Well that's very cool. I was featured for joke of the week with one of my Obama jokes. Pick it up at newsstands today!By the way, if you don't yet support Obama, holla. I'm happy to spend mad time convincing you. That, or you can just read my blog over the past month and come to the appropriate conclusion.
Viewing entries in
Baratunde-News
They called up yesterday after having discovered the Clinton Attacks Obama wiki we set up and wanted to talk about it. I think the taping went well. Check your local listings :) The show is run out of WNYC in New York and airs tonight (Fri Jan 25), probably between 6pm and 9pm depending on your location. Show website. Update Jan 28: The show is now available online. Go check it out
Wow.
My friend Tim pointed out that Wired has picked up the wiki I started to track attacks by Clinton or her surrogates and supporters against Barack Obama. I started a wiki cause I was lazy! I guess that's newsworthy :)
Anyway, hope you find it helpful. Feel free to clean it up with some edits or make your own additions.
Old school and new school talking about the meaning of Obama's victory in Iowa.
Jessie Jackson, Rainbow PUSH
Baratunde Thurston, Jack & Jill Politics
possibly more.
8pm eastern
Out in the Open with Rick Sanchez
CNN
segment starts at 8pm and runs perhaps 15 mins. set your TiVos!!
gotta run!
Update: here's a link to the video plus post-show analysis
In an excellent piece (and I'm not saying that because she wrote about Jack & Jill Politics or quoted me or used my photo :)), Vanessa Jones of the Boston Globe wrote a story titled "Blog is Beautiful: People of color challenge mainstream views online" which ran in today's paper.
Here's what I like
• she doesn't just focus on black bloggers • she doesn't make the story about bloggers of color struggling for a seat at the table of "white bloggers" as so many other stories do • i think she captured a good part of the nature of blogging as a conversation and follows that conversation into posts, comments and the airwaves of mainstream media, showing blogger influence well beyond the blog itself
While I think all of us bloggers can, at times, get an inflated sense of importance thinking we are the revolution, there is no doubt that we're an important part of it. Keep on keepin on.My People,
This announcement marks the absolute height of my comedy career and one of the true milestones in my life. On November 12, I will join the staff of America's Finest News Source a/k/a The Onion. I'll be working full time as Web Editor, a new position combining all of my favorite things.
- I'm responsible for web strategy which might include theonion.com, partnerships, new ways of integrating all the pieces of the Onion online (newspaper, radio, video news network, books), etc.
- I'll help determine political coverage online.
- I will initiate special pieces for the web.
- I'll be part of the editorial team, helping write headlines and otherwise being funny
This past Monday, show producers of global call-in show "World Have Your Say" on BBC World Service contacted Jack & Jill Politics, inviting us to comment on the James Watson story. Jill and I both wrote about the nutty professor last week.
The show topic is represented on the BBC blog.
The show was broadcast live, worldwide (except for Africa) from 1pm-2pm eastern time this past Monday. I managed to get about 40 seconds in at the very end of the show (minute 51). There was a second broadcast starting at 2pm (covering the African continent) in which I was able to comment a bit more at length. However, there is no online version available for the 2pm show.
Here's the 1pm version of the show, streaming (Real Player required).
What was most troubling about some comments made on the show were people who insisted that "scientists should have a right to ask the question 'are black people less intelligent?'" It became less about Watson and more about so-called academic freedom and free speech. I maintain that such "freedom" is really a smokescreen for pursuing harmful, discriminatory and racist policies.
The points I tried to make in both shows:
- The Dr. is beyond the science completely. There's no scientific definition of race and no scientific consensus for a measure of intelligence. He's wrong on both sides of his statement
- Unsubstantiated statements have no place in this discussion and no bearing on the real world. I happen to believe a good test for witchcraft is whether or not a woman floats when tossed into a lake. Should my concept be seriously considered??
- As a Nobel prize-winning doctor, Watson's statements get more attention and credibility than they deserve. He may have a theoretical right to say what he wants, but he does not have a right to spread bad science
- Whenever inflammatory situations like these arise, we are always tempted to focus on the white man who said the bad thing. This is misguided, because we forget the victims. Dr. Watson may be a crazy old man, but his words cause real harm to black people around the world. He provides aid and comfort to those who seek to dehumanize black people and will use his statements to justify their own prejudices and unequal treatment.
- Here we go again. There is always some so-called scientist looking for support for their little racist perspective on the world. Such bad science was behind "eugenics" and countless other attempts to dehumanize black people. If we can prove black folks aren't as intelligent, then we can prove they are less human and thus less deserving of human rights. We can enslave them, deny them justice, etc.
Thanks to all who nominated and voted. The tallies are in and both Jack & Jill Politics (where I blog as "Jack Turner") and goodCRIMETHINK (what you're reading right now) won the judges vote for the categories of Best Political/News Blog and Black Blogger Achievement, respectively. I'm a black blogger achiever!From the site:
After 7,000+ nominations and 1800+ votes for our 91 finalists, here are the winners of the 2007 Black Weblog Awards.Unique to this year was the addition of our panel of ten judges, authorities in the fields of blogging, design, the Internet and good writing. Each category has two winners: a popular vote (the ones which you, the users, casted your ballots for) and the judges’ vote (the top ranked picks from our judges).Best Political/News BlogPopular Vote: The Field NegroJudges’ Vote: Jack and Jill PoliticsBlack Blogger Achievement AwardPopular Vote: Keith BoykinJudges’ Vote: Baratunde ThurstonIt's an honor to be in such great company. Check out all of the winners if you get a chance. Special shout to Racialicious, What About Our Daughters, TIffany B. Brown, Crunk & Disorderly and Blackprof.com
Technorati Tags: afrosphere, black weblog awards, blackosphere
Wow this is cool. So the Black Weblog Awards are happening, and yours truly is a finalist. Voting ends on August 31, so get on over there and do the voting thing. Democracy, my people! I'm a finalist in the "Black Blogger Achievement" category which is described as:
This category is for bloggers that have been blogging visibly since January 1, 2003. This award can only be won once (sorry George and Lynne… we still love ya).
Hey Fam,
Good news, Jack & Jill Politics (where I blog regularly) will be participating in the blogger's roundtable over at NPR's News & Notes, hosted by Farai Chideya!!
Here's a brief description of the show for those that don't know:
From newsmakers to performers, health to finance, News & Notes explores fascinating issues and people from an African American perspective.The show will be recorded and broadcast live this Wednesday August 22 at 1pm ET. Last week's roundtable included LaShawn Barber, Jim Collier and L.N. Rock (AA Political Pundit). This week will include Jack Turner/Baratunde (me) from Jack & Jill, Avery Tooley [Stereo Describes My Scenario] and Liza Sabater [Culture Kitchen, among others]. I want to crowdsource this joint. What hot topics do you think we should discuss from the past week or few days in the news? Topics on my mind:
- Racism in healthcare (great dnA post last week)
- Black celebrities as major political players (latimes)
- CARE makes dramatic change in food aid policy, saying US aid may hurt poor people in Africa and elsewhere (nytimes)