Posted on December 9th, 2005 by Gavin M.
Sadly… Illiterate
So in my gently satirical post about how to gain traffic by starting a faux feud, anti-Pajamas Media site ‘Sadly No’ excerpted the opening part of my post, and utterly failed to read the rest of it to realize I was poking fun of using controversy to gain traffic, thus proving the adage that those who choose not read have no advantage over those who can’t.
To add even more class to the post, they photoshopped a piece of fruit over my face.*
I guess its always easier to tear things down to create them. Or just to even stop and read them.
Posted by tobias at December 9, 2005 02:26 PM | TrackBack
Well, maybe it looks easy.
After our gently satiric post on gaining traffic by starting a faux blog feud, enemy of humanity Tobias Buckell once again attacks his blood-smeared keyboard with pounding fist, howling vile and deadly insults across the Internet.
It is almost too much, Buckell. Our patience is long, but the suffering of many may soon call us to action.
*Dep’t of Yes, It Happens: Coffee literally sprayed the monitor with this sentence. It’s a fruitface blogjam!
Posted on December 9th, 2005 by Gavin M.
Assrocket demonstrates the Besides That? Syndrome.
This chart tends to undermine the stereotype of the free-spending, money-hemorrhaging Bush administration. If the numbers are correct, only defense and medical care have risen significantly during the present administration*, measured as a percentage of GDP. The increase in defense spending is good, and the increase in medical costs is bad, but typical of what has happened at all levels of government under current law.**
Translation: Here’s a chart that makes it look as though the Bush administration hasn’t been blowing gigantic cyclones of money out of the treasury. Since we at Powerline use data the way a drunk uses a lamppost — for support, not illumination — this chart is therefore useful in presenting a case that the opposite of reality may in fact be true.
[Shorter translation: We’re a trio of shyster lawyers whose notion of ‘evidence’ is purely instrumental — i.e., it is anything that may help ‘present a case.’]
UPDATE: Joshua Claybourn of In the Agora notes that 1) the chart doesn’t take into account commitments to future spending made by the Bush administration, most notably the Medicare drug entitlement, and 2) there is no reason to be satisified with expansion of government spending at the rate of GDP growth. Both are fair points, but do not negate the usefulness of the chart as a historical look at spending trends.
Posted by John at 10:14 PM
Translation: Besides? the fact that the chart is misleading in this context, it is indeed a chart about government spending.
[Some additional points of inquiry re: using GDP as a single metric: Housing bubble, tax cuts, deficit spending, trade imbalance.]
*And also that yellow line, and sort of the green one as well.
**We have no idea what this means.
Posted on December 9th, 2005 by Brad
Here’s the latest from Pastor Swank:
9/11 REPORT REVEALS MURTHA / PELOSI WRONG
By J. Grant Swank, Jr.
The 9/11 Commission lambaste underscores all the more that Congressmembers John Murtha and Nancy Pelosi are so off-center when it comes to New Iraq.
The Commission states that the US is not prepared for another Islamic killers attack. True. And it?s basically the fault of Congress.
Really? The Department of Homeland Security doesn’t share any blame? That’s funny, ’cause their mission statement says they’re supposed to “mobilize and organize our nation to secure the homeland from terrorist attacks.”
But then again, criticizing the DHS comes dangerously close to criticizing George W. Bush (a.k.a. “Jesus II”), so I can see why the good pastor would prefer to blame Congress.
Then why do Congressmembers such as Murtha and Pelosi rant that US troops must be brought home immediately? If they are, Islamic killers will swamp New Iraq with blood and then turn with major thrusts against the US.
Sounds kinky!
Yet the US is not prepared for Islamic attacks. So the logical conclusion at present is to remain in New Iraq where at least Islamic attacks are contained to that country with other sporadic attacks elsewhere. But to bring home the US troops immediately would hasten the Islamic killer attacks against the US.
Because really, there’s no better way to bring democracy to Iraq than by making it a haven for terrorists. And to be honest, I’d much rather let the terrorists thrust us in Iraq so they don’t have to thrust us here at home.
Above: What will happen if we leave the New Iraq.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted on December 9th, 2005 by Gavin M.
Eggs and bacon in the pan! Let’s go see if Pajamas Media has magically turned around since yesterday.
For More Traffic/Attention, Shout Here
Tobias S. Buckell
I was chatting with someone the other day about how to grow traffic to your site’s blog.
“It’s easy,” I said, “All you have to do is get involved in a major controversy.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well look, if you want to grow traffic what you need is a good online spat. Look, it works for Ann Coulter. Everytime she calls someone stupid the press is happy to write up reports about how mean and nasty she is, thus getting everyone to talk about her. All you have to do is get pissy about some shit or the other and you’ve got guaranteed attention. Why do you think political blogs can grow their traffic so quickly?”
“Really?”
“Yep,” I added. “And it works in all kinds of other places. Get strident. Get loud. Find an arch enemy.”
Hmm.
Tobias Buckell, enemy of…
Nah.
Posted on December 9th, 2005 by Brad
This is the best:
Donald E. Wildmon, founder and chairman of the American Family Association (AFA), used the occasion of the December 5 broadcast of AFA Report, his daily program on AFA-operated American Family Radio (AFR), to suggest that some members of the religious right would withdraw support for Israel if a prominent activist against anti-Semitism did not cease his criticism of it.
Y’know, this is why it’s really dangerous to advance your cause by enlisting the aid of lunatics- you never know when they’re gonna turn on you (see also: America’s arming of Afghani freedom fighters against the Soviets).
During the broadcast, Wildmon stated that Anti-Defamation League (ADL) President Abraham H. Foxman “got himself kind of in a bind” by criticizing the religious right. “[T]he strongest supporters Israel has are members of the religious right — the people he’s fighting,” Wildmon said. “[T]he more he says that ‘you people are destroying this country,’ you know, some people are going to begin to get fed up with this and say, ‘Well, all right then. If that’s the way you feel, then we just won’t support Israel anymore.’ “
Y’hear that, Foxman? Donny’s willing to forsake the Rapture just to spite you. Tsk, tsk, tsk.
Posted on December 9th, 2005 by Brad
I just finished watching the film adaptation of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible. Every time Abigail Williams appeared on screen, I immediately thought of Michelle Malkin. Funny how that works.
Posted on December 9th, 2005 by Gavin M.
Retardo is teh roxxor today. Oh yes.
Posted on December 8th, 2005 by Brad
WorldNetDaily is conducting a poll asking their readers how they feel about the White House sending out “holiday” cards instead of Christmas cards. The top three results so far:
What are your thoughts on President Bush’s ‘holiday’ card?
It bothers me that Bush bends over backward to not offend other religions while repeatedly shortchanging Christians – 33.32% (1358)
I agree with Farah – for someone who calls himself a Christian, Bush often doesn’t act like one – 22.37% (912)
There’s a pattern of Bush not standing up for his own claimed Christian faith ? he’s done it again –11.95% (487)
Yeah, starting unnecessary wars is one thing. But sending out “holiday” cards? That’s just un-Christian!
Posted on December 8th, 2005 by Brad
Today’s War on Christmas op-ed comes courtesy of Jason Carlson, a Christian Worldview Network columnist who is also “the Vice President of Christian Ministries International, an organization which trains and equips the local church to deal with the challenges of the cults, world religions, and Christian apologetic issues.”
In other words, this is gonna be extra, extra wingnutty. Let’s take a look:
Why the World Rejects ?Christmas?
By Jason Carlson
The Holiday season is in full swing.
Oh my God! He said “Holiday season,” without adding the obligatory scare quotes! What a secularist fag!
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted on December 8th, 2005 by
Now that Sami al-Arian has been found not guilty, let’s see what our favorite wingnuts had to say about the trial. First up, Michelle Malkin, in June 2005:
Oh, and if you wonder why some Republicans are tight-lipped about this case, I highly recommend you get a copy of Paul Sperry’s hard-hitting, new investigative book, Infiltration: How Muslim Spies and Subversives have Penetrated Washington, especially chapters 27, 28, and 29 on undue Islamist influence at the White House and Department of Homeland Security.
PowerNut, August 2005:
Professor of terrorism: An update
Same nut, June 2005:
The outcome of the trial of former University of South Florida Professor Sami al-Arian that commenced this past Monday in Tampa will provide another marker in the status of the war on the home front.
Little Green Somethings, August 2002:
The story of tenured University of South Florida professor Sami Al-Arian is complex and confusing, and it?s even remotely possible that he has nothing to do with terrorist organizations, despite all evidence to the contrary.
Remotely indeed.
Bonus: This internet radio thing is wicked awesome. (Thanks, again, to reader Tim.)
