The Gone and Forgotten RSS Reader – Carmen’s Headline Viewer

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Recently I reminiced about Carmen’s Headline Viewer. A really cool desktop RSS reader from back in the day (4-99 to 7-01!). Doesn’t work so well now that the spec has changed, and it’s no longer being updated. Booting it up, after so long, was rather surprising. For code that’s over a year old, it’s highly competitive. Update: Ben Hammersley remembers Headline Viewer in the Guardian. Thanks Shelley.

Spin’s Metal Issue Not All That Bad

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It’s always fun, and inevitably disappointing, to see mainstream magazines try and document something like the metal scene that was occuring in the 80s. Like most attempts, Spin misses alot. 2/3rds of the era aren’t touched as Spin focuses entirely on the LA scene.

What can ya do? Here’s the mag. Judge for yourself.

I’d say we metal heads should work together once and for all to document what was cool and still is great about the music. All of it. Not just glam. Not just thrash. All of it.

One thing that struck me was our changing views of what a “hit” is (naw dude – that’s not a pun!) I mean Britney is being called washed up after selling 4 million albums. Back then – you were big time selling that many.

Another thing is the re-writing of history interms of what kids were listening to in the mainstream.

I heard Duran Duran on the radio. I heard Genesis. I heard way too much Men Without Pants. But – I did *not* hear L.A. Guns. At least until after 10PM. Are we clear? Radio did not support the scene at all. It was word of mouth, the fans, late night MTV, and very late night radio. At least in this neck of the woods.

That kind of movement… it spawned a community. A group of kids that looked at the rest of the world and said – “you don’t get it.”. It looks like no one still does, except for the kids.

The Journalist’s Creed by Walter Williams

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I believe in the profession of journalism.

I believe that the public journal is a public trust; that all connected with it are, to the full measure of their responsibility, trustees for the public; that acceptance of a lesser service than the public service is betrayal of this trust.

I believe that clear thinking and clear statement, accuracy and fairness are fundamental to good journalism.

I believe that a journalist should write only what he holds in his heart to be true.

I believe that suppression of the news, for any consideration other than the welfare of society, is indefensible.

I believe that no one should write as a journalist what he would not say as a gentleman; that bribery by one’s own pocketbook is as much to be avoided as bribery by the pocketbook of another; that individual responsibility may not be escaped by pleading another’s instructions or another’s dividends.

I believe that advertising, news and editorial columns should alike serve the best interests of readers; that a single standard of helpful truth and cleanness should prevail for all; that the supreme test of good journalism is the measure of its public service.

I believe that the journalism which succeeds best — and best deserves success — fears God and honors Man; is stoutly independent, unmoved by pride of opinion or greed of power, constructive, tolerant but never careless, self-controlled, patient, always respectful of its readers but always unafraid, is quickly indignant at injustice; is unswayed by the appeal of privilege or the clamor of the mob; seeks to give every man a chance and, as far as law and honest wage and recognition of human brotherhood can make it so, an equal chance; is profoundly patriotic while sincerely promoting international good will and cementing world-comradeship; is a journalism of humanity, of and for today’s world.

Thanks Garret.

We the People, We the Warriors

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It was widely viewed as a victory for the peace movement when the draft was abolished and military service became voluntary. Unfortunately this arrangement does not really serve the cause of peace but rather lowers the threshold of war by creating a decisive cleavage between the social classes that wield political power and those that supply the country its soldiers. Too many of our political leaders are now in a position to choose war with little fear that it will endanger their friends or loved ones. This is dangerous for the same reason it would be dangerous to entrust the power to determine tax policies to a class of citizens who have been granted blanket immunity from taxes. It breeds political irresponsibility.

Read this powerful piece in the Washington Post.