trouble for the coalition, they don't actually care about liberty. All they want is for their team of statist cunts to be in charge again. So fuck them.
I'm no more happy about the political direction of this country than I was under Labour, primarily because the policies are indistinguishable and the state is still grown and the cuts are nothing of the sort and taxes are still shooting up.
But people aren't interested in learning about a truly different way of solving problems. People aren't interested in re-thinking their politics, even if they wind up in the exact same place.
So no, fuck it. The way I feel right now is that blogging isn't fun.
Update: As if by magic...
Friday, 24 September 2010
Fuck off you cunts
It's funny, I never thought I'd ever write this post. But here we are.
I have all the usual excuses: work is busier than I can ever remember.
My inspiration to blog issues from a libertarian angle has waned. There's only so many times you can reduce things to first principles and argue the case and get the same stupid, meaningless counterarguments.
The Cuntalition is not as astoundingly infuriating as the Labour Party were. They're just as fucking inept, thieving, misguided and bossy, but they're much nicer about it. So that's fine.
I'm tired of trying to explain the concept of anarchism as something natural and workable to people who are happy to mindlessly defend extortion with menaces.
I'm bored with the vacuity of British politics and the stupidity and apathy of the electorate.
To my fellow bloggers, you have inspired me, amused me, provoked me, annoyed me and provided me with ammunition and targets. Thank you.
I'm struggling to keep up with the huge swathes of blogging that pour in, though. It's great writing, but it has become a chore to keep up with people, rather than a pleasure. I can't read hundreds of blog posts every day AND write.
But mostly, I've found something else to direct my creativity into, something that strangely rewards me even more that the challenge of trying to create a compelling argument. It may not pan out and I may come skulking back here. I hope it does work out, though.
I can't even pretend that I will never, ever blog here again. My life may change again. I have no intention of deleting the blog, and I would be flattered to think that someone, somewhere may still find some of my writing interesting or inspiring.
It's been an interesting journey for me, from social democracy to minarchism to anarchism and I'm pleased I made the effort. I'm pleased to have had ideas challenged and I've been hugely amused by the trolls, commentards and window-lickers here.
I always did write for myself, but I can't deny that it's been gratifying to see upwards of 10,000 absolute uniques month after month, and it's still climbing. I hope that you've enjoyed reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it. Probably best that I bugger off leaving you cunts wanting more, too!
I must address the inevitable triumphalism of John Demetriou, who will feel that he finally won the great contest, proving that a) he is a better blogger and b) his libertarianism is better than mine.
So all I can say John is: well done. I hope you enjoy your victory.
All that remains is to say goodbye to you all.
Nah.
Fuck off you cunts!
I have all the usual excuses: work is busier than I can ever remember.
My inspiration to blog issues from a libertarian angle has waned. There's only so many times you can reduce things to first principles and argue the case and get the same stupid, meaningless counterarguments.
The Cuntalition is not as astoundingly infuriating as the Labour Party were. They're just as fucking inept, thieving, misguided and bossy, but they're much nicer about it. So that's fine.
I'm tired of trying to explain the concept of anarchism as something natural and workable to people who are happy to mindlessly defend extortion with menaces.
I'm bored with the vacuity of British politics and the stupidity and apathy of the electorate.
To my fellow bloggers, you have inspired me, amused me, provoked me, annoyed me and provided me with ammunition and targets. Thank you.
I'm struggling to keep up with the huge swathes of blogging that pour in, though. It's great writing, but it has become a chore to keep up with people, rather than a pleasure. I can't read hundreds of blog posts every day AND write.
But mostly, I've found something else to direct my creativity into, something that strangely rewards me even more that the challenge of trying to create a compelling argument. It may not pan out and I may come skulking back here. I hope it does work out, though.
I can't even pretend that I will never, ever blog here again. My life may change again. I have no intention of deleting the blog, and I would be flattered to think that someone, somewhere may still find some of my writing interesting or inspiring.
It's been an interesting journey for me, from social democracy to minarchism to anarchism and I'm pleased I made the effort. I'm pleased to have had ideas challenged and I've been hugely amused by the trolls, commentards and window-lickers here.
I always did write for myself, but I can't deny that it's been gratifying to see upwards of 10,000 absolute uniques month after month, and it's still climbing. I hope that you've enjoyed reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it. Probably best that I bugger off leaving you cunts wanting more, too!
I must address the inevitable triumphalism of John Demetriou, who will feel that he finally won the great contest, proving that a) he is a better blogger and b) his libertarianism is better than mine.
So all I can say John is: well done. I hope you enjoy your victory.
All that remains is to say goodbye to you all.
Nah.
Fuck off you cunts!
Wednesday, 22 September 2010
Tuesday, 21 September 2010
Bleg
I need to ask a favour of other bloggers: could you fucking motherfuckers stop fucking writing so much fucking shit so that I can catch up on my fucking reading you motherfucking CUNTS!!!
Thank you.
Thank you.
Friday, 17 September 2010
Hypocritical much?
I do probably have a bit more time for muckracker extraordinaire Guido Fawkes than some of my fellow libertarian bloggers. However, I did nearly shit my pants laughing at the idea that someone so happy to rake the muck on his foes might take umbrage at someone raking muck over his friends:
Sure. Whereas your own muckracking is morally justified and pure.
Sorry Gweeds ... if you want to dish it out, you also have to suck it up.
the metropolitan media have in recent weeks created a caricature of the Pope more visceral because it is framed as progressive and reasonable. It is little more than atheist bigotry dressed up in rationalist clothes.
Sure. Whereas your own muckracking is morally justified and pure.
Sorry Gweeds ... if you want to dish it out, you also have to suck it up.
Wednesday, 15 September 2010
Tuesday, 14 September 2010
Blogger losing comments?
It looks like it's fucking started again.
Sort it, google.
Cunts.
Update: Looks like blogger has implemented some sort of spam detection in the comments. It's clearly not very good though.
Sort it, google.
Cunts.
Update: Looks like blogger has implemented some sort of spam detection in the comments. It's clearly not very good though.
Thursday, 9 September 2010
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