There's some sort of Blogger/Blogspot problem. Elaine and Mike have called and they can't post. We'll have an entry here on the Times shortly but I'm trying to figure out what's going on with their sites right now. (It doesn't appear to be effecting this site. Should it do so later, I'll carry the entries over to the mirror site so check that if nothing goes up here other than this note.)
Miguel's doing the rundown of his choice of headlines from a week's worth of Democracy Now! and that will be up today. Ruth will be up today with her latest report but she'll be posting this evening. (Today's a birthday in her family so she'll be posting later than usual.) Kat will be covering RadioNation with Laura Flanders (which is on the links for anyone who missed that -- yes, she's near the top, yes, that means leap frogging over others but there's not enough attention given, my opinion, and being a strong feminist voice means she's always been a strong voice for peace so when she was added on Thursday, I put her near the top). In the past, we've made the show the top link on Saturdays (and kept it that way until Saturday's show was in the last hour or done airing) and that's changing because if that hadn't been the policy, the show would have been noted last Saturday (it didn't get noted until Sunday). To avoid that happening again, it will go up on Saturday (the highlight) whenever it's ready.
A member wrote in about Juice and trouble with podcasting re: downloading. I've replied but let me put it up here in case anyone else has the problem (or has had or will have). If you have a slow connection, it will take a bit of time to download. If you're doing other things online (searching, whatever), that will slow the process down further. If you're having a problem with download speed that's due to the speed of your internet connection, you can speed it up by just downloading. Say you work out in the morning -- before working out, start the downloading. When you're done, it will be done. Or do it while you're eating dinner and not at the computer (though, I'm sure, many eat at the computer). If that's happening to you (downloading speed preventing you from catching whatever you're attempting to catch), figure out what time works for you. I've passed this on the UK Computer Gurus and they'll address it in their next newsletter. Much better than I have because I don't catch podcasts myself. (I hear Law and Disorder, usually Monday evenings, via podcast -- a friend downloads that program and makes a point to carry it around so people can hear it.) It's wonderful (podcasting, Law and Disorder as well, but I'm speaking of podcasting) but I just don't have the time.
I e-mailed Mindy about RadioNation with Laura Flanders and she's replied that when she listened she didn't podcast, she just went to the site and listened (it's linked on the left side with the permalinks). That's also true of Pacifica radio shows and of Democracy Now!, you can listen via the sites without having to download (or take the time required that it might take). Mindy does catch podcasts and stated that if you have a lot of shows you're trying to catch that way, it's better not to wait one day each week to attempt to download them all. If the above is of no use to you (and I wouldn't be surprised), use the e-mail address for the UK Computer Gurus printed in the gina & krista round-robin and Polly's Brew because they said they'll answer any questions on this and that questions would also help them realize where the community was at with this so they'd be able to judge how to write their piece on it in the next newsletter. "No question is to basic, no question is to advanced," I was asked to advised.
Shawn and his wife do have a new baby. I don't read the round-robin ahead of time (that's Gina and Krista's baby, they run it). He wrote that he would forward a photo here so it could be posted. It's not being posted. It will be in Polly's Brew tomorrow. I'd avoided addressing this but when Kayla was kind enough to share the photo of her baby in November, some idiot online used the photo to make fun. If people have a problem with me, they can say whatever they want about me (I won't read it, I've always made it a point not to read things about me in my offline life and that's the been pretty much my policy online as well). But it really did piss me off. Had that not happened, Shawn's photo would go up. I'd love to put it up. But I'm not going to post something that someone's going to use to write rude crap about just so they can work through whatever problem they have with me. I checked with Kayla to make sure it was okay to explain this here and she said she and her husband are at the point where they just roll their eyes over it. I'm glad they're able to put the nonsense into perspective but knowing that it has happened and could again (and knowing that some people are so sick that they would write a lengthy attack about a newborn child who's never done anything to harm anyone), I'd prefer to keep all photos in the round-robin or Polly's Brew. I was pissed about what was written about Kayla's child then and I'm still pissed about it now. (Again, what kind of a sicko does that?)
With Shawn's permission, I will forward the photo he sent to any member who e-mails requesting it today. It's a boy and he's six and three-quarter pounds. It's a really nice picture (so was the photo of Kayla's baby but that didn't prevent someone from grabbing it and writing a vicious attak on a BABY -- ON A BABY!). To make sure you get a reply, please note in your e-mail heading that you're wanting the photo e-mailed to you. My apologies to Shawn, but I don't want a repeat of November. If you haven't signed up for Polly's Brew, she's still got an open registration process. She'll be closing it at the end of the month and then, like Gina and Krista do, only considering adding to the list once a year. If you haven't signed up for Polly's Brew and would like to, note that in the heading and I'll forward it to her. (Or, if you're signed up for the round-robin or the UK Computer Gurus newsletter, you can pull her e-mail address from that and e-mail her yourself.) Remember too that the second half of the roundtable on abortion runs tomorrow in Polly's Brew. (First half ran Friday in the gina & krista round-robin.) I'll note that when we did the second part (yesterday), Pru had a great deal to say and you won't want to miss the second part. (Beth wasn't able to participate in the first part Thursday but she was able to participate in the second part, so heads up to that.)
No links, use the permalinks. I told Mike and Elaine I'd need ten minutes to do a quick note here and then I'd grab the thinking cap and it's already been twelve minutes.
E-mail address for this site is common_ills@yahoo.com.