I have noticed that some of the “regulars” here have been scratching their heads over the recent influxes of new commenters, some of whom are strange and exotic, along with the odd racist nutjob or two.
Although the Dan Collins post on Glenn Beck’s surgery generated a lot of traffic from Google (and is still doing so as I write this), most of the really odd commenters are being referred here by links at establishment media sites using Sphere widgets, which add related blog and news links to the content at those sites.  For example, PW posts have popped up with some regularity at CNN Election Central 2008, where the “From the Blogs” section at the bottom of the page often puts PW in both the Left and Right columns. However, I suspect the wackiest comments from the past few days were referrals from Sphere links at CBS News, which puts Sphere links at the bottom of many of its stories.
There are at least two benefits from the Sphere-based traffic. First, it is pumping up the page views, which benefits our esteemed host (and the rest of us indirectly). Indeed, there may be any number of lurking sane people who learn about PW this way. Second, if you visit establishment media sites, you are now likely to see links like “Iowa 2008: Beyond Electric Boogaloo, Pt. 3,” which is almost as amusing as some of the more bizzare comments left here.
Comment by maggie katzen on 1/9 @ 1:43 am #
I probably wouldn’t mind them as much if they had editors. but nooooo, it seems to always be big blocks of text that make my eyes glaze over.
Comment by happyfeet on 1/9 @ 2:06 am #
I WANT TO TALK TO TED
Comment by Off Colfax on 1/9 @ 4:09 am #
Of course, some of us could just be classical lurkers, waiting for the perfect time to strike with our L1BRUL C0MM3N75 UV D3WM!
But that would be mean. So we just won’t do it in 1337 when it happens.
Someone has to respect the Geneva Conventions around here, dammit!
Comment by Carin on 1/9 @ 6:32 am #
Off Colfax … for a while I was trying to figure out if it were a big joke being played by the usual suspects but the parody was off. As in, bonkers. I’M JUST SAD THAT WE DIDN’T GET A VISIT FROM ANY OF THE ALL-CAPS PERSONALITIES.
Really, teh party just isn’t complete until you see some capital typing. Happyfeet excluded.
Comment by jdm on 1/9 @ 6:49 am #
I hope no one posts anything past the final comment (#130) on the “What do you do with a candidate like Obama?” post, because that one is such a fitting ending.
Yes, sir!
PS JD’s comment, #125, was an excellent, if indirect, rebuttal to the “why vote, it doesn’t count anyway” argument.
Comment by Jeff on 1/9 @ 8:01 am #
Umbrage sir. I take umbrage. Heretofore, I have assiduously avoided commentary on that vast, unwashed degenerati known as the ‘noob.’ The most salient characteristics of the ‘noob’ are an ostentatious ‘vocabulary;’ an unnatural ‘voice’ either too elevated or too vulgar; an irritating abuse of the ’single’ quote mark and the semicolon; and fatuous, anaphora without an anastrophic ‘climax.’ Those illiterate nincompoops, those intemperate louts, those crapulent late-night no-gooders, those imps of the perverse asyndeton — yes, it is they with whom I take umbrage, sir.
Stop pretending. You KNOW who I’m talking about.
Comment by Swen Swenson on 1/9 @ 8:34 am #
Sane people commenting at PW? Well, there goes the neighborhood.
Comment by JD on 1/9 @ 8:35 am #
jdm – That was my interesting thought for the year.
Comment by Carin on 1/9 @ 8:47 am #
PSA:
asyndeton |əˈsindəˌtän| noun ( pl. -deta |-dətə|) the omission or absence of a conjunction between parts of a sentence.
anaphora Rhetoric the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses. Like Obama’s song?
anastrophe |əˈnastrəfē| noun Rhetoric the inversion of the usual order of words or clauses.
Comment by The Ouroboros on 1/9 @ 9:19 am #
“Strange” is a time honored tradition here at PW..
Welcome new strange people..
Speaking of strange, I see that Billy Jack is posting again.. Now if we can just get Ward, Leif, the smartly dressed Dolphin & those loquacious Jihadis to say a few words it will be old times..
Comment by JD on 1/9 @ 9:23 am #
Scenes from a Fallujah Bunker … I go back and read some of those every week. And the Kennedy interview.
Strange is a relative term. These people make alpuccino look positively normal.
Comment by JD on 1/9 @ 9:25 am #
As I said before, and jdm noted, it is important to remember that these certifiable lunatics cancel out your vote. It is equally, if not more important, to ensure that you cancel their vote out. Stamp all over their franchise. Muahhahahahahahahaha.
Comment by The Lost Dog on 1/9 @ 9:43 am #
Personnally, I welcome the “illiterati”.
I’m tired of trying to carry the torch by myself here.
Comment by The Lost Dog on 1/9 @ 9:44 am #
I also welcome anyone who is capable of spelling as badly as I do…
Comment by Carin on 1/9 @ 10:07 am #
Strange may be a time-honored tradition here, but we (assumedly) know when we’re being strange. It’s not an accident. It’s more like a gift.
The bizarre/strange I’ve been seeing seems … unavoidable. Chronic. Unaware.
Comment by Andrew on 1/9 @ 10:45 am #
Oooh!
I’m new-ish. Do I qualify as strange and exotic?
‘Cause I’m pretty sure that would bring the white chicks.
Comment by alppuccino on 1/9 @ 10:55 am #
“These people make alpuccino look positively normal.”
This barb really stings. I’ve always been this way.
Comment by JD on 1/9 @ 11:01 am #
alpuccino – No harm intended. I love you, in a totally manly way.
Comment by Jeff on 1/9 @ 11:17 am #
Too true. White girls can only feel freely sexual in the arms of the Other, not the White Male Opressor ™. But don’t get me started, mate. I’ve already been banned from Little Green Footballs for using the term ‘feminazi.’ [sniff, sniff]
But isn’t Protein Wisdom just what the sexologist ordered? A forgivably oppressive, intellectually endowed Other.
Yes. Even if the site design is Whitey ™.
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