The Liberal Coalition

(Ext. - The darkness is thick on a moonless night. A noiseless mist falls from an invisible sky. It is third watch at a dark stone gate to a small mountain village. Heavy oak doors fill the vaulted frame of the gate, while the reflection of torch flame flickers on massive iron, shutter-strap hinges. A guard shifts uneasily at his post straining his eyes into the black air. Suddenly, he straightens, gripping his weapon tightly. A figure approaches...)

GUARD: Hark! Who goes there? State your name and business.

TRAVELER: The Carnival of Bad History, my good man. (The traveler motions to his companions) We come in the name of truth, rooting out the errors entrenched in our modern conventional wisdom.

GUARD: Conventional...you mean what people think, on the whole?

TRAVELER: Precisely. Now, if you will be so good as to let us on our way...

GUARD: Not so fast, stranger. Bad History sounds like trouble.

TRAVELER: And so it is, friend, so it is! Again, that is exactly the problem we've come to remedy.

GUARD: And just how do you intend to do that, might I ask?

TRAVELER: (producing a handful of damp postbills) By tapping into the collective knowledge of your village, of course! After all, everyone has a story to tell.

GUARD: This is the same collective knowledge you were just deploring a minute ago?

TRAVELER: Precisely, my good man. Now kindly let us pass.

GUARD: (eyes squinting suspiciously) How do I know you're not here to spread even more Bad History?

TRAVELER: Well done, chap, well done. Good question indeed. Well I'm afraid you don't, I afraid you don't. Hmm. Perhaps I can prove it to you. Let me see, yes, well, before we begin would you happen to have the time?

GUARD: Why yes of course. (checking his watch) It's half past two, sir.

TRAVELER: Careful, wouldn't want to get it wet now would we?

GUARD: Actually it's waterproof to 50 metres. Says it right here on the back...

TRAVELER: Ah ha! You see? It's only 1512! Peter Henlein won't create the first pocket watch until 1524, and even then it won't have a minute hand until years later. Half past two, honestly. And waterproof? Who ever heard of such a ridiculous notion?

GUARD: So what's this here on my wrist then?

TRAVELER: Bad history, my fine fellow. Bad history.

GUARD: Hmmmph. (Opening the latch of the door)

TRAVELER: Right. Well, off we go then, off we go. (A band of motley folk, tin cups and tent stakes rattling, trudge past the guard and into the village. The traveler who had addressed the guard lingers briefly at the gate.) God only knows what lot of anachronisms, poor analogies, and water-carrying "wise-men" lie within. It pains me to think of it.

****

(Ext. - Daybreak on a narrow street in the village. Small postbills have been nailed to every available spot. A small collection of curious travelers and townspeople surrounds the nearest bill, which has been affixed to the doorframe of the village inn.)


Crossposted at Dodecahedron

posted by Horatio @ 9:32 PM |

This is the international edition of the Friday Blogaround because it comes to you from exotic Stratford, Ontario, home of the world-famous Stratford Theatre Festival and the Ontario Pork Congress.

Here's what's making news in The Liberal Coalition this week.

archy has some news tidbits that are scary.

Bark Bark Woof Woof gooses Mark Halperin.

blogAmY takes on a duck.

bloggg has the lowdown on the free Autism2005.org on-line conference.

Chris has a message for the president.

Collective Sigh on trusting some sources.

Corrente wants to when is a terrorist a terrorist.

Dodecahedron ponders the nature of God.

Dohiyi Mir offers a trip to space...but it will take more than just some extra frequent-flier miles.

Pseudo-Adrienne at Echidne takes apart the NARAL ad and the critiques thereof.

firedoglake reports that the anti-Sheehan rally has fizzled.

First Draft updates the Plame story.

The Fulcrum does his own blogaround.

The Gamer's Nook gets ready to move to a new site, but leaves his cars behind.

Happy Furry Puppy on plans for 9/11+4. Bring your own popcorn.

iddybud sums up the week's news.

Left Is Right sums up some other things.

Liberty Street wonders who's left in Bahgdad to run the place.

Make Me a Commentator appeals to Ann Coulter's better nature.

Musing's musings comes up with a Dante-esque vision of Hell.

Pen-Elayne pays tribute to the dead and the living.

Rick reviews The Aristocrats.

Rook's Rant shares a laugh.

rubber hose has the absolute latest on when we're leaving Iraq.

Science and Politics on obsessions.

Scrutiny Hooligans says you can get a pizza and watch a propaganda film at the same time.

SoonerThought: Fox takes on the Stones.

Speedkill takes on Mona Charen and Grand Theft Auto.

Steve Gilliard on the legacy of Peter Jennings.

T. Rex on the cost of doing the health business.

The Invisible Library on what tops the reading list at Gitmo.

The Countess says that bloggers are rich. We are?

Wanda says resistance is not futile.

WTF Is It Now?? has the link to Bob Novak's true self.

The Yellow Doggerel Democrat rolls out the poetry for the prez.

That's it for now, and I'm on vacation anyway. Have a good weekend.

Cross-posted from Bark Bark Woof Woof.

posted by Mustang Bobby @ 9:59 AM |

Cross-posted from SoonerThought

File this under "About Damn Time:"

At least 80 wealthy liberals have pledged to contribute $1 million or more apiece to fund a network of think tanks and advocacy groups to compete with the potent conservative infrastructure built up over the past three decades.

The NeoCons have done this for 30 years. We have to play catch-up and inform the American voter about what is real and what is not. They have swallowed a bushel of propaganda foisted on them from all corners: from the NRA to Faux News to talk radio...they use "facts" from NeoCon and Conservative think tanks as fuel for their malicious perversion of the facts:

...liberals and Democrats now face a conservative "information-age Tammany Hall, a 21st century political machine, that is simply better than what we have on our side.

"The infrastructure we have was built for a different time and mission. It was built around the congressional majority we had for 60 years in the 20th century, the labor movement and the urban-ethnic city machines," he added.

Even Liberals of modest financial means should get involved. Liberal bloggers can make sure the positive, truthful information garnered from Liberal and progressive think tanks is disseminated. We can and should. The country is disintegrating, and we have to do something to stop it.

posted by Anonymous @ 11:23 AM |