Open Thread

by: sricki

Wed Jun 17, 2009 at 22:00:48 PM EDT


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Open Thread | 92 comments
Vote for Google to change their logo for a day (2.00 / 6)
Not likely to work imho, but worth a shot...

Vote  

"Conway, whom experience had taught that rudeness was by no means a guarantee of good faith, was even less inclined to regard a well-turned phrase as a proof of insincerity."  James Hilton, Lost Horizon

Thank You (2.00 / 7)
Kudos to our Madame Secretary:


"I wouldn't know a Twitter from a tweeter, but apparently, it is very important," Clinton said during an appearance with Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman.

Paul Richter  - Hillary Clinton defends Twitter efforts for Iran LA Times 18 Jun 09

Hillary, it should be noted, appeared in an all green pantsuit.  You go girl!

Another candidate for 'understatement of the day' award:


"It may take a while for history to sort out what has been happening this week," [Professor Jonathan L Zittrain co-founder of the Berkman Centre for Internet and Society at Harvard] told the BBC.

Maggie Shiels - Twitter responds on Iranian role BBC 17 Jun 09

I guess.  And while we are enjoying this emotionally uplifting chain of events it is worth noting the omnipresent 'dark side,' lest we lose perspective.  'Tis a brave new world.

Where did you hear about the green pantsuit. (2.00 / 6)
I could imagine her going for a green scarf, but a green pantsuit?  

"When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying the cross." - Sinclair Lewis

[ Parent ]
See for Yourself (2.00 / 6)

[ Parent ]
That shouts her support (2.00 / 5)
That could be more powerful than words from Obama. I haven't seen any tweets about it yet. I wonder if the word has reached the protesters?  

"When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying the cross." - Sinclair Lewis

[ Parent ]
Like Everything Else These Days (2.00 / 5)
I hoiked it off Twitter.
[ Parent ]
*grins* (2.00 / 4)
She's dazzling in green. ; )

"I now am bold to say to the swift changing hours,
Pass, pass upon your way, for I grow never old,
Fleet to the dark abysm with all your fading flowers,
One rose that none may pluck, within my heart I hold."
[ Parent ]
beat me to it! (2.00 / 5)
honestly so awesome that she chose to wear green???

"I spend my days and nights pondering the meaning of life, the state of the universe, and the Home Shopping Network." -- Donald Roller Wilson
[ Parent ]
Sending wishes for a speedy recovery to Madam Secretary... (2.00 / 2)
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton expects to have surgery soon to repair a broken elbow she suffered in a fall in the State Department garage.

State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley told reporters that no date for the surgery has been set, but that it likely would be scheduled "in the coming week."

He said Clinton was working from home Thursday and had made no decision about whether to go ahead with planned overseas travel, including a scheduled trip next week to Italy and Greece. Clinton canceled her public appointments, including an appearance with actress Angelina Jolie on Thursday morning at a Washington event marking World Refugee Day.

Crowley said Clinton was walking toward her official vehicle in the State Department's basement garage when she fell about 5 p.m. Wednesday. At the time, she and Richard Holbrooke, the administration's coordinator of policy on Afghanistan and Pakistan, were headed to a meeting at the White House.

huffington post
[ Parent ]
One thing I've noticed in many of the photos (2.00 / 6)
from Iran is that there are an awful lot of beautiful women in Iran.

"When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying the cross." - Sinclair Lewis

Yeah (2.00 / 6)
Now that's change you can believe in.
[ Parent ]
I've already decided I am going to marry the woman in the first pic... (2.00 / 5)


"Conway, whom experience had taught that rudeness was by no means a guarantee of good faith, was even less inclined to regard a well-turned phrase as a proof of insincerity."  James Hilton, Lost Horizon
[ Parent ]
Good Luck (2.00 / 5)
And enjoy your conversion to Islam.
[ Parent ]
She said it wasn't necessary for me... (0.00 / 0)
She liked my eyes. Inshallah.

Moose Juice; debate without hate
[ Parent ]
I Thought I Heard That... (0.00 / 0)
You already had a pair of green eyes watching you.
[ Parent ]
At least the Iranians I know are not that much (0.00 / 0)
hung over with religion...Incidently I happen to know few Jewish-Iranians couples in the city..
[ Parent ]
Flower of Islam (2.00 / 1)

The Holy Prophet said: "He who marries a woman for her beauty, Allah will assign the beauty of that woman as a harm and trouble for him."

Wasa'il-ush Shi'ah


[ Parent ]
I can live with a beauty of mind and body... (2.00 / 1)
I'm perfectly happy to go to hell and live with such beauties..hah..and normally I reserve choicest words for such religious sayings..(sorry..)  
[ Parent ]
Fair Comment (0.00 / 0)
On the other hand the prophet sounds like he knows what he's talking about, I've had some thoughts along those lines myself over time.
[ Parent ]
That's not gone unnoticed by me, either. n/t (2.00 / 4)


"I now am bold to say to the swift changing hours,
Pass, pass upon your way, for I grow never old,
Fleet to the dark abysm with all your fading flowers,
One rose that none may pluck, within my heart I hold."
[ Parent ]
We know babe (2.00 / 3)
You chose the picture. It's win win all round

Moose Juice; debate without hate
[ Parent ]
can't. stop. giggling. (2.00 / 7)

Re: WTF is that? (2.00 / 3)

I know it's like "hmm.  Wtf?  W.T.F...." and then you begin to feel afraid.

I'm worried about subliminal messages, like after watching it someone will flash a red queen at me and I'll get in my car and drive it into a fuel station at 90 miles an hour.

When you start out making the "slippery slope" argument, where do you draw the line?
by Jess81 on Wed Jun 17, 2009 at 09:24:58 PM EST

http://www.mydd.com/comments/2...

"I spend my days and nights pondering the meaning of life, the state of the universe, and the Home Shopping Network." -- Donald Roller Wilson

Good God (2.00 / 4)
I feel weird, like I need to have my brain washed out with soap.
[ Parent ]
oh but there's more. comment on youtube. (2.00 / 5)
"people said i was crazy when i started making my own clothing out of whipped cream and standing on my lawn hurling live frogs at people and yelling. but now i know i was just thinking outside the circle - a taj mahal of consciousness, as it were."

"I spend my days and nights pondering the meaning of life, the state of the universe, and the Home Shopping Network." -- Donald Roller Wilson
[ Parent ]
Ozymandias (2.00 / 6)
'Look on my works ye mighty and despair...'
[ Parent ]
Another one, (with all of 74 views) (2.00 / 4)
I actually transcribed that gibberish, but i can't bear to post it.  Punish yourselves if you really have to:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...

"Conway, whom experience had taught that rudeness was by no means a guarantee of good faith, was even less inclined to regard a well-turned phrase as a proof of insincerity."  James Hilton, Lost Horizon

[ Parent ]
omg. (2.00 / 4)
this is just um - effed up. everything from the acoustic guitar, the narration and those crazy images - seriously yo - ya think we are being brainwashed?

"I spend my days and nights pondering the meaning of life, the state of the universe, and the Home Shopping Network." -- Donald Roller Wilson
[ Parent ]
It's like William Shatner... (2.00 / 5)
...was kidnapped by a 15 year old would-be political ad maker (think Misery but younger) and he's been held in the basement with her and Powerpoint, and the works of Ayn Rand and the CD from the local sauna, and now she's getting out the sledgehammer...

Moose Juice; debate without hate
[ Parent ]
Ah HAHAHA, heeheeheehee, hoo hoo hoo hoo.... (2.00 / 6)


"Conway, whom experience had taught that rudeness was by no means a guarantee of good faith, was even less inclined to regard a well-turned phrase as a proof of insincerity."  James Hilton, Lost Horizon
[ Parent ]
Great Youtube comment: (2.00 / 6)
Bwah hahahaha! Do these asshats realize the Taj Mahal is a TOMB?!?


"Conway, whom experience had taught that rudeness was by no means a guarantee of good faith, was even less inclined to regard a well-turned phrase as a proof of insincerity."  James Hilton, Lost Horizon
[ Parent ]
Oh THANK YOU for posting that! (2.00 / 7)
Near went into hysterics laughing at it on MyDD.

And Jess is a personal hero of mine.

"I now am bold to say to the swift changing hours,
Pass, pass upon your way, for I grow never old,
Fleet to the dark abysm with all your fading flowers,
One rose that none may pluck, within my heart I hold."

[ Parent ]
Yeah mine too (2.00 / 6)
Why won't she come to the Moose

/pouts

Moose Juice; debate without hate

[ Parent ]
That was wrong (2.00 / 6)
and we are all stupider for having sat through it...
[ Parent ]
That was just weird. (2.00 / 3)
It was like listening to the Left Hand Killer in South Park:

"I will show you my glory, and you will See.

This is me in front of the Grand Canyon.  Do you See?"

Someone needs their lithium...

"Conway, whom experience had taught that rudeness was by no means a guarantee of good faith, was even less inclined to regard a well-turned phrase as a proof of insincerity."  James Hilton, Lost Horizon

[ Parent ]
Sadly (2.00 / 4)
That's the 'after' picture for lithium.
[ Parent ]
After reading the comments about this (2.00 / 5)
I refuse to watch it. I'm in a good mood and don't want to ruin it. I've got a stomach full of chocolate cake and ice cream and just won 2 games of headsup poker on pokerstars playing against the worst poker player I've ever seen. It was so easy it was almost embarrassing. Now I think I'll go to bed and dream of green pantsuits and cabbages and kings.

"When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying the cross." - Sinclair Lewis

[ Parent ]
teehee. (2.00 / 4)
its your decision - but perhaps it may help improve your mood.

"I spend my days and nights pondering the meaning of life, the state of the universe, and the Home Shopping Network." -- Donald Roller Wilson
[ Parent ]
Oh, hon.....what have you exposed us to?? (2.00 / 3)
because of you, dear CG....

Hillary looks rather uncomfortable there at the end......not to mention how Nefertiti musta felt!



"And now here is my secret, a very simple secret;
it is only with the heart that one can see rightly,
what is essential is invisible to the eye."
~Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

[ Parent ]
Ya think? (2.00 / 3)
Photobucket

"And now here is my secret, a very simple secret;
it is only with the heart that one can see rightly,
what is essential is invisible to the eye."
~Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
[ Parent ]
Someone needs to tell him... (2.00 / 3)

[ Parent ]
Either that or pass it along. (2.00 / 1)


Without poverty, corruption, injustice, bigotry, stupidity, and inequality good people like us would have absolutely nothing to do. - fogiv
[ Parent ]
When She Vacates Her Body...? (2.00 / 1)
Sounds like somebody has vacated their mind.
[ Parent ]
Something missing. (2.00 / 4)
I don't seem to have a place in my brain that can process that narrative.  I recognize the words as English but the sentences (paragraphs?) just sound like gibberish...something about the Taj Mahal and a circle (a circle? uh-oh!).

Remember that movie The Circle?  This is kind of like that, you watch the video and within 30 minutes your head explodes.

[ Parent ]
Exactly that's what it is.Vacuous Intellectual gibberish! (2.00 / 1)

[ Parent ]
Jess and I think that the voice over is done by New Hampster (2.00 / 1)
http://www.mydd.com/comments/2...

It seems like Jack Handey's Deep Thought of the day...

[ Parent ]
The one that's bothered me about this whole (2.00 / 2)
LGBT outrage thing is when you read the reaction on the blogs (and a few of my friends did) it reinforces the stereotype of the overdramatic gay man, the unhinged irrational emotional queen. I hate that stereotype. I tend to get offended whenever my mom tries to pin it on me; "Oh stop being such a queen!"

I mean the reaction has been more than theatric, hokey and overdramatic IMO, we're talking Faye Dunaway as Joan Crawford in Mommie Dearest with the Wire Hangers dramatic.

Anyway, one more week before I fly to my first gay wedding in Iowa...America for a month!  

Having worked in the hospitality industry awhile (2.00 / 1)
I have to say, that most gay weddings I've attended or been involved in are a tad more tasteful than straight weddings. Not always, but the music tends to at least be better...

The exception tends to be with lesbian weddings. There is a certain age when lesbians lose all taste or decorum, and Massachusetts is beset with a good many of these women marrying. Their older counterparts, fine. Their younger counterparts, fine. But you get a 40 something lesbian couple, it gets ugly, fast...

[ Parent ]
I have no idea what you guys are talking about... (2.00 / 2)
Did I wander into the wrong diary?

Moose Juice; debate without hate
[ Parent ]
Open Thread (2.00 / 2)

[ Parent ]
Keep it up and I'll start posting up pics of food. (2.00 / 1)
I'm terrible excited since the court decision this week has guaranteed the Coyotes to stay in Glendale at least another year.

Which means I've still got a job. OK, I'd probably still have a job, but I really didn't want to transfer to the Convention Center. And I really didn't want to see my boss transfered down there either. There is a LOT of work to get them sorted out, and I was really not looking forward to learning a whole new facility and having to deal with a new crew who aren't happy to see us because the boss who hired them was gone.  

[ Parent ]
Hmmm... (2.00 / 2)
Interesting thought, from Reza Aslan's interview with Rachel Maddow:


What's really fascinating about what's happening right now in 2009 is that it looks a lot like what was happening in 1979. And there's a very simple reason for that. The same people are in charge -- I mean, Mousavi, Rafsanjani, Khatami, Medhi Karroubi, the other reformist candidate -- these were all the original revolutionaries who brought down the Shah to begin with, so they know how to do this right.

Reza Aslan - Live-Blogging The Uprising MSNBC (via Huffington Post) 17 Jun 09

'This is just beginning, Rachel, this is just the beginning.'

Mr Aslan talks about the clerics but completely forget the (2.00 / 2)
contribution of the leaders with left democratic and secular visions like Mehdi Bazargan (Iran's first PM after revolution), Sadegh Ghotbzadeh (executed by Khomeini), Mostafa Chamran (allegedly killed in mysterious circumstances) Ebrahim Yazdi et al and who were equally responsible for the Iranian revolution. Most of them was marginalized, executed (neutralized is probably the term) by likes of Khomeini and Mousavi followers.

Here's a book I have started reading recently: Rebels with a Cause: The Failure of Left in Iran by Maziar Bahrooz,

http://books.google.com/books?...

[ Parent ]
I didn't include Ali Shariati's name because he was killed by Savak (2.00 / 1)
in 1975. I probably should have because he was the intellectual horsepower behind Iran's left movement for freedom.
[ Parent ]
Good Point (2.00 / 2)
I'm not yet prepared to hope that this movement, and the foreseeable consequences, will overturn the notion of theocracy.  On the other hand I'm not convinced that a Western-style secular democracy would serve Iran at this particular moment.  Would probably be worth discussing futher.
[ Parent ]
Don't underestimate the power of democracy...for all I know (2.00 / 1)
India for all its faults have continued to have a form of democracy for almost 60 years...why not Iran...
[ Parent ]
Yeah... (2.00 / 2)
I can remember the 'secular' Iran of the shah, it was pretty amazing.  On the other hand the collegial piety of Iran, and Afghanistan for that matter, was tangible.  If that provides a unifying principle or aligns with their notions justice and stability, and provides resistance to the myriad tyrannies to which the region is prey, maybe that's OK.  On the other hand if it is an instrument of medieval reaction, not so much.
[ Parent ]
Ah...the ever optimist is now the cynical me...why the change? (0.00 / 0)

[ Parent ]
I was wondering this about myself. (2.00 / 2)
I've come up with a new term, actually two possible terms.

I now consider myself a realoptimist or an optirealist.  

"When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying the cross." - Sinclair Lewis

[ Parent ]
What does it tell us...we are all complex creatures..with (2.00 / 1)
lots of shades and hues...devolving ourselves into binary reductionist bins of black and white, good and bad, pessimist and optimist are over simplistic and sometimes completely wrong model  
[ Parent ]
Ambassador Nicholas Burns (2.00 / 2)
chimes in on Obama's handling of the Iranian crisis.

This morning I finally composed my response to John McCain for his bull headed and ill conceived ideas on the subject. He is my Senator now, after all. I doubt that I will get a response, but Senators tend to take letters from their own back yards a bit more to heart.

[ Parent ]
Read Burns' Comments a Few Days Ago (0.00 / 0)
I agree with him and reckon Obama has been pitch perfect so far, even the Iranians in the street can understand it makes sense for the US to stay out of it.  So long as he doesn't actually endorse the election results we are supporting the opposition without providing the hard-liners with justification for their propaganda.
[ Parent ]
For some perspective how the protests are spread out... (2.00 / 3)

I'll let you guess what the green dots stand for...

Ahwaz,
Shiraz,
Gorgan,
Tabriz,
Rasht,
Babol,
Mashhad

reported in:

Zahedan,
Qazvin,
Sari,
Karaj,
Tabriz,
Shahsavar,
Orumieh,
Bandar Abbas,
Arak,
Birjend.

[ Parent ]
I know.... (0.00 / 0)
St. Patrick's Day revelers gone amuck?

Wait a minute... wait a minute - let's define our terms here.
[ Parent ]
If The Daily Show footage last night is to be believed... (2.00 / 1)
...that Glorious Bastard...
[ Parent ]
I suppose we could have realized that the fix was in just by looking at Ahmadinijad's day planner (2.00 / 1)
Who books a flight to Russia for a meeting before an election?

"Hey, Mir-Hossein, doustet daram, I'm out the door and all, so I'll give your love to Pooty-Poot. SUCKER!"

//why yes I do realize that the change over between the offices would perhaps be more orderly and delayed, but it is an interesting image...

[ Parent ]
Chinese response (0.00 / 0)
[ Parent ]
Fascinating Stuff (0.00 / 0)
Saw that twittered recently.  Everythings connected, ironic that Chinese activists were initially unwittingly supporting this phenomenon.
[ Parent ]
Update for the 18th (2.00 / 3)
18th of June - The protests show no signs of slowing down, and the fact that the government has been less violent so far and concentrating on discrediting the protesters instead shows that they are losing grip and painfully aware of all the attention given to what is happening right now, CNN notwithstanding. It's also a worrying step, because the moment they start feeling they are losing grip even more is the moment where they might begin to unleash brutal waves of violence again, much worse than what we've seen so far.

- There is a (so far) quiet march going on, where all the protesters are dressed in black and mourning those who have died so far. The crowds are estimated to be as big as they have been for the last few days, so that puts them between 1,000,000 and 2,000,000 in Tehran alone.

- The State TV has been turned into a full-blown anti-Revolution machine, constantly hammering on how evil the "thugs" who are smashing around private property are. Problem is that those thugs are in fact Basij dressed in green, but IRIB is reporting it as pro-Moussavi supporters. They have also been showing documentaries about the evils of the internet and how the US, UK and Israel are behind the protests. State Radio is not much better, with talking heads calling for the death of those evil thugs destabilizing the country at the behest of external forces. They have also issued false reports that Moussavi was "condeming the rioters".

- The Government has closed Iran to all foreign communication and coverage, according to many reports. It would also seem that the Iranian government has opened an account in the name of Ayatollah Khameini on Twitter. There are reports that senior aides to all reformist candidates have been arrested, but it has yet to be collaborated and this is not the first time we hear such reports.

- According to Reuters, Iranian prosecutors have warned of the death penalty for the rioters who are involved in violence. Islamic cleric have warned that not going to Friday's prayer service makes you worthy of the death penalty. It is unclear yet what isn't worthy of death penalty at this point if you protest against the regime.

- All the violence reported over Iran is now exclusively done by the Basij, Ansar and, if the rumours are true, Hizbullah and Hamas. The police have completely stopped participating in the repression of the population, and both the Army and IRG are standing still and not doing anything. This is good news, but the Basij are sadly not reducing the level of violence they are unleashing on the population, beating up everyone they can get their hands on. It continued all throughout the night and during the day, but due to the mass of people involved it seems that they are restraining themselves when it comes to the mass rallies, preferring to pick isolated targets.

There are reports of mobilizations of Basij for Friday--with Khameni supposedly leading prayers and vigil. Questions still remain if it will be used as an excuse to gather up dissenters, including Mousavi.

- Universities have cancelled all exams all over the country, and a long list of rebel students was given to all universities and they have to report the students, who are to be arrested on sight.

- There have been a few confirmed cases of people threatened inside the United States for providing proxies for the revolution. Their details were available on the internet so they were passed around pro-Government forces. If you are helping this revolution, be careful to do so as anonymously as you can. It doesn't mean you are risking your life, but it could potentially result in harrassment or vandalism.

[ Parent ]
Terrific and Timely Synopsis (2.00 / 1)
Apparently the protest this evening is huge.  Mousavi wants Google to go 'green' for a day.  How 'bout that?
[ Parent ]
You Must Be Twittering (2.00 / 1)
Furiously.
[ Parent ]
Farking like crazy (0.00 / 0)
is a much better term.

It's much easier to turn the "noise" down with that as a filter. Also a lot easier to chase down articles and trade opinion. We've been lucky on Fark to have a few folks who do speak Farsi in the threads--we're up to 19 threads of 1500 so posts each. A lot of it is reposts and rumor mill, but it's easier to sort it out there, than on Twitter...

[ Parent ]
Looks like Austin Heap's servers have had a few attempts at HaXxoRsed (0.00 / 0)
And what's odd?  There are //b//tards responding to it.

It is officially a nutty, nutty, nutty day.  

[ Parent ]
Assorted links (2.00 / 1)
Council on Foreign Relation--Crisis of Legitimacy

Today's GuardianUK Live Feed

Partial Translation:
"I have come due to concerns of current political and social conditions - to defend the rights of the nation. I have come to improve Iran's International relations. I have come to tell the world and return to Iran our pride, our dignity, our future. I have come to bring to Iran a FUTURE of FREEDOM, of HOPE. I have come to represent the poor the helpless the hungry. I have come to be ACCOUNTABLE to you my people and to this world.

"Iran must participate in FAIR elections, it is a matter of national importance. I have come to you because of the corruption in Iran. 25% inflation means IGNORANCE - THIEVING - CORRUPTION - where is the wealth of my nation? What have you done with $300 BILLION in last 4 years - where is the wealth of the nation? The next Government of Iran will be chosen by the people. Why do all our young want to leave this country?"

Which strikes the note that he hammered Ahadenijad during the election about financial mishandling. From the father of the Iranian bond market...

The time in Iran, as of right now, is about 7:30pm.

There have been several reports of folks being arrested who are in the hospital, and the families of those killed are being harassed to NOT talk to the press or pretty much anyone.

Joe Klein has this piece.

The WSJ's ROSHANAK TAGHAVI


[ Parent ]
Keeping up with Iran today... (2.00 / 2)
Mousavi has called for another mass rally today, called a "Mourning" rally for the now over 30 killed by government soldiers in the ongoing protests over the Iranian elections.

And these rallies are getting bigger every day, despite the Iranian government's attempts to block International press coverage and even Twitter.

There will be more leaks, I'm sure... I'm going to check in with Nico Pitney's updates at HuffPo as the day goes on.

Another way to stay on top of what's going on in Iran is through Citizentube which is lining up the YouTube videos coming out of that country (and note that the government has managed to block about 90% of those videos already)... the last video reports available since the broadcast networks were cut off.

Between Twitter and YouTube we are seeing a tremendous influence of the Internet on this ongoing protest activity... not something governments have had to consider in the past.

Under The LobsterScope

Pics from that rally (0.00 / 0)
[ Parent ]
Persians are some attractive people. (2.00 / 5)
Also, I am currently throwing a tantrum on MyDD after a day of asking the admins to undo the over 100 pages of trs on my profile.

Eff that place for reals.   If you wanna read some hot tips on WoWGold though there's some stuff on the rec list.

Wait a minute... wait a minute - let's define our terms here.

Lately... (2.00 / 3)
...that place is atrocious.  I head on over to uprate.  You were on a frickin' roll yesterday, BTW.

It's a terrible thing to look over your shoulder when you are trying to lead, and find no one there. -Franklin Roosevelt
[ Parent ]
Thanks (2.00 / 5)
although it's more the principle than anything else.  Toward the end my emails were basically "helloooooo.... helloooooo.... This is neat, I can hear an echo!"

This place is sooooo much better than the last time I checked, which I'm embarrassed to say was a few months ago. I told Sricki that the problem I had was that I always remembered to check it after visiting the other place and it would be the same diaries and I was all commented out.

Now it's more people, more diaries.

Wait a minute... wait a minute - let's define our terms here.

[ Parent ]
Like everything, there is a cycle to it. (2.00 / 5)
The Moose slows down from time to time, but it seems to always be at least interesting comment.

"Conway, whom experience had taught that rudeness was by no means a guarantee of good faith, was even less inclined to regard a well-turned phrase as a proof of insincerity."  James Hilton, Lost Horizon
[ Parent ]
I used to chafe at the slowness of the Moose sometimes (2.00 / 2)
(especially coming from DKos where there are dozens of diaries posted every hour) but I really appreciate that a subject can be debated for a few days, which leads to thoughtful comments and a chance for reflection and contemplation instead of rushed, knee-jerk reactions.
[ Parent ]
They have their own uses. (2.00 / 2)
For my own personal pace DKOS is too hectic.  It is mostly a great place to make a statement (for the diarist) and to agree with it (for the commenter).  The KOS reclist highlights in a very public way issues that need attention on a large scale, and that's cool.

But I like to discuss things.  That's why I trended to MyDD from DKOS, and since it didn't work real well despite the opportunity for it to do so, why I ended up here.

"Conway, whom experience had taught that rudeness was by no means a guarantee of good faith, was even less inclined to regard a well-turned phrase as a proof of insincerity."  James Hilton, Lost Horizon

[ Parent ]
Welcome to the Moose. (2.00 / 2)
We do have a lot of crossposting with MYDD. I've never been real happy about that, because it has the effect you just mentioned of making us look less unique. I was trying to get people to post a summary over there with a link back to the full article here. The problem is that all of the founders here were originally active on MYDD and really hated to abandon the site completely. A few of us left and never looked back, but many of us still visit and post on MYDD every day. But that's the 'Net and how it will always be.

"When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying the cross." - Sinclair Lewis

[ Parent ]
Only two reclist diaries with comments, (2.00 / 3)
1 on the first and 9 on the second.

...and very little on Iran?

"Conway, whom experience had taught that rudeness was by no means a guarantee of good faith, was even less inclined to regard a well-turned phrase as a proof of insincerity."  James Hilton, Lost Horizon

[ Parent ]
Over 100 PAGES?? (2.00 / 3)
Someone has wayyyyyyy too much free time. I had someone do about 300 of my comments one time (chicagomary, I think). Did you lose TR status? I'll head over and uprate your last 100 comments or so after I drop by the bank in a few minutes... that should make sure you get it back or ensure that you don't lose it.

Good to see you here, by the way. ; ) I promise the dialogue is far better, and there's generally a lot more original content than you might think, except of course in slow periods.  

"I now am bold to say to the swift changing hours,
Pass, pass upon your way, for I grow never old,
Fleet to the dark abysm with all your fading flowers,
One rose that none may pluck, within my heart I hold."

[ Parent ]
seriously.... (2.00 / 4)
don't worry about it.

In other news, I just watched video of a "protest" attended by 5 people outside David Letterman's studio, and was about to change my sig to "KEEP CHILDREN AWAY FROM DAVID LETTERMAN'S MOUTH! HE WILL RAPE THEM WITH HIS MOUTH!" but then I realized that I was just trying to inflict that mental image on everyone else so I wouldn't have to suffer alone.

I may yet do it anyway.

Wait a minute... wait a minute - let's define our terms here.

[ Parent ]
This is not helpful... (2.00 / 2)
10:21 AM ET -- Just what Ahmadinejad wanted. Via Adam Blickstein.

Rep. Pence and Republican Leaders to Hold Press Conference Supporting Iranian Dissidents

Thursday, June 18th, 2009
1:45 p.m.
House Radio/TV Gallery, H-321, The Capitol

huffington post
These are real anti-American idiots (2.00 / 4)
Why do they hate America?

"When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying the cross." - Sinclair Lewis

[ Parent ]
You can so clearly see the political rationalizing: (2.00 / 2)
"We can capitalize on this for the good of our party by doing the opposite of the President."

I seriously doubt that there was consideration as to whether shooting the president in the back would have negative consequences on America's interests or foreign policy, other than to recognize that as the marginalized party they can always blame Obama for any outcome, and that any failure of America is a win for the GOP.  They can do everything to bring harm to the country just immediately short of actually sending cash and weapons to our enemies and it all fits inside their political motivations

"I want President Obama to fail."

-Rush Limbaugh



"Conway, whom experience had taught that rudeness was by no means a guarantee of good faith, was even less inclined to regard a well-turned phrase as a proof of insincerity."  James Hilton, Lost Horizon
[ Parent ]
My thoughts exactly. (2.00 / 1)

[ Parent ]
They don't draw the line there either. (0.00 / 0)
Remember Iran-contra.

"When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying the cross." - Sinclair Lewis

[ Parent ]
You are my Sunshine... (2.00 / 1)


"Conway, whom experience had taught that rudeness was by no means a guarantee of good faith, was even less inclined to regard a well-turned phrase as a proof of insincerity."  James Hilton, Lost Horizon
Nico Pitney at Huffington Post put up this video (2.00 / 3)
this afternoon.  It is from June 14th.  Here is Nico's description:  
Video surfaces of apparent attack on students. We've heard for several days now of the wave of violence that swept over Tehran University earlier in the week. There has been some video posted of the results of the attacks -- dorm rooms and computers destroyed, students sporting large bruises and cuts.

But now, some footage of the actual moment of an attack -- pure thuggery:

 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...

Most of the video is filmed sideways.  I have no idea if there is a way to shift it around.

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