Also, Jacob Weisberg Is An Idiot Villager Who Poops In His Pants
Brad quotes Jacob Weisberg blaming the American public for the nation’s ills:
[O]pinion polls over the last year reflect… a country that simultaneously demands and rejects action on unemployment, deficits, health care, climate change, and a whole host of other major problems. Sixty percent of Americans want stricter regulations of financial institutions. But nearly the same proportion says we’re suffering from too much regulation on business. That kind of illogic—or, if you prefer, susceptibility to rhetorical manipulation—is what locks the status quo in place.
It’s funny when a Villager pretends to dislike the status quo. But let’s take Weisberg at his word. He’s frustrated; what should he do about it to make the situation better? Answer: go Galt, and take all the other Villagers with him. Yes, the public is “suscepti[ble] to rhetorical manipulation;” duh. The public wants stuff that works, which is brought about by leftwing solutions that are often lately promised them by politicians yet are constantly undercut in the media by wingnuts on the one hand and Sensible Liberals like Weisberg on the other, when not totally sabotaged by the politicians themselves. Hence, the public’s apparent schizophrenia.
It’s hard to be more Villager than Weisberg; he was offered Skull and Bones membership, spent many years at The New Republic, and was, until recently, editor of the many “contrarian” douchebags at Slate. The TNR connection is the most salient. Consider the following blurb in which Weisberg praises David Frum (yes, that David Frum):
Jacob Weisberg, editor in chief of the Slate Group and a longtime observer of and participant in the political magazine sphere, said, “I think Frum is the most interesting writer they have. You can’t assume he’ll come down on the side of the party line.”
“I think the problem of conservative magazines is they often follow the party line more than liberal magazines,” he said.
Bear that “party line” thing in mind while considering what Weisberg saw fit to write about Israel’s invasion of Lebannon and Robert Farley’s criticism thereof:
We do know enough, however, to divide responsibility for the current war among these players: Hezbollah, Hamas, Iran, Syria, and Lebanon. This has not stopped many analysts in Europe and the United States from laying blame for the violence squarely at a less obvious doorstep—that of the Bush administration.
[I]t’s interesting to see what Weisberg thinks an important contribution really is… To be sure, Weisberg can write anything he wants… But this is part of a pattern with Weisberg; regardless of the issue, he seems to find a way to attack liberals, rather than bother with conservatives who are making egregious and unsupportable claims.
Weisberg is a graduate of The New Republic school of journalism, which is all about attacking liberals. Therefore, Weisberg’s praise of Frum should actually be seen as self-serving. However, Farley is also imprecise in his criticism: there is nothing wrong with not “follow[ing] the party line” and there is nothing wrong with attacking liberals per se, with whatever frequency.
“You’re using a rightwing talking point/frame/trope” is a common call-out phrase among the netroots. But a political point is not necessarily bad or truly rightwing even if it is first communicated by a wingnut (the question of whether the speaker has a right to say it is something else altogether); just because a wingnut says something doesn’t automatically make it false or evil. What’s crucial, for a liberal, is the direction from which it comes; Weisberg, like pretty much all Villagers who claim to be or are advertised as liberal, always attacks from the right or sides with the right. That’s the TNR way, and pretty much everyone who’s worked at that dump — wherever they end up — will uphold the tradition.
Considering the above, it naturally follows, then, that Weisberg:
- Is a crappy editor. And he’s not sorry about that, either.
- Had a real soft spot for George Bush. Sorry? Nope, not sorry.
- Defended Joe Lieberman against the Dirty Fucking Hippies (i.e. genuine liberals and leftists) who opposed him in 2006. Still not sorry.
Weisberg truly blows, but then that’s the nature of his species. The depressing irony of so many TNR graduates, and their clones, loosed on the landscape is that their “contrary” take on the alleged conventional liberal wisdom of the day actually becomes the conventional “liberal” wisdom of the day. Who will offer a “contrarian” take on Weisberg’s Sensible Liberalism? The glibertarian/Randroids had a hard time with that question, finally forcing themselves to believe that he didn’t really mean:
“Liberals lost the support of the nation not because of their ideals,” argues Weisberg, “but as a result of the flawed way they put them into practice.” To regain the public’s trust, he says, today’s Progressives have to advocate a pragmatic, limited government, guided by what he refers to as “five habits of highly effective liberals”: Accept risk, and steer away from policy prescriptions that treat adults as children, or as helpless victims of their environment. Stop overpromising and offer programs that try to alleviate social ills rather than “solving” them. Sunset federal programs frequently, because a “set expiration date fosters a mission mentality [on an agency] rather than a bureaucratic one.” Stop pushing massive new laws that leave most of the regulatory decision-making in the hands of executive branch bureaucrats. And place a limit–as a percentage of national income–on the ability of federal, state, and local governments to tax and spend.
That was 1996. In the years since, thanks to Sensible Liberals like Weisberg, the Overton Window’s moved even farther right. Now it’s 2010, and he can be found at about where one would expect: Yes, he — like his Villager colleagues — is an Obamaton, and will continue to be until the President does something decently radical, which is highly unlikely even though the hopeyness that he would do so was the source of his massive political capital. Now that capital’s worth about as much as AIG stock, but such is the predictable result when you behave in a way of which Jacob Weisberg approves.
Update: I regret that I did not see Doghouse Riley’s excellent take on the insufferable Weisberg until after I posted this.
That was 1996.
After three years of Clintonian triangulation?
I mean, he’s not far off when he says “Liberals lost the support of the nation not because of their ideals,” argues Weisberg, “but as a result of the flawed way they put them into practice.” , as Nate Silver points out today. Liberals have good practical ideas that are in sync with the mainstream of thought in American culture.
And a lot of the problem are the folks we keep trotting out to present them…I mean, Mike Dukakis? John Kerry? Even Al Gore had a panic attack in 2000 which kept him (along with some Floridian votes being voided) from running the country for eight years, but at least he stood by his ideals and presented liberal ideas in a method that was palatable to the general population, even if as a campaigner he was for the shit.
People want safety. Period. If liberals can’t see that and effectively communicate that our policies will provide that, then we won’t, can’t, get elected as effective at national defense and homeland security, because something as simple as healthcare security ought to be a slam dunk and the average American understands this, but wants to hear that we aren’t presenting the boogie man.
Now that’s the HTML Mencken we’ve come to know and love!
because something as simple as healthcare security ought to be a slam dunk
No, not when so many in Congress and in the White House actually depend on funding from companies that profit from healthcare insecurity. People understand what they hear, and when what they hear is a jumble of conflicting bullshit and stories about back-door dealing, they can’t help but feel that things are not as uncomplicated as “fixing our fucked up health care system will be a net positive.”
And tags, you’re it.
Oh fuck. Another serious, important post. I haz a sad.
So this would be the perfect time to whup so-called “actor” up the haid for blogwhoring. You really should have linked to Nate, not your motherfucking blog.
Oh bite me, PeeJ! I knew where that link was.
Accept risk, and steer away from policy prescriptions that treat adults as children, or as helpless victims of their environment.
Did you see the report on Fox!?! Sadaam has BIO-WEAPONS and the ability to load them on OCEAN-CROSSING GLIDERS!!!
America is within range of these TERRIBLE WEAPONS!
We need to invade RIGHT NOW!!
Accept risk, and steer away from policy prescriptions that treat adults as children, or as helpless victims of their environment.
DEATH PANELS!!!!
Oh fuck. Another serious, important post. I haz a sad.
Bring back the Lowry Fap. Tell all your buddies that it ain’t no drag.
“We do know enough, however, to divide responsibility for the current war among these players: Hezbollah, Hamas, Iran, Syria, and Lebanon. This has not stopped many analysts in Europe and the United States from laying blame for the violence squarely at a less obvious doorstep—that of the Bush administration.”
The son of a bitch really assigned blame to Lebanon? The country that’s been nonstop target practice for three of the other four players (Hezbollah, Iran and Syria), as well as the United States and by the way Israel? Should Poland take part of the blame for 1939 too? What an asshat.
“Even Al Gore had a panic attack in 2000 which kept him (along with some Floridian votes being voided) from running the country for eight years, but at least he stood by his ideals and presented liberal ideas in a method that was palatable to the general population, even if as a campaigner he was for the shit.”
Al Gore lost the election because Florida Republicans purged a ton of black voters from the poll. Even with that voter loss and his shit campaigning, he still managed to win the popular vote. I for one give the guy props.
“Oh fuck. Another serious, important post. I haz a sad.”
Yes, this post is seriously lacking in poop and penis content. Who do you think you are HTML, Digby or sumpin?
EXCLUSIVE: Sarah Palin’s debut as a motivational speaker.
“I wasn’t motivated” one man said to me in the elevator as I left the speech.”
http://crooksandliars.com/david-neiwert/exclusive-sarah-palins-debut-motivat
“Liberals have good practical ideas that are in sync with the mainstream of thought in American culture.”
Yes they do. The slouching, mealy-mouthed presentation, coupled with their crying 5-year old response to the usual fallacious Republican and pundit attacks, make the public afraid of the proposals.
If I had had the ear of the media around the time this “death panel” bullshit was going around, you can bet that my response would have been pointed, direct, concise, truthful and brutally aggressive.
What you say is true Chris but if he had been a stronger campaigner and had picked a better running mate he would likely have won by 5%.
Another interesting counterpart to this argument is to assume that an explanation for why we have had apparently more competent governments doing more for the vast majority of Americans at some points with more incompetent and/or venal governments doing more harm to the vast majority of Americans is that there is some sort of cycle by which the electorate gets better, smarter, and more informed on its own, and then at other times becomes less mature, dumber, and ignorant.
So, for example, people were dumb and immature who elected Calvin Coolidge and Herbert Hoover, the latter of whom presided over years and years of the Great Depression.
And then when FDR ran against Hoover’s incompetence (and against his deficit spending, by the way), and was elected, and then went on to either massively increase Hoover’s late reform and aid programs or launch new ones, the electorate had somehow greatly improved and informed itself.
Now, we actually do tend to have historical evidence about things like levels of education, access to newspapers and radio, library usage, voting rates, etc., so I haven’t seen lots of evidence that the American electorate has swung so wildly in its nature through the years.
The Rumsfeldians would point out that you go to elections with the electorate that you got, and not the electorate you might wish you had or that which you might have at some point in the future.
I second tsam’s point. WP says my comment is too short so I would just like to add Fuck You wordpress.
AH HAHAHAHA. HA.
HA HA HA HA HA HA
Quick math wizards – how many donations to the NRO did Sarah Palin suck up for the snowmobile fund?
EXCLUSIVE: Sarah Palin’s debut as a motivational speaker.
“Several elderly women with Palin lapel pins who were trying desperately to hurry through security were also distraught when they heard the news, “‘Ohhh Noooooo! Nooooo!'”
Is it wrong that this made me snarfle my Diet Coke?
EXCLUSIVE: Sarah Palin’s debut as a motivational speaker.
You have to wonder if there is an indefinite supply of rubes for her to hornswaggle. Or is it the same ones, over and over and over?
Midianites the night after!
Moar posts like these plz. Good to see you back in regular action HTML.
John Jacob Weisberger Schmidt?
EXCLUSIVE: Sarah Palin’s debut as a motivational speaker.
It is purely a coincidence that after taking in the speech, there was a flurry of resumes on the office laser printers, not to mention an uptick in people flinging themselves off the roof. Motivating.
You have to wonder if there is an indefinite supply of rubes for her to hornswaggle. Or is it the same ones, over and over and over?
looch, looks to me like she’s running low on them. 600.
Last night Piper asked me to tell her a bedtime story and I said ‘YOU BETCHA,’ let me tell you about two brothers named Abel and Cain…”
Who tells the story of Cain and Abel to their kid before bedtime? Poor girl’s going to have nightmares about Trig coming after her with a rock or a big stick or whatever the hell it was.
“Last night Piper asked me to tell her a bedtime story and I said ‘YOU BETCHA,’ let me tell you about two brothers named Abel and Cain…”
I am puzzled by this. A bedtime story about somebody who kills his brother out of rage?! Any thoughts Sadly Noughts?
Yet they are a bunch of stupid, spoiled ignerunt child-morans, sez Weisberg.
You have to wonder if there is an indefinite supply of rubes for her to hornswaggle. Or is it the same ones, over and over and over?
You know, I never considered reincarnation…
Sarah Palin had wrapped up a “motivational” speech about “achievement”
to echo subtantio, HAHAHAHAHAHA achievement.
I thought it was mainly about how God clearly preferred animal husbandry-related offerings to be burned to Him than domestic agricultural products.
I am puzzled by this. A bedtime story about somebody who kills his brother out of rage?! Any thoughts Sadly Noughts?
For a certain kind of “Christian” the Mark and/or Curse of Cain turned his descendants BLACK. And the bearers of this godly branding are among us, even now.
One of them — half-cursed — currently occupies the White House.
Just a thought as to why a certain kind of individual might want to tell this tale.
So this would be the perfect time to whup so-called “actor” up the haid for blogwhoring. You really should have linked to Nate, not your motherfucking blog.
People without crappy low-grade web logs (& I am one w/!) should not complain about blog-hooring.
Nor should people who live in glass houses throw stones, or watch tee vee in their underwear.
[Palin] also focused heavily on her trade mark lines as a crutch. During one incredulous [blame the reporter from Texas -Ed.] example of a way to get motivated describing a bed time fairy-tale she told to her daughter: “Last night Piper asked me to tell her a bedtime story and I said ‘YOU BETCHA,’ let me tell you about two brothers named Abel and Cain…”
Midianites the night after!
“An’ tonight I’ll be readin’ from the Book of Judges, startin’ with chapter 17…”
And a lot of the problem are the folks we keep trotting out to present them…I mean, Mike Dukakis? John Kerry?
John Kerry isn’t all that liberal.
The corporate media isn’t interested in seeing articulate liberals present ideas. So they keep them off the air and out of the paper.
This is more of a than the performances of Olberman and Maddow, for example, that Bob Somerby, etc. watches and criticizes each night.
Hey, if it helps improve their game, rock on Bob S. But MSNBC is a tiny cable channel, unavailable to lots of people (I don’t have it).
Meanwhile, who gets shown on NBC, etc., constantly?
~
TaU and I spoke at the same time. I beleive I owe you a Coke.
“gocart mozart said,
February 10, 2010 at 0:45
I second tsam’s point. ”
Sometimes I get the idea that progressive lawmakers and presidents are embarassed by their own ideals, almost conceding the argument to such great debaters as Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity. Hannity would have pwned Socrates! I really believe that if a coherent and bold proposal for single payer (ie–Medicare for the entire population) had been proposed and then defended with some sense of confidence in the purpose of their mission, this health care debate would have taken a much different shape. But as usual, the Dems let the wingnuts control the debate. Sometimes civility is overrated, in my opinion.
I am puzzled by this. A bedtime story about somebody who kills his brother out of rage?! Any thoughts Sadly Noughts?
Maybe she spun it as Abel trying to force his Big Government programs on Cain, and Cain was just watering the tree of liberty.
I’d prefer to think about Piper’s possible reaction to the story:
“Mommy, why did God let Cain do such a terrible thing? Didn’t he know that was going to happen? Couldn’t he have warned Abel?”
“Well, sweetie, it was all part of God’s plan, which none of us can really understand or question.”
“Hmmm…OK, but…why did God ask Cain where his brother was? Didn’t God know what happened?”
“Of course he did, sweetie. He just wanted Cain to admit what he did.”
“But didn’t God make Cain jealous by saying he like Abel’s sacrifice better? If God didn’t say anything, maybe Cain wouldn’t have gotten mad, and Abel wouldn’t have gotten killed. Like when you said that it didn’t matter that Trig couldn’t do the same things that I could, and you loved him just the same?”
“That’s not the same thing at all, Piper. Now stop asking questions and let me finish the story.”
“Mommy, if Adam and Eve were the only two people in the Garden where did Cain’s wife come from?”
“OK, that’s it, young lady. Off to bed NOW!”
Nice linkage from GG, HTML.
~
“I thought it was mainly about how God clearly preferred animal husbandry-related offerings to be burned to Him than domestic agricultural products.”
Not to get all theological and shit, but my thought is that it is an ancient fable about humanities move from a hunter gatherer type society to an agricultural society. The son of agriculture kills the son of hunting & gathering. This is a heathen’s interpretation of the Genesis story that I have not heard anyone else expound. I am curious as to what what open minded religious people think about it.
Last night Piper asked me to tell her a bedtime story and I said ‘YOU BETCHA,’ let me tell you about two brothers named Abel and Cain…
The next bedtime story will be about Lot and his daughters.
I am curious as to what what open minded religious people think about it.
“Death to the blasphemer!!!”
tsam said, “Hannity would have pwned Socrates!”
This is true because Hannity controls the mike and would have shouted down that wimp Socrates and cut him off when he was about to make a great point. The loudest point is the best point. Welcome to America.
The next bedtime story will be about Lot and his daughters.
Or Noah and his sons, even.
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1875/whats-up-with-the-biblical-story-of-drunken-noah-part-1
“But wait a minute, Mommy, if Adam and Eve were the first people in the world, and they had two sons, then even if they also had daughters, wouldn’t that mean that…”
“Shut up and drink your Nyquil. It’s time for bed.”
It was 9:30 AM, and Just half an hour earlier Sarah Palin had wrapped up a “motivational” speech about “achievement” at the Toyota Center in downtown Houston.
The Quitter gave a speech about “achievement?” That’s rich.
Gee, I hadn’t noticed, until just now, the ever cogent and calm Ed Whelan’s criticism of the Prop 8 judge.
I believe you totally and completely and hundredandonepercently, Ed.
SIKE!
But honestly, I eagerly await the case reaching the SCOTUS. Ed must demand that the six Catholic judges recuse themselves .
The Quitter gave a speech about “achievement?” That’s rich.
How to get rich by quitting. No Money Down!
~
Oops, I missed Commie Atheist’s post, above.
Mea Culpa.
“I thought it was manly about how God clearly preferred animal husbandry-related offerings
fyt
now, if you all weren’t a buncha communist vegetarian homosexual bureaucrats, you would never had made that mistake in the first place
The Quitter gave a speech about “achievement?” That’s rich.
No, no, she didn’t quite, she just heeded the call of the lower 48 to lead the next revolution, so SHUT UP THAT’S WHY.
Atlas Juggs said so, so it must be true.
When I re-read it as a grown-up, this is immediately the understory I saw. (The bit about God and his offering preferences is just pure idiocy, except as viewed through the lens of what herding tribes might and might not value.)
But the key figures (the patriarchs) of the Old Testament are among the nomadic, herding tribes, so maybe to an extent fixed agriculture is seen as the activity of outsiders and foreigners.
As well as degrees to which the God of the OT is seen as the sole deity or is still viewed as having “conquered” other, lesser deities, who may have been seen more as elements of other, non-animal husbandry and hunting related provinces, and rivals such as popularly worshiped deities Baal and Asherah.
s’OK, Wyatt. I liked yours better, anyway.
now, if you all weren’t a buncha communist vegetarian homosexual bureaucrats, you would never had made that mistake in the first place
I’m not a bureaucrat!
I swear I’ve seen that exact interpretation before… in a Daniel Quinn book? Or Zerzan screed? I think it makes sense.
Sounds like the kind of thing Robert Graves would write.
OK, one last try:
“Yahweh-alone party”
Didn’t Judge Roy Moore run on that ticket?
And why does WP-Spam-Free think I’m cheating? I’ve always been faithful to my wife.
Weisberg has never done or said ANYTHING to deserve being compared to Daniel Quinn. Neither have Jonah Goldberg, Pam Geller, Rush Limbaugh or Hitler McHitler.
Oooo, as someone who indepedently came up with the Garden-of-Eden-and-Forbidden-Fruit-as-metaphor-for-sexual-maturity interpretation of Genesis, only to be crushed when finding out years later that lots of other people had thought of it before me, I like your take. I’d never really thought about that one – it makes a lot of sense to interpret it that way.
I beleive I owe you a Coke.
Diet, plz? I like the chemically taste!
I don’t know why I didn’t think of the racial component of the Cain and Abel story until it was pointed out…I wonder if she tells the Jeb and Shemp story or whatever it is as a bedtime story, too.
i’m getting sick of obama being criticized from the left. you guys act like YOU really believed he and bill ayers were best buddies, like he was going to stand in the white house garden heaving malotov cocktails at the senate building. jeez, just be thankful we have a middle of the road democrat in who is making incremental improvements in how things have been going. why the hate? do you guys really WANT president palin? because that’s what we’re going to get.
Garden-of-Eden-and-Forbidden-Fruit-as-metaphor-for-sexual-maturity interpretation of Genesis
wait, someone’s thought of that before?
DAMN there goes my book!
ARRRRRRRGH.
anyway, how’s tricks? The evil overlords at work have me behind the Iron Wall of Websense for the moment, so I’m Goddamn Batman’s situation until they forget again & unblock S,N!
you guys act like YOU really believed he and bill ayers were best buddies, like he was going to stand in the white house garden heaving malotov cocktails at the senate building.
Malotov? Is that why there’s so little gasoline in my cocktail?
Egggh, these Albanians…
Wait, I take that back. For Albanians it’s ‘Molataf gagdail’.
Will shut up with the obscure Russian web-slang jokes now…
Will shut up with the obscure Russian web-slang jokes now…
idk? don’t think you really addressed my point at all but whatevs.
Al Gore lost the election because Florida Republicans purged a ton of black voters from the poll. Even with that voter loss and his shit campaigning, he still managed to win the popular vote. I for one give the guy props.
If Gore has won his Congressional district….HIS Congressional district!…Florida wouldn’t have mattered.
In truth, I was speaking to the same thing you were: his almost panicked campaign style.
but this doesn’t help me interpret the parable of shemp and curley, or understand the psychosexual implications of moe larry the cheese
If Gore has won his Congressional district….HIS Congressional district!…Florida wouldn’t have mattered.
it’s amazing to me. people remember gore, who lost because a lot of otherwise sensible libs defected and voted for gore, but they still have the temerity to criticize obama when we should be rallying behind him.
Great. WP thinks I’m spamming but it lets Esther troll away unhindered.
chapter 5 – esther learns to ride the velocipede
it’s amazing to me. people remember gore, who lost because a lot of otherwise sensible libs defected and voted for gore, but they still have the temerity to criticize obama when we should be rallying behind him.
I’m not one of you weak-tea ‘sensible’ types; my economics are straight-up guild socialist thankyouverymuch. ‘Course, they were further left back in 2000, but I also wasn’t old enough to vote yet.
Also, what happened to that old dude, you know, that crazy consumer advocate nobody listens to but whom people like to blame for Gore losing?
thinks I’m spamming
the goddamned thing is forcing me to use a hand-help usenet access device that won’t even be invented until 2007
The son of agriculture kills the son of hunting & gathering. This is a heathen’s interpretation of the Genesis story that I have not heard anyone else expound.
This is a fascinating hypothesis, and as someone who has read a fair amount on human prehistory, it strikes me as plausible. Humans began to settle down and build towns (which revolved around farming) long before “civilization” began, i.e., recorded history. There is no reason to believe that these early agrarians did not view their nomadic ancestors any differently than we often view hunter-gatherers today: as pre-civilized “savages”.
To a farmer in early Mesopotamia, the idea of having to go out and hunt or gather your food, with no permanent dwelling, must have seemed very primitive indeed.
shorter Esther:
“Adress my point!! Libs!”
In truth, I was speaking to the same thing you were: his almost panicked campaign style.
See Ceci Connolly, at the Liberal Biased Washington Post. Etc.
But why do I need to even mention that, at this late date?
Hell actor212, it’s all your fault. Damn you!
~
on the other hand, we find that in surviving hunter gatherer bands, they have a great contempt for farmers, who work their butts off for bland food and don’t know jack shit about real hunting
All your posts are belong to me.
~
Also, what happened to that old dude, you know, that crazy consumer advocate nobody listens to but whom people like to blame for Gore losing?
Oh, him? He became known as a Goat-Blowing Assclown™.
I am WP, Destroyer of Posts. Heed me.
The son of agriculture kills the son of hunting & gathering. This is a heathen’s interpretation of the Genesis story that I have not heard anyone else expound.
I’m sure I’ve read somewhere that the entire Old Testament can be written as an attempt by one set of Hebrews (either the Judaeans or the Israelites) to make the other set look
badless beloved of God. The herdsman vs. crop-grower; hill-dweller vs. valley-dweller issue was a key part of it.Unfortunately, I can’t remember where I read it, or whether it was a reliable source, so I’m no help at all.
the documentary hypothesis proposes that our current version of the old testament is the judean version and the israelite version in mashup
regardless of the issue, he seems to find a way to attack liberals, rather than bother with conservatives who are making egregious and unsupportable claims.
There do seem to be a lot of those around, don’t they? Whereas when someone like the Little Green Snotballs guy calls out some of the loons on his side, it’s big news.
the Genesis story
Many people dismiss their output after Gabriel left, but it seems to me that is when the band really started to shine, once they could no longer hide behind the spectacle. In particular, Collins’ drumming really started to evolve into impressively dynamic/funky realms, for a dweeby white guy…
what?
Many people dismiss their output after Gabriel left, but it seems to me that is when the band really started to shine, once they could no longer hide behind the spectacle. In particular, Collins’ drumming really started to evolve into impressively dynamic/funky realms, for a dweeby white guy…
They were never the same after Anthony Phillips left.
Ack. I have been tag-illiterate today. Sorry.
Do you like Phil Collins?
Buh duh duh duh duh duh DUM. I can feel it in the air tonight, oh lord…
I want you to clean your vagina.
No.
No, gawddammit WordPiss, I do not like Phil Collins, & I do not like you!!
How can a two-letter, one punctuation mark comment be considered spam?
Thread successfully DERAILED.
Now, esther, where do I go to get my TrollBucks?
Jason’s older brother?
the son of agriculture kills the son of hunting & gathering.
That’s the root cause of the friction between the Hatfields and the McCoys. The Hatfields (the hunters) called the McCoys “clodhoppers” and questioned their manliness.
i actually really like little green footballs. i don’t always agree with them but it’s totally on my feed.
in point of fact, i think it’s admirable the way republicans can stay on message and support each other as opposed to how libs all want obama’s scalp just because he hasn’t been radical enough for them.
You’re a fucking ugly bitch. I want to stab you to death, and then play around with your blood.
— Jacob Weisberg
Back on the rails.
Smokey can still sing.
@ PB–whatever man, it’s still a cash bar now.
I have all the characteristics of a human being: blood, flesh, skin, hair; but not a single, clear, identifiable emotion, except for greed and disgust. Something horrible is happening inside of me and I don’t know why. My nightly bloodlust has overflown into my days. I feel lethal, on the verge of frenzy. I think my mask of sanity is about to slip.
i totally won this thread. now i’m off to party.
obama’s scalp just because he hasn’t been radical enough for them.
I’m sorry to feed the troll, but I am curious. In my opinion, “not being radical enough” is precisely how the Democrats have failed to stay on message. When we say the Republicans stay on message, it means they all fight vigorously in favour of their preferred (evil) policies. If the Democrats acted like that and decided what they stood for, staked out a (preferably non-Republican) position and defended it against all comers, they would be succeeding much better than they have.
What, exactly, would “staying on message” look like among the “libs” in this opium fantasy of yours? What is the “message” that these non-radicals should stick to? “We support bipartisanship, come hell or high-water”? “Whatever the president says, goes, even when he changes his mind from what he said yesterday, and even when he doesn’t say anything”? What?
the son of agriculture kills the son of hunting & gathering.
That’s the root cause of the friction between the Hatfields and the McCoys. The Hatfields (the hunters) called the McCoys “clodhoppers” and questioned their manliness.
In the 21st century, it’s evolved to the clodhoppers (now mostly imaginary farmers, but still in rural & exurban areas) questioning the manliness of the city dwellers & their electric lights & motor-cars. Still the ultimate cause of friction, including the political.
There are no more barriers to cross. All I have in common with the uncontrollable and the insane, the vicious and the evil, all the mayhem I have caused and my utter indifference toward it I have now surpassed. My pain is constant and sharp and I do not hope for a better world for anyone, in fact I want my pain to be inflicted on others. I want no one to escape, but even after admitting this there is no catharsis, my punishment continues to elude me and I gain no deeper knowledge of myself; no new knowledge can be extracted from my telling. This confession has meant nothing.
Yeah really. Like it’s radical to want a federal subsidy for baby-kebabs.
Fake Esther: You spell it “Esther”.
I’m sorry to feed the troll, but I am curious.
Sorry, too late. Off to party.
Esters are ubiquitous. Many naturally occurring fats and oils are the fatty acid esters of glycerol. Esters with low molecular weight are commonly used as fragrances and found in essential oils and pheromones. Phosphoesters form the backbone of DNA molecules. Nitrate esters, such as nitroglycerin, are known for their explosive properties, while polyesters are important plastics, with monomers linked by ester moieties.
the thread is now polyester
Back on the rails.
BOUFFANT!! (shakes zombie fist, then picks up zombie arm)
wait, you can WIN a Sadly, No thread? Is this American Idle? What do you get, dancing Badgers?
Well, that’s what esther gets, anyway.
while polyesters are important plastics
Fucking elitist assholes. Think they’re better than other plastics.
What do you get, dancing Badgers?
No. A ssssssnake! A sssssssnake!
Fucking elitist assholes. Think they’re better than other plastics.
Some jerkoff guest at the Braddock graduation party gives them a little ego-boost and suddenly they’re the saviours of the economy!
wait, you can WIN a Sadly, No thread? Is this American Idle? What do you get, dancing Badgers?
You can definitely lose one…
Hey ZRM – B^4 let slip the dogs of your identity. Would you be freaked to get cooties-filled email?
the thread is now polyester
I am become polyester, the destroyer of wardrobes.
Yeast produces esters as byproducts of the fermentation process. Those esters lend subtle and complex flavor and aroma notes to beers.
Unlike the troll, who is neither subtle, nor complex.
I want to marry miserable guilty confessional Ester, even if she’s just quoting some crap I’ve never read.
And none of you can stop me.
B^4 let slip the dogs of your identity. Would you be freaked to get cooties-filled email?
THE HELL???
…aww, what the eff. like I’ve got any pride left. Fire away.
What would be the contrarian view on Weisberg?
like I’ve got any pride left.
I thought that disappeared with the fine motor control.
What would be the contrarian view on Weisberg?
He’s an idiot Villager who poops in other people’s pants.
I thought that disappeared with the fine motor control.
isn’t that what I said?
dude, what were you drinking tonight?
No, that’s a dissenting view, albeit a correct one.
A contrarian in recent years’ context is one who takes enormous pride at simply proposing that liberal viewpoints, although seemingly are, really just might not be, and that it would be fascinating to say so.
Hey, let’s keep the secret identities secret, ‘K? Secret being the operative word here.
Also, really wouldn’t want to know anyone in what’s quaintly referred to as meatspace.
What would be the contrarian view on Weisberg?
Well, I feel that his work AFTER the Replacements was his best….
really wouldn’t want to know anyone in what’s quaintly referred to as meatspace.
You’ll miss out on some fine barbecue.
It just may be that Jacob Weisberg provides the proof that the main stream media is on its last legs, and that our future relies upon the diligent work of Andrew Breitbart.
No, that’s a dissenting view, albeit a correct one.
I stand corrected. And drunk on cider and Sudafed.
Another cheery view of our likely future, a future in part likely because our governing system made one of its top priorities in the financial crisis the ‘fuck you hippies’ preservation of core Reaganite ideology:
We rock. And fuck hippies.
well, the oligarchy will be happy when they finally wipe out the hippies.
The fact it takes out the rest of civilization, well, collateral damage, oops sorry dudez!
And drunk on cider and Sudafed.
party like a zombie, man.
22) We are steadily becoming more vulnerable to economic disaster on an epic scale.
We are steadily becoming more vulnerable to ecological disaster on an epic scale.
We are steadily becoming more vulnerable to a hypertechnical infrastructure disaster on an epic scale.
We are steadily becoming more vulnerable
We are epic, dude – pass the scales…
Well, we have to end apartheid for one. And slow down the nuclear arms race, stop terrorism and world hunger. We have to provide food and shelter for the homeless, and oppose racial discrimination and promote civil rights, while also promoting equal rights for women. We have to encourage a return to traditional moral values. Most importantly, we have to promote general social concern and less materialism in young people.
I do not like Phil Collins, & I do not like you!!
Would you like him in a flue?
I can haz job at Fox now?
Sounds like a good place for him, He would be best smoked.
I personally believe that U.S. Americans are unable to do so because some people out there in our nation don’t have maps and I believe that our education like such as in South Africa and the Iraq everywhere like such as and I believe that they should…our education over here in the U.S. should help the U.S…or should help South Africa and should help the Iraq and the Asian countries so we will be able to build up our future.
its totes obv that the problem is that poor black ppl apparently dont know that they have rich lawyer dads that they can ask for money whenev they want to go to art school or need some kicky new uggs. problem solved, libs.
Syrah, man. Excellent vintage.
Hey, Patterico is ripping on DA:
Will the last person leaving the CJR turn the lights out?
Comment by Dmac — 2/9/2010 @ 6:59 pm
Has that dude with the funny name from the SadlyNo Research Labs apologized yet?
Comment by daleyrocks — 2/9/2010 @ 7:03 pm
May the CJR go the way of Editor and Publisher.
Comment by Good Lt. — 2/9/2010 @ 7:05 pm
If being there makes O’Keefe a white supremacist, why not Isis? Doesn’t that give even more weight to the Rev Hatey Wright issues?
Comment by JD — 2/9/2010 @ 7:06 pm
JD
Isis is a her and she is now claiming that yes indeed Okeefe planned the event with Epstein who later that day assaulted a black female – like I said its a he said she said kind of thing and yes attending a racist event does tend to paint someone a racist who later is fired for making racist phone calls from another job and has an online diary.
Again – are we actually reading this stuff before jumping into bed with a confirmed racist who has online diaries, Acorn tapes, directors of respectful organizations whose been caught planning and executing KKK events on campus?
Are we going to stop now? Me I would.
Comment by EricPWJohnson — 2/9/2010 @ 7:23 pm
Has that dude with the funny name from the SadlyNo Research Labs apologized yet?
D. Aristophanes? No . . . you know, he was popping in and out of the comments here right up to the time when it was revealed that he had written an erroneous — er, “eroneous” post.
Then, he disk-appeared.
As he would say:
Odd.
Comment by Patterico — 2/9/2010 @ 7:24 pm
Well, we have to end apartheid for one.
Esther, you mean THE One, that is to say, Obama. It’s not really apartheid in his case. He gets his own office.
I’ve decided to adopt a new persona as a concern troll. Anybody got any hot button issues that could be central to my point? I was thinking of starting off with something about how
youus libs need to stop talking about malotov cocktails because Ted Kennedy might claw his way out of his freshly dug grave and come lurching across the White House lawn to tear them from our quaking fingers and drink them, before doing battle with Zombie Reagan who emerges from Grant’s tomb dressed as El Santo, the luchadore.But maybe that’s not what
youus folks in the Democrat party care about.Well, that’s up there Spengler.
Also, PENISES:
Hoyer: Dicks Likely To Replace Murtha As Defense Approp. Chair
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/02/hoyer-dicks-likely-to-replace-murtha-as-defense-approp-chair.php?ref=fpa
Dicks is “an extraordinarily able Member of Congress,” Hoyer said.
Aren’t they all.
I guess I don’t see the humour in making fun of a man like Norm Dicks, who has served the party for a number of years now. I’m concerned that behaviour like this really only makes us appear infantile and fairly silly.
infantile and fairly silly
please review the orientation material provided so that you completely understand the mission of this website before commenting. thank you. p.s., be careful to remove all badgers before proceeding.
please review the orientation material provided so that you completely understand the mission of this website before commenting.
To undermine party unity? Don’t think so.
Some day you won’t laugh at me! I’m going out and have a real life! I’m gonna be somebody!
The action plan for PUMAs is:
1.) Dissociate yourself from the party. Tell them you will not be a party to its self destructive behavior.
2.) Reflect on your values. Read the credo at the top of this site (river daughter) and create a better one. Keep the language general and inclusive. Concentrate on universal truths and beliefs. Avoid wordsmithing.
3.) Stick together. We are powerful as a unit if we do not fall victim to the psychological warfare that is about to be directed at us. Turn off the media. Avoid conversations with trolls. Stand firm and do not yield.
4.) Remember that there is a better alternative. Hillary Clinton is the strongest candidate for the party and the nation. She has a lot of support out there. The nation will rally around her if we let them know we are not giving in. We must not let her concede one inch. Stand firm. Send her your good thoughts. Send her money. Do not give up.
5.) Spread the word.
It was 9:30 AM, and Just half an hour earlier Sarah Palin had wrapped up a “motivational” speech about “achievement” at the Toyota Center in downtown Houston.
Toyota Center, not a good choice either….
I’m concerned that behaviour like this really only makes us appear infantile and fairly silly.
Does Bennington have a snow day today?
I’m guessing that Esther is a guy (or two) who sit and think what to say next to annoy us nihilists around these parts. The Bennington reference came a few days ago, indirectly, (a dorm name) and I thought that was a rather sly and clever way to “accidentally” let slip some of “Esther’s” identity (with the hopes of sparking all kinds of return fire about “trustafarians,” etc).
Slicker Troll, but still Troll.
I would like my Captain Obvious Merit Badge points now, please.
I know this will come as a shock to all, but Newtie Gingrich lied on national television last night. He told Jon Stewart that the shoe bomber, Richard Reid was an American citizen, thereby explaining why it was OK to mirandize him but not the underpants bomber. After the break, Stewart called him on it. But, let’s see how many Rs repeat the lie in the coming days and how few “reporters” correct them.
I’m concerned that behaviour like this really only makes us appear infantile and fairly silly.
Whee! Political humor on a political humor blog is why we can’t have nice things. Thanks,
KetoneEsterEsther.a) As a wise
guyman once said, “if it makes you laugh, it’s true”. Humor is a valid way to communicate views that some (*snerk*) would think extreme… and, unlike the wingnuts, we’re actually funny most of the time.b) I submit that if you’re worried about the Dems appearing “infantile and fairly silly” it would be a good point to remember that this was the party that allowed BOTH Zell “Let’s Fight Us A Duel” Miller AND Joe “Have We Bombed Tehran Yet?” Lieberman to remain in the Party for so long, despite their obvious problems with the Democratic worldview, as well as the great showing of Democrats during, well, the fucking entire Bush Preznitcy.
Yeah, they were unable/unwilling to stand up to a dismal piece of work like Bush… but it’s US who’re making them a sick joke. Yeah. *ahem* Right.
A good personality consists of a chick with a little hard body, who will satisfy all sexual demands without being too slutty about things, and who essentially will keep her dumb fucking mouth shut.
You have to send in a certificate of achievement before your Captain Obvious Merit Badge points can be awarded.
~
what the fuck is it with WP and its sarky comments, is that a feature?
Oh, and one might recall the fine showing of the Democrats as well during this whole incident when the Dems were just as quick as the wingnuts on the other side of the aisle to haul ass out onto the Capitol steps and screech “ONE NATION UNDER GOD!!” so as to drive off the demons of Socialism and Atheism,
I guess I don’t see the humour in making fun of a man like Norm Dicks…
Well, that depends on whether “Norm” is short for Normal, or Abnormal.
You have to send in a certificate of achievement before your Captain Obvious Merit Badge points can be awarded.
Captain Obvious’ sidekick, Lt. “No Shit, Sherlock,” says I can do the certificate online.
So there.
In other news, WTF is up with all this fucking snow?
I’ve been off work for 2 days already, and after checking the list of school closings, I’m off again today. Then I check weather.com, and they’ve got a “special weather report” on the page for our locale – so I check that and it says we’re expecting another round of it tomorrow night. So basically, I’m only getting in one day of actual calling on customers work this week. Not complaining – it’s not like you can call on customers when they aren’t there, or that my competitors will somehow get there before me as a result…but it would have been nice to split up all these days off over 2 or 3 weeks. I suppose I shouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth, eh?
In other news, WTF is up with all this fucking snow?
Global warming.
No, seriously. One of the things that was predicted long before this was increased precipitation – after all, as the water warms up, more of it evaporates, and thus is more likely to fall as rain/snow.
…oh, wait, HUMOR BLOG. My bad.
um.. umm… PENIS!
In Western Mass, they are expecting 3-5 inches over the next 12 hours. No biggie, right?
Well, damn near every school district out here announced a snow day (not a flake has fallen yet, mind you) because they have them built into the calendar. Now I have The Rotten Little Perisher complaining about what to do all day.
Are there no workhouses?
WHY DON’T YOU PRAY TO YOUR IDOL AL GORE NOW AND ASK HIM TO USE HIS MASSIVE EGO TO MELT YER SNOW, HEH?
But when I sit down something strange on the stage catches my eye. Bono has now moved across the stage, following me to my seat, and he’s staring into my eyes, kneeling at the edge of the stage, wearing black jeans (maybe Gitano), sandals, a leather vest with no shirt beneath it. His body is white, covered with sweat, and it’s not worked out enough, there’s no muscle tone and what definition there might be is covered beneath a paltry amount of chest hair. He has a cowboy hat on and his hair is pulled back into a ponytail and he’s moaning some dirge – I catch the lyric “A hero is an insect in this world” – and he has a faint, barely noticeable but nonetheless intense smirk on his face and it grows, spreading across it confidently, and while his eyes blaze, the backdrop of the stage turns red and suddenly I get this tremendous surge of feeling, this rush of knowledge and my own heart beats faster because of this and it’s not impossible to believe that an invisible cord attached to Bono has now encircled me and now the audience disappears and the music slows down, gets softer, and it’s just Bono onstage – the stadium’s deserted, the band fades away…
Speaking of Dicks:
http://gopleader.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=169716
Now I have The Rotten Little Perisher complaining about what to do all day.
Video games have been invented, you know. Introduce your child to the joys of shooting zombies in the head.
Video games have been invented, you know. Introduce your child to the joys of shooting zombies in the head.
True. True. There are such things around. Right now he is out on the ice rink (“Forecheck, backcheck, paycheck”) and staying out of my hair (it’s metaphorical, OK?) for the time being. A pack of feral boys arrives anon.
Video games have been invented, you know. Introduce your child to the joys of shooting zombies in the head.
Seconding this. Last week we got stoned and played Left for Dead 2 and OMG FUN!
Right now he is out on the ice rink
Have him do herbies. The throbbing pain in his thighs will slow him down for a bit.
A pack of feral boys arrives anon.
Ah. Then a Victoria’s Secret catalog should buy you several hours of peace.
We have a new Senator!
Introduce your child to the joys of shooting zombies in the head.
I’m taking the Fifth when ZRM gets here and sees this.
Seconding this. Last week we got stoned and played Left for Dead 2 and OMG FUN!
They can use the bong but they have to bring their own weed and beer. Bootstraps, etc. I mean, they’re eleven years old now, for Spagssake.
We have a new Senator!
*barf*
Right now he is out on the ice rink (“Forecheck, backcheck, paycheck”)
Youth is wasted on the young. In my day, it was “pokecheck, stickcheck, hack the bone”
Are there no workhouses?
Start your own line of sneakers! Sheesh, do we have to tell you ALL the secrets of parenting????
Youth is wasted on the young. In my day, it was “pokecheck, stickcheck, hack the bone”
Don’t worry oldtimer, the true traditions of hockey live on.
the true traditions of hockey live on
Our motto was, “If there ain’t blood, it’s figure skating.”
Our motto was, “If there ain’t blood, it’s figure skating.”
It’s amazing the level of protection the kids have now. Not just the face cages but the helmets, and body armor. And the goalies have real protection, not just some heavy felt arm guards and think fiberglass face mask. You can fire one off a goalie’s face-cage now and they laugh. When I got one in the mask it hurt like hell and would give me the flinches for the rest of practice.
Old-time hockey, eh?
If a naked goalie doesn’t resembled a drained carcass in a slaughterhouse, it’s not really hockey.
If a naked goalie doesn’t resembled a drained carcass in a slaughterhouse, it’s not really hockey.
Terry Sawchuk: http://www.poetryfoundation.org/images/features/SawchuckSCARFACE.gif
Granted, this is a photo of Sawchuk with make-up on designed to simulate all the injuries he incurred during his 16-year career but it has a certain charm, no?
it has a certain charm, no?
I was a wing. It has enormous charm for me.
I’m taking the Fifth when ZRM gets here and sees this.
I have taken down all your names.
I was a wing. It has enormous charm for me.
Ah yes. With special extra curved sticks for practice and adam’s apple shooting contests, eh? Good times, good times.
@looch:
In Western Mass, they are expecting 3-5 inches over the next 12 hours. No biggie, right? …No, that’s pretty small. But 12 hours is some serious staying power.
See what I did there? Veiled PENIS reference? All week, veal, etc.
What would be the contrarian view on Weisberg?
That he’s cute as a button?
Anybody got any hot button issues that could be central to my point?
I really hate puns.
You can fire one off a goalie’s face-cage now and they laugh.
I did that too.
Of course, that was more from the alcohol….
With special extra curved sticks for practice and adam’s apple shooting contests, eh?
It’s bastards like you that curtailed my career!
Well, that and the fact I could barely skate. Oh, and my slow glove. And rotten acrobatic abiltiy. And the fact my split was more like a long stride…
Reaching way back there: the old testament judea vs israel thingie: I think I saw this “herder vs farmer” thing covered in Asimov’s annotated bible. Maybe.
If a naked goalie doesn’t resembled a drained carcass in a slaughterhouse, it’s not really hockey.
Terry Sawchuk:
It is good to see that the Wound Man tradition continues.
It’s bastards like you that curtailed my career!
Got it backwards there, Gump. Jacques Plante mask, leather pads, waffle board and bruises here. I hated practice.
Just wanted to say, fantastic post. Dense and rich and delicious.