Still working on the banner

Here's another ad banner, not much better than the first, but it was easy to make (addesigner.com):



I'm hoping to get someone over at Blogshares.com to make a logo, and possibly a better ad banner to go with it.

Please comment.

-the Progressive Conservative

::ADDENDUM::
Okay, so the banner somehow got screwed up during the upload. Anybody know of a free place to host my picture files? (other than blogger and my Auburn.edu webspace).

From the I hate stupid people file

From the Opelika-Auburn News:

Clergy slams funeral protest

Mitch Sneed / Staff Writer
July 29, 2005

News that the Rev. Fred Phelps and his Topeka, Kan.-based Westboro Baptist Church will protest the funeral of Opelika’s Sgt. Christopher Taylor didn’t sit well with local ministers.

Phelps, known worldwide for his public anti-gay protests, sent releases to local media outlets Wednesday claiming that a group would be here to protest what he called the government’s refusal to stop allowing "gays to take over this country."

Sgt. Taylor was an Opelika native and soldier. He was recently killed in the fighting in Iraq. His life and death have nothing to do with Phelps cause at all. But none the less, "Rev." Fred Phelps is trying to use the sacrafice this brave American made to further his cause of hate under the banner of Christianity.

Members of the Lee County Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance spoke out and wanted to spread the word that local religious leaders detest the kind of spectacle that Phelps brings

The Rev. Mike Roberts of Trinity United Methodist Church said Phelps should stay at home rather than to be disruptive at a time when a family is trying to grieve.

"What this man is saying is not representative of what we as Christians believe," Roberts said. "We want people to know that. He should stay away and take care of his business at home and allow us to take care of our own. It’s totally inappropriate for him to come to where people are grieving a fine young man, spreading hate."

It is beyond inappropriate. The idea that Phelps is a church leader concerns me greatly, as he is undoubtedly leading many souls down a dark path that will not lead to the salvation he is supposed to be guiding them to.

-the Progressive Conservative

Still no news

It has been a week since Auburn University was to announce who the new dean of the College of Agriculture would be, at least through late 2006, and no public annoucement has been made yet in regard to the decision. I'll post more information on this as I can get it.

-the Progressive Conservative

From the department of shameless commerce

My first attempt at an ad banner for the Conservative Progress:



-the Progressive Conservative

Still nothing

Just checked in with one of my sources on Ag Hill: Still no news on who the new dean of CoAg will be.

I'm concerned by the fact this announcement seems to be "stalled", for whatever reason. Auburn University is still a great university, despite how screwed up the administration has been for over half a decade now.

I'll post as I learn more.

-the Progressive Conservative

No news isn't necessarily good news

I have not yet received word about the dean selection for the College of Agriculture, but meanwhile there are other issues on campus:

From the Plainsman:

AU proposes post-tenure reviews

By Jeff Thompson
Staff Writer

July 21, 2005
Last week, Interim President Ed Richardson proposed a plan that could jeopardize Auburn professors' job security even after they've received tenure.

"He came up with the idea of what he calls, 'periodic review of the faculty.' He did not ask the faculty if this was needed, necessary or a good thing. He simply announced, 'This is going to happen. You will do this,'" said Conner Bailey, University Senate chair.

Richardson is searching for accountability at the University, the adhesive that might connect the parts into a working piece of machinery and rid Auburn of "disconnectedness" between the faculty and administration. The proposal calls for a system that will allow the removal of academic tenure based on a periodic review.

While I understand where Bailey is coming fro on this, I have to support this idea. To give you an idea of the student perspective, there is this quote for a community discussion on livejournal.com:

i think its a good idea there are tons of shitty professors who hang around just cause they have tenure.

While that is a somewhat cynical view, it is an easy one for students to have as more often than not many students see their reviews of professors and instructors ignored in cases of simply poor teaching.

The Faculty Senate should play this carefully, as staunch opposition will be seen by the student body as an attempt to block accountability on the part of faculty.

-the Progressive Conservative

From the OA News: Embattled ag dean resigns:

Jack Stripling / Staff Writer
July 22, 2005

Auburn University’s embattled dean of agriculture resigned as head of the college Thursday, but Michael Weiss managed to salvage his position as a tenured professor in a last-minute deal brokered by his attorney.

Weiss, who faced charges the university never disclosed, was fighting for his job in a rare faculty dismissal hearing process, which carries all of the alure of courtroom drama. Witnesses were prepared to testify on both sides during a closed session Thursday, and Weiss was represented by Montgomery attorney Julian McPhillips.

Still no word on who the fill-in will be. That news is supposed to come out sometime today.

-the Progressive Conservative

::UPDATE::
One of my sources on the ground on Auburn's campus reports no news on the dean selection as of 1:20pm and says not to expect any until around 4:45pm (close of the business day for the university).

From the old blog: I’m calling it: the race for PotUS is over.

This post originally appeared on my old blog, the Free Voice, on Oct. 28, 2004, and had more comments than any other post on there (granted, there were only 10, but I don't get that much traffic anyway).

Bush has it. In case you haven't seen it yet, go to Election Projection 2004 Edition. It has the current popular support (according to the polls) and how that breaks down into electoral votes, which are what really matter.

This election has really been over for a while, but the media wouldn't let it go. And who can blame them, a close race = higher ratings, higher ratings = higher ad revenues. But they may have stretched it too far this time. Granted the popular vote has stayed close, but as everyone should have learned in school, it is the Electoral College that elects the President of the United States, and the people simply elect the "electors" who vote for the candidates.

A lot of people bickered about having the Electoral College after the 2000 election, saying there is no need for it. Damn, there are some stupid people out there; either that, or it's the attitude of "I don't care, just so long as I have my way." The EC ( as we shall call it for this post) was created for the same reason as Congress is divided into two houses: to allow for representative government without having the larger states completing dominating the political landscape, thereby turning the smaller states into thier fiefdoms.

Unfortunately, many people are never taught this and do not learn until their candidate loses "when he should have won", or some bullshit like that. (nevermind the fact the Bill Clinton only garnered 43% when elected to his first term.) Of course, I could go into how this "failure" to have the public properly educated is one of the many desperate attempts by the Dems to hold power.

The fact is the race is over, and Kerry knows it. It should be clear by now when celebrities supporting Kerry can't draw big crowds in the battleground state of Florida while W has to relocate a Jacksonville rally to accomodate the huge turnout.

I count this a blessing; Kerry is seen as weak by those outside the US (another "Tomahawk thrower") which is the last thing we need in today's political environment. That and Teresa Heinz scares the shit out of me.

Tuesday should be fun.

::Update::
Instapundit is quoting a report on the Kerry campaign's big rally in Madison, Wis., to encourage supporters to vote early. The main idea was to get the people at the rally to then march down the street to the clerks office and cast their early votes. But apparently this idea did not work nearly as well as the Dems had hoped.

The comments that followed:

-----

2004-10-28 @ 12:10:02 pm
That Guy
A couple of things:

1) I like how you … “omit” … that, while Clinton only had 43% of the electorate in 1992, he still had more than Bush (at 37%) and Perot (at 18%). Unlike Bush II, who had 47% to Gore’s 48%. From your site: http://www.presidentelect.org/e2000.html

2) http://www.electoral-vote.com begs to differ with your conclusions.

-----

2004-10-28 @ 2:10:41 pm
Daniel
That is electoral.

Further, that’s not what I heard: electoral-vote.com says Kerry is the projected winner by six electoral votes. Battleground states are still too close to call. With a statistical error of about 5%, Bush would have to be ahead by thousands of votes.

The electoral vote projections are based on polls of individual voters. The difference is the application of the results.

I concur with your prediction, but using polling data to support it in an election as close as this one would seem to be a mistake.

Democrats have already begun legal wranglings, and I don’t expect them to play the happy losers.

2004-10-28 @ 4:10:45 pm [ Edit - Delete - Unapprove ]
Jeremy ( jspepper@gmail.com / http://pop-pr.blogspot.com ) (IP: 66.213.227.34 )
Okay, so while Election Projection has Bush ahead, Electoral Vote (electoral-vote.com) has Kerry ahead in the EC count (260-254).

Both sites seem to have formulas in place to calculate the winners, and I know that Electoral-Vote’s site changes daily as he gets in new polling numbers.

You might be a bit early in calling the election, but if you’re wrong, what is your repentance going to be?

-----

2004-10-28 @ 6:10:37 pm
site admin
Granted, there are still a few days left, in which time people can change their minds. Plus, these are guestimates based off of polls which are far from fool proof. But what you are missing is the other half of my basis for projecting W to win:

The Kerry campaign is beginning to look to me like it may be in its death throes (the poorly attended rallies, bringing on advisors from the Clinton campaigns, even Bill Clinton himself was joining the campaigning effort for Kerry). All I am saying is that it looks like Kerry is in big trouble, knows it, and does not have enough time to over come it.

I’m also trying to point out that this race hasn’t been as close as the media has been protraying it since the debates, but that they have been trying to spin it as such to keep the public’s attention on this. Now, whether the intent is for good or not I’ll leave you to decide.

But you should definitely read this about CBS’s intended plan for releasing the story about the “missing” explosives in Iraq.
Also, read this one.
And there is also this from ABC News.

-----

2004-10-28 @ 6:10:13 pm
site admin
Something interesting I just came across on The Fourth Rail.

-----

2004-10-28 @ 7:10:13 pm
Jeremy
Well, you found the secret for commenting and traffic - blog on something that is controversial

I voted already, so I’m all good, but I’m glad also to see you stepping it up, and that your blankie is back.

Have fun!

-----

2004-10-29 @ 12:10:45 am
site admin
Actually, my laptop is still undergoing the last of its repairs (the guy either got a little backed up or didn’t have the part needed in stock). But I should have it back for the weekend so I can begin the rebuilding process.

As for the commenting and traffic, I think its actually two keys:
1. Blog on something controversial.
2. Take a stand on it that others out there will either:
a) disagree with enough to want to respond, or
b) relate with enough to post supporting or consenting opinions.

But with that, I must finally quit and go study for my soil science test that is in seven hours and 45 minutes.

-----

2004-10-29 @ 2:10:21 am
Robert
War D*mn Bush!
http://www.fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2004/102004/10272004/1548870

-----

2004-11-1 @ 9:11:11 pm
Jeremy
Hey Matt,

I wasn’t calling you out in my post today - it was an overall statement about political blogs. I read Little Green Footballs, and it’s amazing to watch the knee jerk reaction to anyone that disagrees with them. I’ve posted comments there, and it’s amazing to see the rabid response.

I view your post here as someone that supports the President, but has already called the election. I just used your blog to act as a counterpoint to what C/Net had written - and that they are probably wrong.

Hope you did well on the soil science test.

-----

2004-11-1 @ 10:11:36 pm
site admin
Thanks for the reply. Honestly, I hadn’t noticed my omission until your post, and I honestly did mean to have a couple of references to Daily Kos.

And, yes, I didn’t do too bad on that test.

-----

-the Progressive Conservative

From the old blog: Why I hate the Democrat Party (really all political parties)

This post originally appeared on my old blog, the Free Voice, on Nov. 2, 2004.

It makes me sick every time a hear a group bitchin' and moanin' about "unfair" acts against them in political campaigns, when the same groups are just as guilty if not more so. Both parties have pissed me off with their behavior this year, but the Dems especially. It has become overly clear to me that the DNC has no other objective than to take power. Period. The voting masses be damned.

And it's news like this that really sells me on it:

From RedState.org: DNC Intimidating Republican Poll Watchers

From Polipundit: Word has come out that the Democrats have been sending automated phone calls to Republican voters in selected states, informing them that they are no longer registered to vote, and so do not need to bother to go vote tomorrow.

From No Tin Foil Hats Allowed: Levels of Violence in the Run-up to Election 2004

This all just makes me sick. I hate the political party system because it leads to this kind of stupid "mod psychology" (to quote Dr. Vinson). The Democrat party has truly show that democracy is an ideal they no longer have any grasp of.

My prediction: Bush will win, and the DNC will continue down its path to self-destruction. I truly believe we are seeing the Democrat Party in its death throes. It may be another 2 or 3 decades, but if something major doesn't change in the DNC, it will either a) completely collapse, or b) start a new cvil war.

-the Progressive Conservative

Big Brother is watching

I noticed as I drove on the eastern bypass in Montgomery today that the city was installing cameras at an intersection. I only noticed them at one intersection, and only because the service truck was still there as they finished putting up the last one. I don't know if these cameras are part of a traffic monitoring system for the city or part of an automated system for ticketing anyone who runs a red light. Whatever the case, they had four cameras installed, one on each corner.

-the Progressive Conservative

This is where I do not agree with many conservatives, for which I am very unapologetic

When Reuters and the AP reported opposition from the Bush administration to additional protection of reporters, I was concerned. There is a reason the Founding Fathers of our country created the First Amendment.

So when I see this post by Jayson on PoliPundit, my blood boils just a little. So I'm going to break down his points and respond. I'll try to address this with the proper attention it deserves, but some of it just ticks me off.

The fact we’re even debating the concept of federal legislation to protect reporters truly demonstrates the media did a number on this country during their 60 years in power.

Go back and look at your history a little closer. Some of the Framers of the Constituion and the Declaration of Independence were invovled with newspapers and paphlet publishing, which were the only media in their time. All were familiar with the power media had in their day and how it could be used to further the political position of whoever controlled the press. So when it came to the Bill of Rights, the first guaranteed rights were:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
-Amendment I, U.S. Constitution [emphasis added]

The gentlemen who wrote and approved this knew that a free press was essential in order to keep a government accountable. This influence of the media and its affect on our government predate the Declaration of Independence, and is not isolated to even this century.

I mean, seriously, since when should graduating from journalism school put someone on the same legal plane as spouses or clergy?

It doesn't, it means you are now a part of the governing process of this great country. It is by no coincidence that reporters in the time of Theodore Roosevelt considered the title "mukrakers" a compliment. The press is supposed to go where the government might what it to go. The press is an ex officio branch of the goverment itself, the so called "Fourth Estate". It is not just a right of the press to look for the truth, it is a moral obligation! Though today's MSM does a piss poor job of this most the vast majority of the time, it is still a right and duty that we cannot take away without severly damaging one of the major freedoms upon which this country was founded.

“Freedom of the press” does not mean “above the law.”

I agree it most certainly does not. But just as there are times when the press oversteps its limits, there are times when the government does the same. That's where the papershield laws are supposed to come in. Just as the government must protect witnesses who put their lives or careers on the line to help a government investigation, the press must protect sources who do the same. And in a system where innocence is presummed until guilt is proven, reporters must protect their sources. The possibility of jail time for a reporter for protected sources has been and apparently will be a necessary risk for their profession.

You cannot simply single out the media and say they should not be protected. If the press loses its protection that allows it to do its job, it will not be long before we lose our right to openly criticize the government.

-the Progressive Conservative

Alabama law enforcement at its finest

The Shelby County DA had a Columbiana coffee shop raided on Tuesday for hosting "illegal" poker parties. Apparently, this is the first step in a "crackdown" on on such "illegal" games throughout Shelby County. (hattip to Red State Diaries)

From the article:

Shelby County officers from various agencies Tuesday afternoon raided a business they said was the site of an illegal gambling ring just a block from the district attorney's office on Columbiana's Main Street.

Seven members of the Shelby County Drug Enforcement Task Force confiscated poker tables, cards and chips from the building that houses the Coffee Kettle coffee shop and Davenport Bonding Co.

And it gets better:

Owens said the raid on the Coffee Kettle was the result of a complaint his office had received from a former poker player who had lost money at the games.

So here's how I see it: DA's cousin/friend/random idiot loses money in a poker game, decides that rather than facing the truth that they stood a good chance of losing in the game of chance, they would report this to the authorities, possibly as a means of vengence. DA sees this as an opportunity to publicly show the good work he does, and so goes for the easy kill. Meanwhile, crystal meth dealers breath a sigh of relief, knowing that members of the Shelby County Drug Enforcement Task Force are being put to good use elsewhere.

Shelby County District Attorney Robby Owens, would you please focus your attention on real threats to publis safety. Poker is not killing people. Poker is not causing property damage. Poker is not destroying the youth of our state through chemical addiction. It is a sad fact that law enforcement cannot police everything, and therefore must prioritize what it goes after. your time would be better spent leting the Drug Enforcement Task Force members worry about drug enforcement.

-the Progressive Conservative

The process rolls on.

The Plainsman is reporting the new dean for Auburn University's College of Agriculture will be selected tomorrow. (click for full story)

The final three are Richard Guthrie, retired associate dean of the College of Agriculture, animal science professor Russ Muntifering, and Joseph Touchton, head of the agronomy and soils department.

It should be pointed out that this new dean will not be a permanent appointment, but a long-term fill-in to replace Dean Michael Weiss, who has been on administrative leave since March.

More background is available at theplainsman.com here and here, and at the Auburn Review.

The candidate selected to fill the position will not be eligible to permanently fill the position.

-the Progressive Conservative

US Politician threatens Muslim holy sites, angers Muslims

Where was this idiot politician's handler when he said this? (from Reuters)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. congressman who suggested the United States might consider bombing Muslim holy sites, including Mecca, has drawn apology demands from U.S. Muslim and Arab groups but rejected a request to meet with one leading organization.

Rep. Tom Tancredo made the comment on July 14 in answer to a radio host's question about a possible response to any hypothetical nuclear terrorist attack on the United States.

"If this happens in the United States and we determine that it is the result of extremist fundamentalist Muslims, you could take out their holy sites," the Colorado Republican said.

Wouldn't it make more sense to take out military targets?

I know this guy meant well with what he said, but this is the kind of statement that could incite actions against the US and her citizens abroad.

Anyway, I'd rather support a proactive war on terror than sit by and plan for retaliation for the next atacks on US soil.

-the Progressive Conservative

The Communist threat still exists

In case you thought China was a friend and ally to the US, here's a wake up call to remind you they are not, and never have been. This column from the LA Times is excellent (despite being from the LA Times). (HT: Instapundit)

Here's an excerpt:

In 1998, an official People's Liberation Army publishing house brought out a treatise called "Unrestricted Warfare," written by two senior army colonels, Qiao Liang and Wang Xiangsui. This book, which is available in English translation, is well known to the U.S. national security establishment but remains practically unheard of among the general public.

"Unrestricted Warfare" recognizes that it is practically impossible to challenge the U.S. on its own terms. No one else can afford to build mega-expensive weapons systems like the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, which will cost more than $200 billion to develop. "The way to extricate oneself from this predicament," the authors write, "is to develop a different approach."

Their different approaches include financial warfare (subverting banking systems and stock markets), drug warfare (attacking the fabric of society by flooding it with illicit drugs), psychological and media warfare (manipulating perceptions to break down enemy will), international law warfare (blocking enemy actions using multinational organizations), resource warfare (seizing control of vital natural resources), even ecological warfare (creating man-made earthquakes or other natural disasters).

The Cold War didn't actually end, the adversary just changed. But this time around, the coverage has not been front and center because of the economic ties that have developed as China tries to feed off of the US economy.

But all of this planing is probably too litte and too late for China; even if they did find a way to match or best the US militarily, they cannot compare to the food and fresh water resources available to the US. While China has much fertile land, they have not develope their agiculture to the advanced level of the US, and do not have nearly the amount of fresh water.

In the end, it will come down to the balance between guns and butter. Right now, the US has China easily beaten in both.

- the Progressive Conservative

gone, but not soon to be forgotten.

Foxnews has announced the death of Jimmy Doohan, a.k.a. "Scotty" of Star Trek fame. He was 85.

From the Foxnews story:

Doohan died at 5:30 a.m. at his Redmond, Wash., home with his wife of 28 years, Wende, at his side, Los Angeles agent and longtime friend Steve Stevens said. The cause of death was pneumonia and Alzheimer's disease, he said.

James Montgomery Doohan was born March 3, 1920, in Vancouver, British Columbia, youngest of four children of William Doohan, a pharmacist, veterinarian and dentist, and his wife Sarah. As he wrote in his autobiography, "Beam Me Up, Scotty," his father was a drunk who made life miserable for his wife and children.

At 19, James escaped the turmoil at home by joining the Canadian army, becoming a lieutenant in artillery. He was among the Canadian forces that landed on Juno Beach on D-Day. "The sea was rough," he recalled. "We were more afraid of drowning than the Germans."

The Canadians crossed a minefield laid for tanks; the soldiers weren't heavy enough to detonate the bombs. At 11:30 that night, he was machine-gunned, taking six hits: one that took off his middle right finger (he managed to hide the missing finger on the screen), four in his leg and one in the chest. Fortunately the chest bullet was stopped by his silver cigarette case.

Godspeed, Scotty. Godspeed.

-the Progressive Conservative

Sighs of Relief

It appears Auburn survived with only a glancing blow from Dennis, though other parts of the state weren't so lucky. It looks like I'll have clear driving to Montgomery in the morning. It's hard to imagine a Cat3 making landfall and coming into the state and not doing more than this. I'll count my blessings, and pray for those who were affected.

First rainbands have moved through

The first rainbands from Dennis have moved through the area. It started with heavy to torential rain as I left church. Right now we just have some light rain, and the wind is picking up.

The NWS is expecting Dennis to make landfall sometime this afternoon or this evening, and thinks the rain from it will remain in the area for at least 6 days. Apparently, Dennis is running headlong into a stationary front that is slowing it down.

I'm still worried. We're not going to take a massive hit here in east Alabama like we did with Opal. But the fact that the bad weather may park here for a while is of geat concern to me. There is no internet were I'll be taking shelter, so I'll try to blog via cellphone.

Everyone be careful out there.

Testing further expansion of my blogging capabilities via cellphone. -the Progressive Conservative

The coming storm

Since things have slowed down for me at work, I get to worry about Dennis, the killer hurricane that will enter the Gulf of Mexico today. Already, the wether service is issuing statements to us in the Auburn area. Here are some excerpts:

...HURRICANE DENNIS EXPECTED TO BRING HEAVY RAINFALL AND HIGH
WINDS TO CENTRAL ALABAMA SUNDAY AND MONDAY...

HURRICANE DENNIS IS FORECAST TO MAKE LANDFALL ALONG THE CENTRAL GULF
COAST LATE SUNDAY. DENNIS WILL LIKELY TRACK ACROSS WESTERN ALABAMA
SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY...PRODUCING SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF RAIN
AND HIGH WINDS.

DENNIS WILL ALSO BRING HIGH WINDS TO THE AREA. AREAS SOUTH OF
INTERSTATE 20 MAY EXPERIENCE WIND GUSTS UP TO 70 MPH WHILE AREAS
NORTH OF INTERSTATE 20 MAY EXPERIENCE WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH.
WIND SPEEDS THIS HIGH WILL DOWN TREES AND CAUSE POWER OUTAGES.
ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE ALSO LIKELY WITH TROPICAL SYSTEMS ONCE THEY
MAKE LANDFALL.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...(SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY).

THERE IS A THREAT OF WINDY CONDITIONS AND VERY HEAVY RAINFALL SUNDAY
AND MONDAY ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA...AS HURRICANE DENNIS IS FORECAST
TO MOVE ACROSS THE AREA.

FOR THE LATEST SPECIFIC INFORMATION ON HURRICANE DENNIS...AS IT
RELATES TO CENTRAL ALABAMA...PLEASE SEE THE LATEST SPECIAL WEATHER
STATEMENT ISSUED BY THE BIRMINGHAM FORECAST OFFICE.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT WILL LIKELY BE
REQUIRED SUNDAY AND MONDAY DUE TO HURRICANE DENNIS.

I'll try to post updates as I can, and since I am able to post from the cell phone, I may turn to that if we lose power or internet connection.

Welcome! You've got opinions!

con·ser·va·tive (kn-sûrv-tv) adj.
Moderate; cautious: a conservative estimate.

pro·gres·sive (pr-grsv) adj.
Moving forward; advancing.
Promoting or favoring progress toward better conditions or new policies, ideas, or methods: a progressive politician; progressive business leadership.

To some, the idea of a "conservative progressive" may seem like an oxymoron, or just moronic. I intend to prove them wrong.

This is a radical retooling (and relocation) of the blog formerly known as the Free Voice, now called Conservative Progress.

Some of the old posts from the Free Voice will be moved over here soon. Comments are always welcome and encouraged.

-the Progressive Conservative

Policy for Comments on Conservative Progress

The following originally appeared on the Free Voice on Feb. 14, 2005. It has been altered as part of the retooling/relocation on my blog.

1. All comments are welcome, but will be moderated.

2. Every comments must be relevant to the post or comment it is in reply to.

3. You are required to leave a name with your post. I belive in freedom of speech, however I also believe you should stand behind what you say. If you feel anonymity is warranted, you must contact the site admin; if the situation does warrant it, an exception will be granted.

4. You must leave a valid email address with your post. Any emails that are obviously fake will be deleted without further review.

5. Comment Spam will not be tolerated, and it will be deleted... no questions asked. I hate spam.

Addendum 7/07/2005:

6. Should it be necessary, I reserve the right to halt further comments on a post. Any relevant coments already in place will still be visible.

Code of Ethics for Blogging on Conservative Progress

The following was originally posted on the Free Voice on Jan. 30, 2005. Some minor editting has been done as part of the retooling/relocation of my blog.

The following code is based on the Code of Blogging Ethics at Desirable Roasted Coffee by Allan Jenkins; many thanks to him for allowing me to base my code off of his. I highly recommend even those only mildly interested in blogging read that post and its related links.
Code of Ethics for Blogging on the Free VoiceAs with journalism, being a blogger carries great power, and with great also comes great responsibility. Therefore, I shall endeavor to act ethically in my weblogging, using the following as a guide:

1. My words will not be bought, nor my silence. Any conflict of interest will be revealed and addressed.

2. Relevant conversation, debate, and rebuttal will always be allowed and welcomed through email, comments and trackbacks.

3. Honesty and accuracy are imperative to both journalism and blogging, therefore both are necessary in any and every post.

4. Posts will not be modified except to correct minor grammatical errors, or unless clearly marked as either a correction or update. Deleted posts will be noted, and no post will be backdated.

5. Material from other sources will be credited and, if possible, be linked its source. Also, if possible related and relevant information for other sources will be linked/included.

I will hold myself to this code, as well as the other codes and creeds I follow, and openly accept any advice/criticism if any reader sees that I am not.