CalWatch responds to anonymity complaints by linking to a very nice excerpt giving an historical perspective on anonymity/pseudonymity, citing most notably the example of the Federalist Papers. I would extoll the myriad reasons that Jay, Hamilton, and Madison had for publishing pseudonymously, but I really don't have the interest and it would be irrelevant to my point, anyway. People have their reasons for being anonymous, it's true, but nothing in that paper suggests that people have more to gain from being anonymous than not being anonymous, unless their life and livelihood is at stake. Anonymity is a fun game for people to play, but ultimately it's still just a game. And that's the last I have on the subject.

Special missive from our AD Steve Gladstone:

To: cal_bench@uclink4.berkeley.edu
From: mkgpromo@uclink4.berkeley.edu
Subject: Letter from Steve Gladstone regarding NCAA Sanctions

June 28, 2002

Dear Members of the Cal Family,

Through the Bay Area media, you may have learned recently about the academic and extra benefit improprieties, which have resulted in NCAA sanctions on our football program.

While this misconduct occurred under a past athletic administration, we clearly feel its impact today. As you know, the University believes the penalties were unreasonably harsh and will appeal the ruling.

I would like to underscore that Cal has a new athletic administration and a new football coach. To a person, we fully embrace all aspects of the academic mission of this university. I would encourage you to read the statements made by Chancellor Berdahl and myself on our university web site (www.berkeley.edu).

The Chancellor and I and our colleagues in the Athletic Department strongly believe that intercollegiate athletics at its best can mark positively the lives of our student-athletes. I can assure you that the athletic administration and coaches who represent our university are people of integrity. As a group, we have a clear vision of what Cal athletics can and will be in the future.

We have in place procedures that will protect us against the reoccurrence of this type of impropriety. These unfortunate aberrations obscure the outstanding academic work of the majority of our athletes (the cumulative grade point average of our student-athletes last year was 3.04.) Nearly 150 of these young men and women earned recognition on conference all-academic teams, and countless graduating seniors have plans to pursue graduate degrees at elite institutions of higher learning.

As we begin a new era of Cal athletics, I assure you that appropriate conduct, as well as high achievement in the classroom and on the field, is our goal.

Sincerely,

Stephen C. Gladstone
Director of Athletics and Recreational Sports

I picked up the new David Bowie album "Heathen" today and I must say that it is absolutely brilliant. I'm a big fan of Bowie's, and I like both his 1960's-1970's folk/glam era and his pop/prog stuff from the last 20 years or so. This album is something else, though. A lot of it does harken back to his older stuff, with less emphasis on electronics in the songs and a driving folky feel. But it still has that powerful and richly textured sound that has he's cultivated on his electro-influenced albums of the last decade.

Anyway, pick it up at Tower when you have the chance, it's a double CD for "only" $18.99, so head out there before it gets jacked up to $22.99.

For those of you who don't also read Kevin's blog, I must reiterate that this article tells one of the most beautiful stories I've read recently.

I haven't been this moved in quite some time.

While I don't necessarily agree with Kevin's decision to remove the links to the anonymous blogs, I do see his point. I often question the reasoning behind anonymity. My thoughts are:

1. If you're going to write controversial or potentially incendiary material, have the bollocks to back it up. If you're not willing to have your name attached to something you write, then you shouldn't be writing it.

2. If you're involved in an organization that would frown upon what you're posting for whatever reason and that's why you choose to remain anonymous, perhaps you should reconsider your rationale behind publishing such material, or else you should question your loyalty to that particular group.

Ultimately, what do you have to gain by anonymity? Unless one's life or livelihood is at stake, I find it difficult to come up with compelling reasons to be anonymous. These are just my thoughts, I still enjoy many of the anonymous blogs and don't see any reason to penalize them, but I do strongly encourage those anonymous folks out there to just bite the bullet and reveal your identities, it'll be better for everyone in the long run. That is all.

Cheers.