I am completely confused by the ongoing cover griping - today of all days. And today just seems worse than ever. Instead of celebrating the many GREAT choices on today's cover, we have a full on dust up *minor dissent over one tiny little post.
Normally, I glance at the cover each day. I don't always agree with the Editors, but hey, it's not my playground. I just come to use the sandbox. (gah, did that make me sound like a cat in need of a litter box?) Well regardless, the cover of OS, much like the cover of my daily newspaper, is designed, I presume, to catch attention. Not the attention of those who subscribe, but "new subscribers." The rest of us are already here.
It is not, I presume, the bloggers equivalent of the Giller Prize.
There is so much good stuff on the cover today, I haven't even got to all of them yet. (sorry, I am reading as fast as I can.) Why oh why are we stealing their thunder by focusing on one stupid masterbatorial blog?
I mean check out this list. It is like the All Star line up of OS.
- Iamsurly (and I know for a fact she is surly and I love her stuff)
- Cartouche (can we have a "FINALLY!" here)
- Jodi Kasten (raising kids the right way)
- Steven Axelrod (Ongoing in a series on senior care - from a personal perspective)
- Beth Mann (heart wrenching tale of friendship and loss)
- Sandra Stephens (a beautiful must read for anyone whose ever left a long term relationship)
- Buffy W (bravely stepping back in time - before the passing of her beloved husband)
- Silkstone (Another Mad Men recap - not my thing because I don't get it, but always well-written)
PLUS, and article on Canada starting a Queer Hall of Fame, which not one of you liberal minded gripers visited. Boo on you. Go Canada Go!
Can you find the offending post on this cover? Easily, and at first glance? Can you honestly tell me that the writers I highlighted above are not fully deserving of this recognition and that the editors got it wrong.
Today, of all days, the editors absolutely got it right on so many levels. So please, raise a glass to these, some of our favourite writers. Honestly, the only place I thought I'd ever see all these incredible writers together on one page was on the right side of my own blog.
* changed to minor dissent upon request.
TIP:
Enter the amount, and click "Tip" to submit!
Traveller1
Jesse Mitchell
Verbal Remedy
Dennis Knight
Will Someone Feed The Cat?
madcelt
Salon.com
Comments
Nana, look away, look away. She is but a fly on the butt of OS. I wouldn't have even noticed that post if not for all the negative attention. And THAT is exactly the attention they are looking for I suspect. I guess their plan worked.
Harry, aren't I allowed to toss a bun into the fray? Watchout, it's stale. :)
Nat, come hang out on my blog tonight. We'll watch reruns of Seinfield and drink Aussie beer. :)
Great post..
Patricia, welcome to my happy world. :)
Robin, Watch out for the flying tomatoes. We could have a new war on our hands. xox
(((Freaky))), you my dear are far too special. The editors are definitely scared of your magnitism. I think they fear that by featuring you on the cover, they risk losing control of OS. Within a few posts, OS (and possibly all of Salon) would become simply "Freaky" or "Freaky Troll" (whichever you prefer). A much more fabulous version of that Oprah rag.
Dr. Amy is like the drunk aunt who crashes the family reunion and everyone groans as she enters. The initial shock is always worst.
The level of anger directed toward Dr. Amy is astounding. Still, I'm not above riding her popularity by spoofing her...
FE, it is a good cover today.
Harvey, cheers to you.
Emma, dust up is just a term - call it writer's licence. And I don't believe I said anything about "flaming?" Did I? Can you point that out to me, because that was not my intent. Nor did I say it had to be rah, rah, rah, although some of us like to see the positive side of this place because we still love it here. And am I not allowed to participate in the discussion unless I join in the negative? I am so glad to see all these people on today's cover, that I wouldn't have even noticed that other blog had it not been for the posts it spawned.
Harry, she actually crashed into the party a couple of days ago and no one noticed. Sorry about the inedible food. Can I fire a nice baguette your way?
You piggybacked your post onto a legitimate discussion -- you see it as negative. I, and presumably others, do not. Not everything has to be divided into polarities for the sake of ratings.
Oh, and lots of us noticed the return but we wanted to let sleeping dogs lie. The EP was the trigger. Sort of like (an Italian) Bluto in Animal House.
Cappie. Ahoy. I never get it either.
Robin, better stock up on tomatoes and stale bread rolls. xox (thx)
Trey, may I call you Tray? Good luck with those STDs. Oops sorry, did you say ADD?
Padraig, I changed the terminology to read minor dissent. I don't agree with the lack of communication by the PTB, and I was not addressing that in this post. In fact, this post was to point out some good choices today; not to continue the gripe fest on the editors failings. There are enough posts on that. I wanted to change the tenor to focus on good posts that I felt were being slighted by the focus on the negative. By saying the editors always get it wrong, are we not then insulting those that are on the cover today? That was how I felt. I assume my opinion holds as much weight as anyone elses, even if it is in the minority.
I don't believe the editors always get it wrong; I object to blatant favouritism. The fact that I can't do anything about it frustrates me further sense it offends my sense of fair play. Judging from the number of hits most of the posters you mentioned got, they weren't overlooked.
"You piggybacked your post onto a legitimate discussion -- you see it as negative. I, and presumably others, do not. Not everything has to be divided into polarities for the sake of ratings."
I did not piggyback. I responded in kind. I did not consider it a less than legitimate discussion. I do see the tone as negative. And finally, I did not do this for ratings or to divide things into polarities. You have read much more into my late night musings than were intended. What I wanted to do was to shout out to those posts on the cover I liked. Sorry you found this post so offensive. Peace.
I don't understand all the knickers twisting with regard to DrAmy. If one doesn't like her writings, it's more easy to ignore her wherever she manifests herself and save oneself from stress and worry, and have straight knickers in the bargain.
The editors are paid to be editors, and it is their judgment to make perhaps with regard to the larger picture of the business model and not from the limited vision of a delicate or forlorn contributor. I am, alas, a mere commentor on occasion, but I try to follow the beauty as you do Miss Brady.
Thank you my beautiful फूल. Namasté indeed.
Tomorrow is another day. I'll just have to re-train myself to ignore any and all Dr. Amy stuff like I did before.
I don't see the world in terms of negative and positive so we'll have to disagree on that. Life is bit more complex for me.
I'll go to the hospital maternity ward.
You can bum cheap cigars. Take candy?
Visit the local Mennonite moo cow milkers?
They are free psychoanalyst and have potatoes.
Sweet Potatoes are in-season. Visit a dog kennel?
Ask to volunteer. Scoop puppy poop. Train rabid cats!
Go outside and collect bird dropping. Teach of avian flue.
nana and emma, please read the post. 99% of this is about what ELSE is on today's cover, what the cover means to me. There are maybe 2 or 3 sentences that point to the "offending post" and I never did say the name of the blogger (oops I see I mentioned it in the tags - well, I do those first).
I also dislike the favoritism. But I *choose* to ignore it because there is absolutely NOTHING I can do about it. And I really chose to ignore it today because there were so many good things on the cover for a change. I guess it is like training a dog, you need to praise them when they get it right for the best results. When I saw some of the comments being tossed around, I took another look at the cover, and I really could not understand the outcry...and I don't see any reason for some of the comments I read. Like Harry said, let sleeping dogs lie.
oh well, I should go to bed before I offend again.
Even Freaky sucks. So there.
And LMAO Cindy Ross. Freaky Troll probably bolted straight upright in her troll bed when you hit enter with that comment..
Harry, I didn't miss it, but I haven't clicked yet. I am not sure i can do Animal House so close to bed time.
Trig, because I have no control over it, I choose not to consider it worthy of any of my time or energy. I don't always succeed in ignoring people who anger me, but I try my darndest to block them out of my life.
Emma, I have no control over how you interpret my words, but words are powerful. Namaste (the divine in me honours the divine in you) and Peace are two very powerful words I use for myself. It reminds me of the humanity of the person when I am in a bit of a dog fight. It reminds me to quell my anger and respect my opponent. When I say it to you, it reminds me of all your great writing that I've enjoyed and the stories of your life you have shared here. That's all.
Arthur, as usual, you've captured all the points exceptionally well, and you leave me in awe of your talent. Namaste.
Cappie, go for it. Find your muse wherever you can.
Robin, I am actually pretty simple to figure out. Just ask my best friends. But thank you for continuing to try. xox
Natalie, "Fosters" :)
Tomorrow we can protest Sweet!
Carry posters and Picket Sweets!
O.S. reader want free sugar buns!
Harry, great link. I especially like the Italian. I love that scene. Thx.
Freaky, don't take what Cindy Ross said seriously. She is under pressure. School is back in session. Let's just all take a deep breath and step back. :)
Cindy - it's too late for me to delete that unfortunate comment. Sorry. You better start baking cakes now.
Harry, I don't think Freaky's going to be wearing a Cindy Ross anything for awhile. There is serious Troll butt kissing to be done now.
Nana, bonnet is the correct terminology. That's 50 points for you.
Arthur, toss those sugar buns my way.
Of course it does JK. You illustrate something that has been bugging me about OS. Just because someone disagrees with someone else it does not mean that their right to express an opinion is being challenged or threatened in any way.
I will always respect your opinions and I will check out the cover because it is you who is saying that today’s cover is good.
Robin, it must be a Canadian thing. ;)
Padraig, thank you for saying that. For the most part, I think we on OS do the respectful disagreeing thing pretty well, but when things get emotional, then sometimes we fail. I hope you enjoy the posts I enjoyed. I have my morning read all selected already. Nice to see you back and about on OS. :)
I think Ms. Brady - who, by the way, it seems has TWO eyes - has a very good point. Today was a really interesting day on the cover - a first in a long time. Not just 'cause I was there - but there was a lot of good stuff on that page today. I honestly thought to myself when I saw it this morning, BEFORE I got listed, that it looked like the editors had heard some of the bitching and moaning of the weekend and had really picked some read worthy material - or maybe it was just that over this weekend a bunch of people at their Wheaties.
I'm gonna fess up... I'm a validation whore. I do a little Snoopy dance when I get an EP or cover, it means somebody thought I was funny, surly, snarky, emotive, or just plain good enough to recognize me. However, I do an even fancier Snoopy dance - more like a Snoopy Flamenco when I put out a post, that doesn't get an EP and that I don't blog whore to the people I have added as a favorite because I like their work and want them to like me back, and find that y'all read it and rated it and left me comments that make me glow with joy or wet myself laughing.
If I paid to play here, I'd want to get my fair share of time on the cover. But I don't. It's their toy and they can do with it what they like. If they like my work they will list it, if they don't they won't. It might bum me out, but I still have you all - and you all are the reason I come back day after day to spout drivel and read heartfelt words. Sometimes what I read is great, sometimes it is mediocre, sometimes it is crap, sometimes I just don't understand it... but I read what I can, rate what I read to let you know I was there and I got what you were trying to do. The rest is all just belly button lint.
*snoopy dance* ;-)
Other than that, you're looking real cute in your avatar photo!
so, my take is the cover today had an amazing amount of good stuff on it, far more than the usual smattering of good stuff hidden in the truly crappy offerings.
one last note: I'm trying to be a writer, a better one than I was yesterday. for me, that's what this is about. and I like it when people who I think are good judges validate my writing.
everything else is mice nuts.
nighty-night.
great post, janie. [yawn]
::walks away snickering::
NO YOU DON'T!! I cry foul!! Fowl!! Viva La Monkey Spankers Unite!!
I am sorry my El General, but I cannot stand silent anymore as the good word masturbation is taken away from me, the Czar of Masturbation and Chickens(President Obama made it official tonight in an email to me!! I am so happy!!!!!) and ruined in some game that Ed calls, 'Attraction'.
Funk that, I will fight them in the streets, I will fight them in the waterways, the cheap massage parlors, I will not allow some person/s who left in a huff, a grunt and a bird flipped to Ed i Tor himself and then Ed grovels months later trying to get something back, that wonderful feeling of yesterday that is long gone.
Do you like seeing Ed grovel? Don't answer that, of course you do, just as I do, but others, not so much!! Ed should be kissing the foot hole of Freaky just on merit alone.
~wanders off with tears in his eyes and a song in his heart~
"Feelings....nothing more than feelings....."
esp love that Canada's queer hall of fame is inducting the former Prime minister...
I sing the body of electronic OS, the corpus delectable, the blurs of pain on the activated phosphor on the scratch-resistant glass; the orderly diodes, emitting light and heat and mess, the human mismatch and hurly-burly and kiss-kiss and disaffection and Original Glamour and peerless camaraderie
Here we are momentary love and the flounce of prevention and we are not ghosts in the aisles. Here we turn tap tap tap into feel and caress and blithe and horror and effort
I sing the OS effort, the writers becoming, the writers who build their craft with the right rite: writing, just writing.
I sing the Voice! I sing the ears, I sing the full throat and the open heart, I sing the mindfulness and the inane and the twinkle; I sing the lark and the snark and the skewered trolling shark; I sing OS!
First off, love your new avatar.
Second, your post - I heartily agree, some times the cover seems to actually serve a purpose (i.e. - putting as much of our best stuff on display as can fit) but those times seem to be few and far between. While I agree with Emma and Jeff regarding the blatant favoritism that is extended to certain individuals, like you I know there isn't a damn thing I can do about it except bitch at the editors.
There's too much stress going on in "Real Life" right now, this place is my escape. So, I choose to ignore the cover (sometimes to my own detriment when well-deserving posts actually show up there) and the blatant free passes some get in favor of paging through the MOST RECENT tab. Not enough hours in my day to give the matter any more attention than that.
And I am so TOTALLY stealing "mice nuts", femme. That was gold. :-D
Namaste, lady.
Folks might want to go read Greg's further exposition of the body eclectic.
Rated
Harry, you pickin' up chicks on my blog? Sheesh.
femme, "mice nuts?!" Did you call my stuff Mice Nuts? *insert feigned outrage here* And I agree, the validation I receive from so many incredible writers her on OS is worth a thousand covers. Hope you slept well.
Nana, you and Harry take it outside okay.
Kali Ma, watch out. A can of Fanta may fly by at any moment.
Michael. *snork*
Tink! that was all so brilliant, and then you had to go and spoil it all by singing something silly like Feelings. (great, now I've got two crappy songs in my head) *walks away shaking head* *wait, this is my blog, you leave*
Brian, I know. I read it in the paper yesterday. I thought PET was a great choice.
Greg, as I said over on your latest post, this comment should be a post - and now it is. What a wonderful writer you are. Even your comments are art.
Bill, *mice nuts* I think a few of us will be tossing that one around. I just thought they got so much right on yesterday's cover that it seemed a shame not to acknowledge that. I watch that dog trainer show sometimes, and it's all about positive reinforcement, right? Baby steps. Namaste!!
gracielou, just to be clear, this was not a dust up, it was a minor dissention. That's all. Some nights, I wish I'd gone to bed earlier.
Stacey, great proverb. I am not sure how much is envy and how much is frustration at seeing friends overlooked. But whatever it is, it is not something I'm going to lose sleep over. Thanks for adding the link to Greg's new post.
Julie, that's true *for you* and for many others - and for me too. But at the same time, people I respect are welcoming her back, so it isn't true for everyone. I don't believe OS is a democracy. And like my own daily newspaper, the best stuff is found inside. The cover is just a tease and I rarely read half of it. The great picks yesterday far outweighed the questionable. And for that, I am pleased.
mad_typist, it would be great to see multiple covers/sections as has been discussed. But first we have to generate income before they'll dump more money into the software interface. In the meantime, the recent changes make it much easier to navigate and find our favourites. The cover is just a blip.
Cartouche, I am still catching up on your series, but I was so pleased to see at least one installment on the cover. You are most welcome.
Owl, everyone seems to think they missed something. All I did was put out a late night musing and bam. Next week, I am installing a big ol' suction fan on my blog to suck the dust up and out of here. Love ya back.
Still... one person to go.
Rated!
The front page of OS is a lot like the front page of my local newspaper (maybe that's why they call it the front page). With my local paper, I scan the front page...yada, yada, making sure no one has nuked us during the night, then I eagerily head into the bowels of the newspaper to where the great "Human Interest" stories are buried. I love those.
Now here at OS, sometimes we get a treat and we have a few of those Human Interest stories displayed on the front page. Case in point are the two articles by BuffyW and Cartouche....wonderful reading. I would LOVE to see a few more stories like this highlighted and authors such as Walter Blevins, CarlionaBlue and Unbreakable...to name just three....get more expouser.
The thing is though, this is NOT my site. I have no control over editorial choice so all I can really do is voice an opinion.
A question here....Who the hell is "Dr. Amy"? I used the search engine and I came up with 18 PAGES of posts from others ripping her a new blow-hole but I didn't see any blog under that name. Only thing I saw on that reproduced front page that was close was something by a "Dr. Ayala". Is that who you guys are talking about?
I checked out HER blog and found something really funny....She has a ton of EPs but many of them had no more than seven comments...some had only two. Never saw that before.
So if any of you really smart folks who have been around awhile could possibly clue me in on what all the fuss is about, I would really thank you. Right now I'm just too stupid and too uninformed to even have much of an opinion one way or the other.
In a sick way, glad Dr. Amy is back, she has the ability to create sensation, you gotta give it to the gal.
But, I have one question: where does she get those pictures? Is there a service for "pro-bloggers" where you can get these pictures? There is this sterile quality about them that I find intriguing. I wish I could look through the gallery. I noticed some other bloggers use similar pictures.
Sorry, for going off topic.
Bob, yes. And I suspect unique views garners more attention than returning views. Traffic = money (supposedly, but we've yet to see that) and I expect the editors to keep this place afloat by whatever means possible - short of turning it into a digital "Enquirer."
Duane, huh? You trying to get rid of me?? ;)
Jeanette, thank you and please, link away. :)
bobbot, there is no accounting for taste - especially on the Internet. I think we've done pretty well to have so many talented people in one spot. I can live with a few who shall remain nameless and clickless by me.
Norwonk, Tinkerertink69 is the Czar of Masterbation posts. He has legions of followers, but has not received a single cover for all his efforts. I think there are many here who subscribe to the benefits of self-gratification on a regular basis, but this is more about the poster than the topic. I'll stick to the Czar's posts.
Wally_M, you are so right. That's how I feel about the comparison to my local paper. I expect nothing of the cover other than to sell some more papers so my favourite writers can keep their jobs. As for the history of She Who Will Remain Nameless here, she did a spectacular flounce out of here months ago that was worthy of a scene from a b-movie, complete with torch-bearing locals following her to the end of Main Street. Her posts can be controversial and her comment exchanges offensive at times. But apparently some people like that and there is no accounting for taste. Be glad you missed it the first time around. I suspect, we are in for part deux. Pull up a chair and get comfy. :)
I never read the cover, so what happens over there totally escapes me; it is like a parallel OS reality. I directly enter my blog and try to visit my OS friends often, I like to play in this sandbox too sharing time and plastic shovel with those I have things in common with. Now, as regards this cover in particular, I must say I´m happy for those brilliant writers getting EPs.
Dr. Amy is quite a serious case, however, and her come-back and personal greeting from Kerry? hmmm...
So, my crazy theory is the following: after the reaction to Dr Amy´s come-back, some editors (oftware- people-artificial intellingence or whoever or whatever they are), wanted to make peace... And THAT is what we should celebrate today and consider as very, very positive. But again, I´m just guessing without any serious background.
Kisses!
Marcela
Sao Kay, it really was a good cover. I was chuffed with so many of the choices I didn't even see the other one. Thanks.
Stellaa, you trying to lure that bot over here? Well, I really need one of those outdoor love seats for my balcony...with weatherproof cushions. Do you think they'll ship?
Don, no arguments here. Just some healthy debate...Canadian style. We'll be drinking beer together by the weekend.
Ralph, like minds and all that. :)
Brie, 100 and 101, now that's something. ;)
Drew, you are so sweet to say that. I find riding someone's coat tails to rates and comments so much more satisfying than opening an emotional vein and being totally ignored. ;)
xoxo
Rated.
Roy, hear, hear. Agreed. I think everyone navigates this place in their own way. The recent changes have made it alot easier as well. Thx.
Walter, there is nothing wrong with your post. It was as sane and rational on the topic as anyone elses. Plus you had that helpful bit about malware. Thanks.
Emma, it is part of your browser software and not an OS option. When you are on your blog, you can select the current page as your home page. It depends on what you are using. In IE, click Tools/Internet Options and at the top of the first tab, you'll see something about setting your home page. Same on Firefox. PM me if you have any problems.
Nana, you totally fluffed out of the last Pirate Wimmen uprising. I am not sure you have the ovaries for another battle.
If it weren't for the cover, I wouldn't have discovered many of my favorite writers here, starting with cartouche, and from there, people like Lea Lane, LuluandPhoebe, and many, many more, including many of you who've commented on this thread. The cover was the place I started, along with the favorites list of the only other person I knew here (liza Donnelly). When I'd find a writer I loved, I'd look to see who were there favorites. And so on.
The cover is what it is, a reflection of whatever the editors want to put front and center on any given day, for whatever reason. I was thinking it would be interesting if they had a "guest editor for a day" feature to see how differently any of us would do the cover, but really, to a certain extent we have that ability already, with our favorites update feed.
Janie, you make some excellent points in your above post. I loved yesterday's cover, too, and would add to your list above the great cartoons of liza Donnelly, which always bring a smile to my face when they're on the cover.
BTW, any of you seen my latest post? Some of you may get off on it:
http://open.salon.com/blog/capn_parrotdead/2009/09/22/more_history_of_masturbation
Peace and Namaste to Emma and her complex, er, complexity.
Also, I already wandered off and found new stuff to bitch about. Did you see the Emmy fashion police special last night? OH MY GAWD!! Who would wear such shoes with THAT dress?! GOD!!
~wanders off again~
Cappie, good blog whoring buddy. Right here on a meta post. The perfect place for it. ;)
Tink (((hugs)))
Mary T, did you see that Greg made a whole post out of that comment? That's what I love about OS. It is beautiful. I take a bit of heat for upholding the positive, but I like to stay focused on the good stuff in life. Too much other crap everywhere else. Thank you.
Surly, I think its the former. They eat mostly grape nuts, which is why they are so grumpy.
Just keep playing in the sandbox, JK! We like your castles.
Seriously, though, editor's picks are not why I write. Nor are comments. I write because I enjoy it, and hope that someone reads it and learns something. Or that someone who reads what I wrote and says, hey, I want to learn more about that.
I do wonder, however, when I'll be getting a call from Salon saying, do you want to be our economics and investing writer? I pretty much have that topic to myself ever since JR Gibson stopped writing.
In the meantime, I'll settle for editor's picks.