Today we're doing a special Rebooting The News, from Washington DC at the Online News Association meeting. 

It will be carried live on Blogtalkradio, assuming everything works out. No matter what, we'll have an MP3 shortly after. And the conference may be webcasting it as well. 

We have a lot of things to talk about. I want to be sure to talk about Chris Gulker's contribution to the bootstrap of blogging. I'm disappointed that no newspapers ran an obit for Chris, who died of cancer a couple of days ago. It would have been a nice gesture not only to his family, but it would show that they understand that blogging is part of their past, present and future. Guess we still have to wait for teh Cluetrain to make a stop in MSM-land. 

I'm going to mention King Kaufman's expression about impartiality and objectivity in the press. I've never heard it said so well or concisely.  

One more thing. 

I saw a comment on Twitter yesterday from a well-known pundit, gloating about how the "lefties" are going to be befuddled after the election. It was a really childish statement. Made politics seem like baseball, when as we know, elections have consequences. I read in the Times today that many economists think the US is deep in a hole very much like the one Japan has been in for 15 years. It's a hole that there's not much hope of getting out of, certainly not quickly. That's the difference between this and baseball. Baseball is a game (a great one -- go Giants!) and politics have consequences. It's not reallly a game.  

I'm pretty sure Ruffini thinks I'm a lefty. Whatever that means. 

I voted for Reagan and both Bushes. (Not proud of those things, btw, but it's time to confess.) 

However I only voted for the second Bush once, and did not vote for McCain. Oh I guess I'm not really a rightie either. 

A good libertarian would probably favor Prop 19. Rightie? But a member of the Christian Coalition (or whatever they call themselves these days) would hate it. Rightie? I bet there are a fair number of people who voted for McCain who smoke pot. Hey I wouldn't be surprised if McCain himself has smoked it. Pretty sure Bush did.  

Problem with these labels is that they are disempowering and I don't accept the disempowerment. I don't vote as anyone tells me to. I make my own mind up, for better or worse. 

I hate that we bailed out the banks and car companies. Does that make me a conservative or a liberal? Seriouslly, how can you tell? A liberal or leftie, as I understand it, would hate business and therefore would hate the bailouts. But a conservative says we should let the market take care of them. I know, I head them say it. So what's the diff? (I'll answer it myself -- none.) 

Sometimes you have to do things you hate to do. I do it all the time. I had eye surgery a couple of weeks ago. Heart surgery eight years ago. I buried my father last year. What choice did I have? Does all that make me a leftie or a rightie? Because living in a complex society like ours, and it is complex whether you believe in Ayn Rand or not (I've read all her books, btw, when I was a teenager), means doing things you don't want to do. Did you want to be drafted in the war in Vietnam? Most people didn't. Did you want to pay taxes last year? If you didn't like it, does that make you a leftie or a rightie? 

I've started two capitalist companies. RIghtie. But I provided health insurance to my employees. Leftie. 

So my point is pretty simple, if you think there are righties and lefties, and you use those terms in your writing or speaking, I think you're saying something about yourself, and it isn't a very nice thing to say.  

Update #1: Legalized Pot's Unlikely Supporters: Moms And Cops. 

Update #2: Why conservatives should favor legalizing marijuana.