Our famous linkfest offering readers interesting links to websites of varying opinions so they can explore the ’sphere. Links do not not necessarily represent the viewpoints of The Moderate Voice or its writers.

An Open Letter to Sudanese President Omar Al Bashir has been written by UNICEF goodwill ambassador Mia Farrow and posted on The Huffington Post to seek the release of the confined and gravely ailing Suleiman Jamous. Perhaps more such letters sent by HP and TMV readers to the Sudanese Embassy in Washington, D.C. could help as well.

TimesOnline’s Daniel Finkelstein Desperately Needs Your Help: He’s compiling a list of the “world’s biggest list of really annoying, offensive, niggling, irritating, infuriating, thoughtless, fat-headed, arrogant, anti-social behaviour.” (He’s read TMV’s comments section?) Read what he has so far HERE (and send him some).

Republican Candidates Continue To Flee You Tube Debate faster than many GOPers up for re-election are distancing themselves from the White House. Capt Ed has an idea: let bloggers choose the questions. John Cole thinks it’s a great idea and offers THIS LIST of questions conservative bloggers should ask. Firedoglake as some thoughts on this flap.

And yours truly? Much of politics is cumulative imagery. The Republican presidential wannabes are making a huge mistake. A poll and a recent survey show Democrats and liberalism on the marked upswing among young voters. Fleeing from the YouTube debate will convey the image that the GOP candidates are a bunch of old-fogey baby boomers who are too afraid to face questions from voters who communicate via the new media. It may please Rush, Sean and the base but the contrast with the seemingly more patient and courageous Democrats will be stark…and WILL hurt Republicans with some young and swing voters since it’s piled onto a wad of existing negative imagery.

Guess Who’s 10 Today? The blogosphere. Read Oxblog for some serious thoughts about how and whether it matured (WE say it has matured and if you disagree, you’re a pooh-pooh head!). Here’s a small taste from one of TMV’s all time favorite blogs:

Blogging is not a substitute for journalism. If anything, this past decade shows that blogging and journalism are symbiotic – to the benefit of everyone.

To its many ardent advocates, blogging is displacing traditional journalism. But journalism – unlike blogging – is a practice with a particular set of norms and structures that guide the creation of content. Blogging, despite its unique properties (virtually anyone can reach a potentially enormous audience at little cost), has few, if any norms.

Consider another, more established medium. Books enable various practices, such as fiction, poetry, science and sometimes journalism, to be disseminated. Do books pose a threat to journalism? Of course not. They do the opposite. Journalistic books, like blogs, increase interest in the subjects they tackle and so promote further media consumption.

The same market forces that apply to books and newspapers apply to blogs.

Readers will judge and elect to read based on the same standard: Does it inform, is it well researched and does it add value?

Read it all.

At its 10th anniversary the medium of blogging is indeed at the crossroads. Right now the vast majority of political blogs are extended op-ed pages (NOT reporting but commentary) but many posts would never be published on op-ed pages since some blog posts entail name calling more than issue advocacy or even spirited political writing. An argument could (and is) made that this is one of the glories of blogging. But there is this enormous POTENTIAL — that anyone with a computer can put content which includes original reporting on a site for very little cost and without having to deal with editors and corporate publishers.

Will blogs evolve to include more original reporting, reviews of books, film, TV and CDs? Or will they remain cyberspace op-ed pages increasingly courted by candidates who give blogger phone conferences and make sure they only invite their perceived friends. Why? Because for all of their highly-touted independence politicos clearly see blogs as easy to manipulate as part of their message delivery system. Go to Rush, Sean and Randi first. Then go to the blogs. Journalists are more unpredictable and less “trustworthy” to candidates. Will we reach a point where blogs are as well in the next 10 years?

FOOTNOTE: Actually, TMV likes the phrase “blogtopia” a lot better. Here’s who invented the phrase.

If You Think A Chinese Made Gift Is Crappy this may be why.

What’s Presidential Courage? Always-a-great-read historian Michael Beschloss’ wrote a book on iit and the always-thoughtful Mark Daniels has this must-read review of it.

Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman Is On The Attack yet again and progressives do seem right on this one. Virtually all of his most piercing attacks are aimed at Democrats. GUT FEELING: He won’t switch parties because he sees a big GOP wipe-out in 2008 but he has essentially switched parties.

Does The DLC Have Bird Flu? Perhaps that can explain why Democratic Presidential wannabes avoided its meeting as much as Republican wannabes avoid the You Tube debate. Some thoughts from the ever-thoughtful Booker Rising.

Read Great Posts By Iraqi and Afghani bloggers at The Carnival of the Liberated.