[windigo] taming the monster inside

Love the understatement:

The Canadian Encyclopedia describes Windigo as a "spirit...that takes possession of vulnerable persons and causes them to engage in various antisocial behaviours, most notably cannibalism."

Steve Pitt gives the lowdown:

Sometimes a Windigo breathes fire. It can talk, but mostly it hisses and howls. Windigos can fly on the winds of a blizzard or walk across water without sinking. They are stronger than a grizzly bear and run faster than any human being, which is bad news because human flesh happens to be a Windigo's favourite food.

In most cases, it was believed that white people were immune to becoming either victims of or Windigos themselves but John Long, a Hudson's Bay trader travelling through Ontario in the year 1799, came across a white Windigo. The victim did not become a towering, fire-breathing monster but he did exhibit the classic symptoms of Windigo Psychosis.

So much for the story and it is repeated here by Tamim Ansary but there is a serious psychological point behind it which the Ojibwa appreciated:

Almost all Windigos are self-created, Basil H. Johnston, Ojibwa scholar, states. A Windigo was a human whose selfishness has overpowered his self-control to the point that satisfaction is no longer possible. That is why Windigos are always hungry no matter how much they eat. In former times Ojibwa people would strive to keep their selfishness under control.

Now we're getting closer to home. Do you know anyone whose lust for something or someone - money, sex, power, overcomes his/her "human-ness" and the person becomes not unlike a monster? The more he has, the more he needs. He consumes and having consumed, moves on to another victim.

He can't be reasoned with, he doesn't operate that way any more.

The Cree tried to bribe the Windigo by offering him gifts but the Algonkin killed him quickly before he could kill them. I prefer to think the Windigo can somehow come out of it himself.

At least it has to start that way. Then it's a brave person who will come to the rescue.

[crossroads] blogosphere meets politisphere

So the Yearly Kos Convention has taken place and the Democratic big guns were all there. Does this mean the blogosphere is indeed packing a punch in the political sphere? The Boston Globe reports:

The "Netroots," as the progressive blogging community has dubbed itself, has in only a couple of years become a major force in electoral politics, able to influence what gets covered in the media, raise money, and whip up partisan outrage.

The Netroots helped the Democrats take back Congress last year. Yet the presidential candidate they championed in 2004, Howard Dean, failed miserably. And their antiwar candidate for Senate in Connecticut, Ned Lamont, lost last fall even after defeating longtime incumbent Joseph Lieberman in the Democratic primary.

In Britain, the closest anyone has got to influence was the Guido debacle, although 18 Doughty Street certainly has its moments.

Hard to know how much influence we have. We certainly see that others think like us - other bloggers, that is.

[zero sum blogging] not just a bp issue

Lord Nazh posted recently on a matter which Pommygranate had previously posted on.

Visitors.

They both have a case and I see it as a question of:

1. a "zero sum game";

2. you have to walk before you can run.

Everyone wants to be read and appreciated. Everyone wants 200+ uniques a day. Many want entry into the unofficial "club" of established bloggers, especially the political males, a club with gentle ribbing and repartee. Some of the guys want this "real bad" and only frequent big boy blogs.

No one wants to be stuck down in the 50 or so uniques, almost begging for someone to visit. But it takes time and one must have a product to start with and blog consistently. You can't fail to blog for a month and then e-mail someone to nominate you for the Dale 100.

There are those, not many, who couldn't care less about stats - as long as their blogfriends visit, they're happy but these are a minority. Into this scenario came Blogpower last December and BP carried a clear obligation - visit others as you would have them visit you.

Now, before going any further, yes I'm aware:

1. it's the holidays and many are away;

2. it's hot and people are at the beach and outdoors;

3. people are tired after a gruelling working year.

Nevertheless, yesterday, I did a trawl through every Blogpower blog and the result was grim. Leaving aside those who have posted that they're away, there were 5 who were hardly blogging at all anyway, about 7 who regularly visit others but a whopping 22 who clearly do not visit others [at least they don't appear on MyBlogLog or in the comments] and this is contrary to the agreement.

Yet I then go to Dale/Eugenides/Dillow/Worstall/Croydonian/Dizzy and many of these 22 are out in force. And some of these 22 are the most vocal in the sphere about rights and wrongs.

I'm sorry but this is just unfair to fellow members. Let's look at this scenario:

Let's say I run a blog called Daily Comment. On Tuesdays I have up to 80 visitors but on the weekend it can drop to 35 or 40. These 40 are all good people and close blogfriends, plus a few google hits and referrals.

I join Blogpower. Instantly the regular 7 start visiting, sometimes twice a day and what's more - they're commenting intelligently [generally] on what I said. Oh gosh. Yippee.

Now twenty or thirty other BPers start to trickle in and my next Tuesday shows over 100 uniques. Avidly I visit others and slowly my Tuesdays and even Wednesdays stay over 100.

Nice theory but as Lord Nazh says, the reality is different. No more than 4 or 5 are visiting him from BP but I know he is visiting dozens. This isn't a zero sum game. It's a minus. This negates the whole purpose of Blogpower and it's not just endemic to us either.

[blogfocus saturday] the silly season

We're definitely in the silly season when major bloggers turn off the moderation and word verification in an effort to get commenters and when almost everyone talks of going away for some time.

The clever get other bloggers to guest post during the hiatus but it's a losing game really - people just aren't blogging to the same extent. We begin with a triumvirate of friends and there was a recent birthday party extraordinaire.

1 Geoff Jones explains the itinerary:

On Saturday July 28th I finally come off age. That is the age when you get free bus tickets, 30% of rail travel and 10% of ski passes.

Everyone is welcome to join me at one or more of the following places on the big day.

09:00 In line at Cambridge railway station to collect my pass :-)

10:30 Swimming at Jesus Green followed by celebratory drink.

11:30 Walk to Grantchester and lunch at The Orchard

15:00 Punting on upper river (weather permitting).

19:30 See Taming of the Shrew in the gardens of St Johns College (Queens Road entrance).

2 And Sally in Norfolk reports on it:

My favorite part of the day was going to see Taming of the shrew in the gardens of St Johns college. It was so good I almost didn’t notice that it was pouring down with rain. My cake turned out really well and was enjoyed by everyone… not a crumb was left.

3 But Ellee Seymour was elsewhere engaged at the time:

When we last stayed in Centre Parcs two years ago, I was in the spa having a detox seaweed wrap and had been coated all over with green slimy stuff and wrapped in silver foil, the lights were dimmed, the music played softly and I was dreamily dozing off when the fire alarm suddenly went off. I half hoped/dreaded a hunky fireman would come and rescue me, but I was unceremoniously rushed into the shower by staff and ushered out quickly in a toweling robe; and all for nothing as it turned out to be a false alarm.

4 Meanwhile, either in South Africa or Scotland, not sure which, The Good Woman reflects on expat bloggers:

Expat postings can be compared to marriages. At first there's the frisson of being in something new - finding your way around, forming early opinions, the desire to be open minded and to make it work. Then there's the wedding - the day you find your new home, the furniture arrives and you celebrate having done it.

The honeymoon follows closely thereafter. The routine is new and, therefore, not boring. You relish the new things that are better than the old things that irked in your last posting. You begin to explore your new home. But it still feels like a long holiday.

5 Juliet Pain or Julie if you wish goes back in time to the day the dingo supposedly took the baby:

The Lindy Chamberlain case (1980s), wherein baby Azaria was carried off by dingos, while the mother was accused and found guilty of her murder, being sentenced to life in prison. Some years later the torn and blood stained clothing belonging to baby Azaria was found, upholding the mother's version of events, that she had been taken by dingos.

6 Ian Russell went to WOMAD and reflects on the hygienic standards in eating in public places:

Furthermore, she said, getting into her stride, this is also why there is a ridiculous amount of wrapping of foodstuffs in shops. A banana in cling film?! Onions in a plastic bag?! Plastic bags provided for all sorts of foodstuffs already blessed by nature with a hermetic, inedible coverings?! She certainly does have a point. Modern western human is paranoid about picking up germs.

7 Mr. Fact earned one cent from his AdSense and wonders:

Does anyone know people who actually make any money from Google Adsense? As today’s total shows, I’m not sure it’s worth it to have all those irritating ads on the page (but are they more irritating than the text itself?) - although it would appear that some people can use it properly… Do you hate them (the ads, not the people who make thousands with them)? Should I get rid of them?

8 Inspector Phil A is right on the case of the EU and its clandestine wording of the constitution which was rejected in referenda but went ahead anyway:

The official English translation of the New EU Constitutional ‘Treaty’ is now out – It has not gone unnoticed that they waited until Parliament were off on their 10 week summer break. They have taken out the actual word 'constitution' and have avoided enshrining legal status to the EU flag, motto and anthem.

They have done a Find/Replace on ‘Foreign Minister’ and changed those references to ‘High Representative’. Mmmm - ‘Catchy’. They must have been reading Lord of the Rings again.

I'd like to announce that I shall not be going away on holiday and though my stats have suffered an extraordinarily major and inexplicable [to me] slump today, still we'll soldier on and reiterate that it's the quality of the readership, not the quantity.

Hope to see you on Wednesday evening.

[celeb couples] pass me the paper bag

I looked for ages for a suitable celeb couple photo, from Lennon/Ono to Brangelina and they were all sickening. Had to go back to a real celeb couple here.

Devout Christian Scientist Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes "have reportedly decided to pose nude for a magazine", in accordance with their beliefs.

As Michelle Johnson of the Melbourne Age pleads:

Tom, please, we've already been scarred by your couch-jumping antics and public displays of affection - enough is enough!

Or as one of the commenters pleaded:

Why can't couples just do it like john and yoko - straight up nude no effects with lighting or props or computers just "have a look at me todger and check out me missus tits".

Bogie and Bacall were my parents' generation so it's hardly likely that they would be touted by me as a romantic couple and yet who else since the 50s would be worthy to tie their boot laces? Posh and Becks?

Of course you recognize this famous couple, don't you?

[stop press] female gives birth

Birthday cake for previous daughter, Su Lin

Hot off the world press today - a 16-year-old female has given birth after two and a half hours in labour:

The cub's gender was not immediately known. "All we've seen so far is a leg and a tail," said Dr Ron Swaisgood, co-head of [San Diego Zoo's] panda program.

"Usually the mother will bobble the cub or her paw will slip and the cub will cry until it's repositioned," said Swaisgood. "But [Bai Yun] was keeping that cub so content it didn't cry at all. It made a few squawks and that was it."

I'm getting confused with this family tree. Bai Yun, Hua Mei, Su Lin. And do Panda's really squawk? These are the pressing questions this Saturday morning. Have a nice day.