“What?”
“Tammy posted a comment on a blog a few days ago. Her screen name is TamF1399.” Boling spun the computer around for Dance to look at.
Reply to Chilton, posted by TamF1399.
[The driver] is effing weird, i mean dangerous. 1 time after cheerleader practice he was hanging out outside our locker room, like he was trying to look inside and get pictures on his phone. I go up to him and I’m like, what’re you doing here, and he looks at me like he was going to kill me. He’s a total fr33k. i know a girl who goes to [deleted] with us and she told me [the driver] grabbed her boobs, only she’s afraid to say anything because she thinks he’ll come get her or start shooting people, like in Virginia Tech.
Boling added, “What’s interesting is that she posted that in a part of the blog called ‘Roadside Crosses.’”
Dance’s heart rate pumped up a bit. She asked, “Who’s ‘the driver’?”
“Don’t know. The name’s deleted in all the posts.”
“A blog, hmm?”
“Right.” Boling gave a brief laugh and said, “Mushrooms.”
“What?”
“Blogs are the mushrooms of the Internet. They’re sprouting up everywhere. A few years ago everybody in Silicon Valley was wondering what would be the next big thing in the dot-com world. Well, it turned out to be not a revolutionary new type of hardware or software, but online content: games, social networking sites… and blogs. You can’t write about computers now without studying them. The one Tammy posted to was The Chilton Report. ”
Dance shrugged. “Never heard of it.”
“I have. It’s local but it’s well known in blogging circles. It’s like a California-based Matt Drudge, only more fringe. Jim Chilton’s a bit of a character.” He continued to read. “Let’s go online and check it out.”
Dance got her own laptop from her desk. “What’s the URL?” she asked.
Boling gave it to her.
Http://www.thechiltonreport.com
The professor tugged his chair closer and together they read the homepage.
THE CHILTON REPORT?
THE MORAL VOICE OF AMERICA. A COLLECTION OF MUSINGS ABOUT WHERE THIS COUNTRY’S GOING WRONG… AND WHERE IT’S GOING RIGHT.
Dance chuckled. “‘Where it’s going right. ’ Clever. He’s Moral Majority, conservative, I take it.”
Boling shook his head. “From what I know he’s more cut-and-paste.”
She lifted an eyebrow.
“I mean that he picks and chooses his causes. He’s more right than left but he’ll take on anybody who falls short of his standards of morality or judgment or intelligence. That’s one of the points of blogs, of course: to stir things up. Controversy sells.”
Below was a greeting to the readers.
Dear Reader…
Whether you’ve ended up here because you’re a subscriber or a fan or simply because you happened to be browsing the Web and stumbled across The Report, welcome.
Whatever your positions on political and social issues, I hope you’ll find something in my reflections here that, at the very least, makes you question, makes you doubt, makes you want to know more.
For that is what journalism is all about.
— James Chilton
Below that was: “Mission Statement.”
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
We can’t make judgments in a vacuum. Will business, will government, will corrupt politicians and criminal and debauched individuals be honest about what they’re up to? Of course not. It’s our job in The Report to shine the light of truth into the shadows of deceit and greed — to give you the facts you need to make informed decisions about the pressing issues of the day.
Dance also found a brief biography of Chilton, then a section about personal news. She glanced over the listings.
ON THE HOME FRONT
GO TEAM!
I’m happy to say that after this weekend’s game the Older Boy’s team is 4–0! Go, Jayhawks! Now, parents: listen to me. Your youngsters should give up baseball and football for soccer, which is the safest and healthiest team sport there is. (See The Chilton Report of April 12 for my comments about sports injuries among children.) And by the way, make sure you call it “soccer,” not “football,” the way the foreigners do. When in America, do as Americans!)
A PATRIOT
Yesterday the Younger Boy knocked the socks off the audience in his day camp recital by singing “America the Beautiful.” All by himself! Makes a dad swell up with pride.
SUGGESTIONS, ANYONE?
We’re coming up on our nineteenth anniversary, Pat and I. And I need ideas for presents! (Out of self-interest I’ve decided against getting her a high-speed fiber optic upgrade for the computer!) You ladies out there, send me your ideas. And, no, Tiffany’s is not out of the question.
WE’RE GOING GLOBAL!
Am pleased to report that The Report has been getting raves from around the world. It’s been selected as one of the lead blogs in a new RSS feed (we’ll call it “Really Simple Syndication”) that will link thousands of other blogs, websites and bulletin boards throughout the world. Kudos to you, my readers, for making The Report as popular as it is.
WELCOME HOME
Heard some news that made me smile. Those of you who’ve followed The Report may remember glowing comments over the years about this humble reporter’s dear friend Donald Hawken — we were pioneers in this crazy computer world so many years ago I don’t like to think about it. Donald escaped the Peninsula for greener pastures in San Diego. But I’m delighted to say that he’s come to his senses and is returning, along with his bride, Lily, and his two wonderful children. Welcome home, Donald!
HEROES