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Reading John Cole: a (not particularly long-winded) primer

1. I’m sorry. But what on earth would you do that for?
2.
3.

172 Replies to “Reading John Cole: a (not particularly long-winded) primer”

  1. Hurray!
    We’re like sisters!

  2. Karl says:

    Jeff,

    If you don’t like my work, just say so. I can stop, as I did last weekend, which cut traffic by about 50%. The post flagging Cole, otoh, got Insta-lanched and brought in thousands of visits.

  3. Obstreperous Infidel says:

    Alleluliah!!!!eleventy!!!1111 Tis Jeff!

  4. Jeff G. says:

    What are you talking about, Karl? I like your work. That was a comment on Cole’s blathering, not on your having read it. Our job is to notice these things.

    What I don’t understand is how he has an audience in the first place.

    We, on the other hand — as the GUARDIANS OF THE SPHERE — are forced to deal with that which we would not ordinarily choose to stomach. Goes with the territory. Like reading Greenwaldses or The “Moderate” Voice, or having blogversations with likes of Cole or Caric or Marcotte or anything that oozes up out of the bubbling cauldron of firedoglake.

    Really. There should be perks. Like, maybe, an occasional Hickory Farms meat basket.

  5. Jeff G. says:

    But you do sound bitter and upset about something, I must say. I hope nothing Bloomian is going on here.

    Sorry. I’ll retreat into the nethers again. Best not to upset the balance of things.

    (Man, this martial arts stuff has got me all Miyagi-ed up! It’s like being on ‘shrooms, only every one is short and asian instead of, say, orange, or wearing clown makeup).

  6. SarahW says:

    Karl, l speak for myself, but I wouldn take that as dissapproval of your work subjects or your work product. That’s a slap at the Coleness of Cole and the crazy that is passed off as reason.
    Why would one read Cole? Because it’s interesting, in a science project sort of way, to see foibles of the mind fungate out and bleed rusty spores, nibbled by ants and bears who can’t believe they just did that.

  7. JImmie says:

    Cole is a complete poltroon who occasionaly decides that I’m worth his venom. Generally, I ignore the guy because he gives me one of those headaches like I get from dealing with a room full of tired two year old children for a couple hours.

    Still, it’s fun for me to just call him an idiot once in a while. It gets him all riled up like Donald Duck. I’m glad you guys take the hit more often on our behalf and go dumpter diving into his blog.

  8. Slartibartfast says:

    DougJ’s favorite exciteable boy did make me consider that I used to like Cole for many of the same reasons I used to like Misha’s stuff: because I didn’t know any better.

    So, there is some value to be had, for some of us.

  9. Karl says:

    Jeff,

    How is a post questioning why anyone would read Cole notresume blogging).

    On March 24, you thanked me and the others for our work, but your recent comments on my stuff have sent a more mixed signal. That’s what I’m talking about. If you like my stuff fine — but I take your comments seriously.

  10. happyfeet says:

    It’s a lot like how one might listen to NPR I think. You can get your narrative distilled and without the flighty creative embellishments of like Andy Sullivan. Cole isn’t clever enough stray from the narrative path ever really, so all teh stupid is the for real unpasteurized stuff. That’s all I got.

    Jeff I think a lot you are getting sort of contextualized in an all that is necessary for the triumph of evil frame cause of your taking a break and all, even if it’s well-earned and you’re probably doing gangbusters being the change you want to see and all that while you’re out of view. Actually I think that would just be me saying that.

  11. Karl says:

    oh, that got badly mangled. I’ll resend shortly.

  12. Slartibartfast says:

    See, that’s the problem with becoming the center of our world, Jeff: you just can’t play around, anymore.

    How can you stand the strain?

  13. Pablo says:

    I’m outraged!

    Wingnuts.

  14. Jeff G. says:

    Again, sorry I showed up. Me and my disparagements.

    Keep telling self: stay away from blog. Just enjoy SuperTarget. Breathe.

  15. happyfeet says:

    Oh. *to* stray. And also some of it’s not fair it’s just that the zeitgeist is frustratingly a lot tailor-made for your sort of ouevre – Wright – Black Liberation Theology – Baracky’s Patriot Employer Act – The media’s “Great Depression” meme – that sort of thing.

  16. happyfeet says:

    SuperTarget rocks. And yours has foozle. My Target foozle is a lot suspect.

  17. Karl says:

    Jeff,

    A post questioning why anyone would read Cole seems like a comment on my having read it in light of your most recent comments on my posts. For example, last Friday, snarking on my repeat-posting on a topic CraigC had blogged (true, but gratuitous). Or before that, the passive-aggressive comment on how things were running so well at PW that you could go do something else (not exactly the way to motivate a JeffG fan like me to keep going).

    Don’t get me wrong. On March 24, you thanked me and the others, which I appreciated. But your recent comments have not exactly been positive reinforcement. And I take your comments seriously.

  18. SarahW says:

    Man! Now I’m sad.
    Everyone should have thicker sausage casings. And a meat-pig.

  19. Karl says:

    And I second happyfeet as well. Particularly the part about the foozle.

  20. SarahW says:

    What’s foozle?

  21. SarahW says:

    Seriously, did you see those picke eyebrows? I wonder if they ship to the states.

  22. SarahW says:

    picke = pickle

  23. Karl says:

    SarahW,

    It’s really not about the thin casing so much as Jeff’s implicit attitude of apathy/hostility towards his own blog. It’s my disappointment more than petulance.

  24. Karl says:

    …and I have no idea what foozle is, but I’m intrigued.

  25. Pablo says:

    What Sarah W said..if that is her real name.

  26. SarahW says:

    If you had a giant fetus-in-fetu with antlers in your back, you might be hostile, too.

  27. SarahW says:

    I think I regret that last remark.

  28. Jeff G. says:

    snarking on my repeat-posting on a topic CraigC had blogged (true, but gratuitous)

    You forgot tongue in cheek.

    Or before that, the passive-aggressive comment on how things were running so well at PW that you could go do something else (not exactly the way to motivate a JeffG fan like me to keep going).

    Not passive agressive at all. Rather, true. You get more big hitters than I ever did.

    Of course, you also curse far less, and are less likely to insert sea monkeys into your posts. Which must make the boys at the Corner a bit more comfortable with linking over here.

    I’ve been busy doing “blog-like” stuff in another venue (I show up on page 6 or thereabouts, and am the main cog driving the next 20 pages), trying to rehabilitate the reputation of a friend who’s been unfairly (and dishonestly) run down. I’m worn out from it. So I came here to make light.

    But if it matters, I chummed the waters over at Cole’s place this morning precisely to take the heat off of you so that you can do something productive and not worry about his frequent updates (a bit he stole from Greenwald, who stole it from me. The successful bastard).

    Whatever. I shouldn’t have come back like that. I think I’ll take my own advice, offered for free to Cole, and go take a fucking walk. Sunshine! Birds! Bunnies!

  29. happyfeet says:

    For real I read Jeff a lot before I ever commented anywhere and it was only cause the blog looked wobbly and it was my sense a lot that it would be wrong to one day click over and PW would be gone and I had just been passive so I started commenting and learned about how blogs work so I could be sure and sort of do my part. Also I gained eight pounds a lot cause of this. I’m glad the blog’s still here and all – very much – but it’s not the scimitar it for real can be I don’t think. But a lot this is petulance. Especially about the eight pounds. Oh. Foozle is food. Foodstuffs. Foozle + commenting too much = unsightly weight gain.

  30. SarahW says:

    If only because it assumes hostility. Ambivo-valent blogburn may be real enough, but I think its just a jokey hostility.

  31. SarahW says:

    Obviously I am a slow ombudsman, I should look into some bollywood dance classes.

  32. Jeff G. says:

    What’s sad is that this post — and its attendant comments — means the terrorists have won.

  33. Karl says:

    And #28 being another exhibit of the phenomenon.

  34. happyfeet says:

    Karl gets a lot the heavy hitters cause they were all a lot in the habit of touching base here and Karl also is an amazingly consistent blogger to where he gets all go-to guy status in his chosen arena. But for real I think there’s a huge desire for a lot of bloggers to co-brand with the non-Republican-Kool-Aid-drinkyness credibility Jeff established for PW. Who wants to link to Red State or Hewitt in this cycle? This is a lot why Ace got that award I think.

  35. happyfeet says:

    Oh crap. I was really hoping the terrorists were gonna lose. We’ll just have to go all Wolverines on them now I think. Not the X-men one. You know the ones I mean.

  36. happyfeet says:

    Bollywood dance classes are a lot defiant of terrorists I think.

  37. Slartibartfast says:

    I was the first commenter ever, here.

    Ok, maybe that’s not quite right. It just seems right. I was around in mid-2002, although not under this name.

  38. Rick Ballard says:

    feets,

    Hear, hear.

    Karl,

    You’re really not helping my political Jones at the moment. I hope Jeff comes back and certainly miss his input. While he’s out, you’ve provided a very rich replacement. Thanks.

  39. Karl says:

    Also, I have to do my taxes this weekend, so I’m probably in the same mood as Jeff, just for different reasons.

    BTW, I effort making my stuff big-blog friendly because I see my task here as: (a) driving PW traffic; and (b) not posting stuff that could bring more heat on Jeff as proprietor. However, I think I only got linked from The Corner once. Bastards.

  40. Slartibartfast says:

    I mean, go back that far, and you find guys like Atrios, norbizness and Andrew Northrup conversing here as if Jeff was an actual human being.

  41. SarahW says:

    And hear, hear, Rick Ballard.

  42. Slartibartfast says:

    Ric Locke has been around that long, I think. Ric was probably around when Jeff was posting under odd-sounding pseudonyms, though.

  43. SarahW says:

    The corner is just jealous.

  44. Karl says:

    Thanks, Rick. I also thank JeffG for giving me the opportunity. I harbor no illusions that I would get big-blog links without the established PW platform. But like Rick (and zombyboy last week) I would prefer more JeffG and less me. I understand why Jeff is doing what he is at the moment, because I often feel like I am doing something similar. So if Jeff feeels a bit worn, he can imagine I sometimes feel the same.

  45. Slartibartfast says:

    Sorry, I was waxing nostalgic for the good old days, before everyone’s inner Zool came out to play.

  46. happyfeet says:

    You got linked from The Corner but is was a Jonah link which means there could have had teh cooliest Fascism discussion probably if PW had gone there. Dicentra says it’s really a very important book and I believe her. And also February was Human Weapon Sucks Month. So, synergy.

  47. happyfeet says:

    Ok. Feel free to impute grammar to that last comment.

  48. Jeff G. says:

    I appreciate the big blog friendliness. I appreciate that it’s driven traffic. That’s my point. That’s not passive agressive. It’s honest and descriptive.

    Man. I had hoped to clear my mind and get happy today. So much for that plan.

    Later, all. Going shopping. To drive the capitalist machinery and such.

  49. Slartibartfast says:

    I recommend padding up and beating the shit out of someone, Jeff. Nothing like a little ultra-violence to mellow you out.

  50. Slartibartfast says:

    As for us, we are planning on thwarting the economic-stimulus-package plan by using ours to pay off debt.

    We are always fucking with The Man like that.

  51. Ardsgaine says:

    Jeff, if you’re getting more links from the Corner, it might be because the blog has made an aggregate swerve in the religious conservative direction, and away from the secular academic libertarian. Perhaps the guys at the Corner are of the opinion that the enemy of one’s enemy is not necessarily one’s friend.

  52. JD TWP says:

    FWIW – John Cole is not nearly as mendouceous as that cesspool of people that comment there. Or atrios. And nottheleastbitmoderate voice, but not spinsanity.

  53. JD TWP says:

    THEOCONZ !!!!!!!!!

  54. SarahW says:

    JD – He’s gotten a bad, infectious necrotizing skullitis from them, though. They bite.

  55. McGehee says:

    I recommend padding up and beating the shit out of someone, Jeff.

    Do we have anybody hanging around who’d be worth the effort?

    I guess one downside to this site taking on this recent strange odor of respectability is, we just don’t attract the truly obnoxious trolls anymore. We’re stuck with broken-record types like nishi, or desperate attention-seekers like dogmadave.

    Even Miss Cleo hasn’t brought anything lately like the truly disgusting bile she used to.

    It’s hard to sink one’s teeth into mush. Well no, it’s easy, but you don’t really get a really good chewing and gnashing workout that way.

  56. McGehee says:

    the blog has made an aggregate swerve in the religious conservative direction

    <blank stare>

    You don’t actually read here much, do you?

  57. SarahW says:

    McCain’s mom, is she handy? Becaus I think she could catch wrestle most of us down to Chinatown. Well, me, anyway.

  58. happyfeet says:

    See? For real I think people understimate a lot nishi’s skillz. Ardsgaine got hacked a little I think maybe. You gotsta keep your firewalls up or your snow can crash and LIFE can get all capitalizey.

  59. McGehee says:

    McCain’s mom, is she handy?

    Good thought. And she probably still has all her own teeth, so she could even bite back.

  60. Daryl Herbert says:

    John Cole is the “Andrew Sullivan” of straight former right-wing bloggers.

    If you don’t like my work, just say so. I can stop, as I did last weekend, which cut traffic by about 50%. The post flagging Cole, otoh, got Insta-lanched and brought in thousands of visits.

    Karl apparently wants to be the “Andrew Sullivan” of Protein Wisdom contributors.

    TEH BLOG DRAMA IS THICK ENOUGH FOR THE KNIFE TO BE CUTTING IT!!!

  61. McGehee says:

    Maybe we could sink our teeth into teh blog drama then. Will it fight back?

  62. Jeff G. says:

    Not unless it’s getting paid. Little secret: Most blog dramas are really worked matches. And Andre the giant wasn’t really 7’4″.

  63. happyfeet says:

    There is no “Andrew Sullivan.” Daryl just has a limited repertoire of reference points I think.

  64. MayBee says:

    Jeff, if you’re getting more links from the Corner, it might be because the blog has made an aggregate swerve in the religious conservative direction, and away from the secular academic libertarian.

    I disagree. I think you are seeing argument against misrepresentation of ideas as argument for those ideas. I could be wrong, though.

    As for the rest of it, it just makes me uncomfortable. I know how I would take it, but I’m very sensitive. Usually what people want is to know that they are appreciated, I’ve learned.

  65. McGehee says:

    Little secret: Most blog dramas are really worked matches.

    You mean like on that claymation show on MTV2?

  66. MayBee says:

    I’ve heard that Blog Drama wants to date ID.

  67. SarahW says:

    Most blog dramas are really worked matches

    Its all about the free meatpigs.

    Oh well, its worth it when you flip back that golden, um, crew cut and say “Woooo”.

  68. TmjUtah says:

    This post had me beating on my breastplate with my sword… up until I came to and realized that I don’t own a breastplate and that my wife is going to want an explanation of what exactly happened to the tray on the printer…

  69. TmjUtah says:

    Now that’s drama!

  70. SarahW says:

    If Jeff is telling the truth, Maybee, they have a lot in common.

  71. McGehee says:

    I’ve heard that Blog Drama wants to date ID.

    I wondered where ID wandered off to last night.

    Dude came in early this morning with pixels smeared all over his collar. It all makes sense now.

  72. happyfeet says:

    It’s a lot the on-the-bubbleness I think, MayBee, it’s sort of just unshakable and it’s not like we can send peanuts or badger the sponsors. Also I still have abandonment issues from when they canceled Buffy.

  73. SarahW says:

    Heh

    And there’s even a “wooo” at the end of the audio.

  74. SarahW says:

    Link for above here

  75. Karl says:

    Daryl,

    How dare you say such a thing. I’m gobsmacked. Just not with Sully’s gob. NTTAWWT.

  76. SarahW says:

    NTTAWWT but the sero-coversion. I guess that’s mean spririted.

  77. S. Weasel says:

    Sssss…that was uncomfortably like overhearing your parents argue.

  78. Karl says:

    Also, Daryl’s analogy fails because the root of the “drama,” such as it is, is the generally shared wish (myself included) for more Jeff.

  79. Karl says:

    As an aside, I think everyone is taking Jeff’s “Corner” ref a bit too literally. Like I said above, I got one such link; there was another to the Pub. The big-blog linkage has been mostly within the PJM family — HotAir, Instapundit, and MM’s “Buzzworthy” sideblog.

  80. Daryl Herbert says:

    happyfeet wrote: There is no “Andrew Sullivan.”

    Look, if this dispute is going to come down to the existence on non-existence of Andrew Sullivan, then I win, hands down. You might as well admit right now that Andrew Sullivan does exist, and that’s where Karl is taking his cues.

    In fact, your hysterical reaction to my comment suggests that you should be designated the “Andrew Sullivan” of PW commenters. Your denial of reality is so acute, that you’re probably wearing magic underwear or something.

    George Orwell himself would agree with me, and you don’t want to disagree with George Orwell–do you? Because we all know that George Orwell, like me, was always right about everything.

  81. McGehee says:

    You might as well admit right now that Andrew Sullivan does exist

    Yes, Virginia, there is an Andrew Sullivan.

    However, there is no Arizona.

  82. SarahW says:

    denial of reality is so acute, that you’re probably wearing magic underwear or something.

    Well. why else would I want to pay $40 for one measely pair of spanx?

  83. SarahW says:

    McGehee, I think she’s in for some disappoinment with regard to Atlantis, too.

  84. happyfeet says:

    I meant there is no Andrew Sullivan what you can put in quotes and analogize. Cause he’s inimitably chemically-imbalanced is why. And also that’s kind of gratuitous to crack on Mormons I think just cause I deny lefty consensus reality. They’re mean.

    But also Tom Maguire, K. That’s so cool.

  85. JD TWP says:

    SarahW – commen courtesy demands links and pix. ;-)

  86. MayBee says:

    I’d always assumed Jeff was emailing Dan and Karl and talking to them about the blog, telling them what he thought of their various pieces. I assumed he was thanking them behind the scenes, I guess. I’m surprised if the only feeback is here in public.

  87. JD says:

    Texas Motor Speedway is such a fun, fast track.

  88. happyfeet says:

    I’m convinced that everyone just sort of thinks there’s a post-it somewhere what says brb – JG. Jeff’s voice was never not informed by a sense that what he was about was important. Cause it was, a lot self-evidently, but you could tell he knew. Sometimes it really sounds like he doesn’t know that anymore, and I think that can get people to wonder maybe if their efforts are sort of maybe not seen as particularly valuable. Or at least not all that big a deal. Which, that’s a lot different from how I see media developing.

  89. Slartibartfast says:

    Because we all know that George Orwell, like me, was always right about everything.

    But Orwell was Orwellian, which is always bad.

  90. happyfeet says:

    The ability to aggregate an audience is a really big deal I think and it’s a lot premature to make any kind of judgment before the mobile audience has even begun really to approach critical mass. Dynamic POP displays like the tv thingers you see waiting in lines and a lot at restaurants and bars in LA anyway are pulling content straight off the net from YouTube and such. Think on that a sec. So why hasn’t Pajamas developed a fucking widget will be your next question.

  91. guinsPen says:

    You might as well admit right now that Andrew Sullivan does exist

    Nope, he’s done on a soundstage in Antarctica. Used to take the family to watch the production. ‘Til dd and zono drowned them with nuisance comments, that is.

  92. jdm says:

    Am I missing something here? Cuz, I have to admit, I just finished a nice nap and this post & attendant comments are the first thing I’ve read while drinking some tea and Karl is whining and Jeff G is back but apologizing and well, what the hell is up?

  93. MayBee says:

    You know, I think Karl deserves way better than that.

  94. Martin says:

    Someone above characterized John Cole as the “straight version of Andrew Sullivan.” I don’t think that’s correct; I recall a post of his with a heading along the lines of: “I’m Coming Out of the Closet.” Also, he has three other fellow posters, and in private refers to Balloon Juice as being run by “three poofs and one silly ass goof.” I have the impression that the “silly ass goof” was a reference to some cracker by the name of “Tim.”

  95. SarahW says:

    JD TWP – Well, this underwear has nothing to do with me, but it is a pic, and it is certainly magical. and moreover suitable for guest-poster gift baskets. Mind, it is a picture of underwear on a person so use your discretion.

  96. Enoch_Root says:

    BOOBS! and Vanginers!!

  97. Dan Collins says:

    Good God, Sarah, that’s HAWT!

  98. JD says:

    Bacon and boobs! SarahW, you rock.

  99. David McKinnis says:

    I miss Jeff

  100. Karl says:

    jdm,

    At the risk of sounding more “whiny,” I’ll try to briefly restate my position in hopes of sounding less so.

    The comments I have identified tend to provoke the same knee-jerk reaction in me, which is, “So, Jeff, why don’t you blog here more?”

    I know what the answers to that question are. I understand them, and in the most immediate instance of helping his friend, admire it. But it doesn’t change the knee-jerk reaction, because it is rooted in the same wish PW regulars share to have more Jeff, however selfish that may be.

    Note in particular the comment about doing something else because things are running so well here. Jeff characterizes it as a true and positive comment. But it can suggest that I am enabling his prolonged absence, which is quite contrary to my motivation for guest-blogging. As such, it creates negative reinforcement.

    As for the other comments being jokey, I take Jeff at his word. But I think everyone has noticed that sometimes people write things on the ‘net that get taken more seriously than intended, which how we end up with things like this:

    ;-)

    BTW, I’m posting this here, instead of the next thread over because I think it makes the next thread work better as a clean slate.

    And really, who doesn’t like bacon and boobs? Terrorists, that’s who.

  101. happyfeet says:

    If you mean the whining characterization I a lot agree, MayBee. I didn’t read it like that at first, but yeah. Centrifugal forces are a lot in play is the vibe I’m getting today. I don’t like it at all. I might write a letter.

  102. happyfeet says:

    Or, you know, not.

  103. Enoch_Root says:

    I think we should eat those… or at least stick them in a gas tank somewhere… you know, foreign dependence on oil and stuff…

  104. Enoch_Root says:

    oh, and as an equal opportunity whatever… I would also like to add this: penises!

  105. Dan Collins says:

    It’s easy to get thin-skinned, guys. People come by and grumble about the fact that you’re not Jeff, and then Jeff finally shows up and says something arch that you’re not really sure how to take. And when you invest as much time and effort as Karl or I have, then that makes you wonder whether you’re really doing anything to speed Jeff’s return to posting, which is honestly what you’re hoping to have happen (even if you’ve developed a terrible blogattentionwhorecomplex).

    No, we honestly don’t much communicate with Jeff. He really is busy pursuing some stuff that takes him away from the site for long periods. We do crave his approval, though. I think I speak for the other posters when I say that.

    You know, that whole thing where I reproduced Zombyboy’s post lamenting Jeff’s absence was a cry for attention. Thanks for the strokes. It gives me the will to carry on.

  106. Enoch_Root says:

    Dan – thanks for the comment… I am kind of an ass-hat er whatever, but I think you and Karl do a fine job.

    also, I wanted to point out that that you forgot the link this: blogattentionwhorecomplex — and Nishi isn’t here to splain it to me.

  107. MayBee says:

    We do crave his approval, though.

    I think it would be nice if he gave it to you guys.
    Yeah, I’ll be your attention pimp.

  108. Enoch_Root says:

    looks German.

  109. happyfeet says:

    Luckily, a little understanding can take you a long way. Recognizing your emotional reactions, and accepting them, can be the first steps toward feeling more in control. When you become conscious of psoriasis’ emotional impact, you are better equipped to deal with it.*

  110. N. O'Brain says:

    “You might as well admit right now that Andrew Sullivan does exist”

    He’s brought to you by the people who did the Moon landing.

  111. jdm says:

    Karl – and Dan – and Jeff:

    Jeez, you knuckleheads are scaring the shit outta me.

    This is one of my primary sites to visit on a regular basis (meaning multiple times a day). As Jeff stepped back for all the reasons he stated, those he didn’t, and whatever else I understood, I have been very happy, dare I say? equally so, with his fill-ins.

    As far as I’m concerned, Karl, you present the finest electoral coverage of any blog-site, bare none. I love the shit that Dan finds. I like Darleen’s posts, I like Craig’s, Sanity Inspector’s… this site also has some of the best commentators as well. I like it when Jeff posts and I like the alternatives. This site stronger for having the bunch of you.

    Now. Can you rascals cut the scary crap and get back to entertaining me?

    … ooh, that came out kinda bad, didn’t it?

  112. Blue-Top Motor Court says:

    I think it would be nice if he gave it to you guys.

    Reasonable Rates.

  113. Cernig says:

    Aw hells, I ran outa popcorn. Gotta love Karl’s imputation that Jeff is a welfare whore living off him and Dan, who are doing the real work. Does he cut you in on advertising revenues, guys? Any split should be based on actual output, seems like.

    Regards, C

  114. Rusty says:

    #95
    Two of the top two things guys like to have in their mouths! I’m in love.

  115. Dan Collins says:

    Cernig–
    Did I congratulate you on the new site?
    I don’t believe Karl’s imputed any such thing. Can you show me where?

  116. happyfeet says:

    Tell us what you know of advertising revenues. I’ll make the popcorn.

  117. Dan Collins says:

    As for myself, I have two jobs. Sadly, this is my idea of fun.

  118. Dan Collins says:

    haps–
    Get a major promotion, will you? so I can ask you for a job.

  119. happyfeet says:

    Ack. I’m topped out where I am. I’m hoping to be interviewing later this year, so keep your fingers crossed. Well not the whole time. You can cross them later when I actually get interviews lined up or whatever.

  120. jdm says:

    Comment by Cernig

    Ah, yes, my mistake… and then there’s the leftist trolls. Addle-brained, petty, snarky, always trivial.

  121. happyfeet says:

    You know what also? As long as we’re being all meta and all… There has been a real dearth of Iraq posts for awhile, and the Petraeus/Crocker testimony is coming up. There are lots of military guys what come here that maybe would appreciate a bit more on that and also me.

  122. narciso says:

    Isn’t this really the “Robot Chicken” of Blogs, with the trolls being the scientists, were the chicken, please
    discuss.

  123. Enoch_Root says:

    Jeff allows us to eat here, drink here, piss in the corner, spit-up on the carpet (mostly due to Happy), kick his cats, and so on and so forth. Dan and Karl and Ms. Click, and Craig and the Inspector are making sure the beer doesn’t run out. Jeff just keeps calling home from Hawaii saying he’s been further waylaid. The complainers are like the neighbors next door. Instead of joining in, they call the cops to complain (ie. if I am too uptight to crap on Jeff’s living room floor, then no one should be able to type of thinking)… which is too bad, because the hot tub is bubbly, the BOOBS (at least the ones I have seen) are not too heinous and no one laughs at my Speed-o. Now if JD would bring us some cigars and a couple of the Guvs call girls (leaving the man-beast one behind), all would be perfectly well and good. The only thing that could improve is the music… I mean Loverboy is ok in real small doses, but Styx?

  124. happyfeet says:

    Jeff is still paying the bills. This is a very true thing.

  125. guinsPen says:

    @ #113

    Jeff is a welfare whore living off him and Dan

    Not only that, C, he’s living through them.

    Creeps me out, too.

  126. JD says:

    I love all of you. Except the ones that I don’t.

  127. B Moe says:

    Comment by Karl on 4/5 @ 12:06 pm #

    Thanks, Rick. I also thank JeffG for giving me the opportunity. I harbor no illusions that I would get big-blog links without the established PW platform.

    Comment by Cernig on 4/5 @ 4:54 pm #

    Aw hells, I ran outa popcorn. Gotta love Karl’s imputation that Jeff is a welfare whore living off him and Dan…

    If you can’t read, you really should find a hobby other than blogging, or at least stay in your own playpen with the other drooling morons.

  128. Ric Locke says:

    As far as Iraq goes, y’all go check out Talisman Gate. I know nothing about the blogger except what he presents himself, but what he says is internally self-consistent and conforms to what I know and surmise, so I tend to credit him. Sample grafs:

    The weirdest talking point out of this whole episode was that Iran somehow ended up the victor. Tell that to Ahmadinejad who offered a long list of economic projects that the Iranians were interested in doing when he visited Iraq last month, but was politely rejected by Maliki’s team. The UIA delegation that visited al-Sadr went public in denouncing any media talk of Iranian intervention in calming down the situation and described such talk as “enemy propaganda”. I hope the Iraqi parliament would hold an emergency session to immediately revoke the visas of all these foreign journalists who are engaged in “enemy propaganda”, a justifiable measure especially since Iraq is in a state of war, if the foreign media is to be believed! While they’re at it, they should also pass a law that says that cocaine possession by foreign journalists is a crime punishable with unanesthetized nose-realignment plastic surgery.

    Marveling that an Iraqi male is a bit of a boozer is like discovering that rednecks go gaga over NASCAR. Iraqis are the Irish, or the Russians, of the Middle East; they’re the stereotypical alcoholics of the region. Alcohol consumption is not a vice imported by Westernized Iraqi politicians returning from exile. Only a novice would make such a silly and mistaken cultural observation.

    (and)

    This is the point of Gordon’s piece as I see it: the Americans had infantilized the Iraqis, and had reacted to Operation Cavalry Charge much like a panicked parent that’s just realized that his kid had screwed off the trainer wheels and consequently had then fallen off his bike and scraped his knee. The Green Zone’s clucking hens got freaked out and they went scurrying about trying to find the nearest Emergency Room while the kid simply stood up, shrugged the hurt off and got back on his bike.

    That last one, especially, is the American Army (and State Department!) I know and love.

    Regards,
    Ric

  129. Rick Ballard says:

    The “rape the talent and run” contract probably isn’t paying the bills. It may be that Jeff’s absence reflects that little commented upon (read the tiny print in Sanskrit) possibility. That’s a total surmise on my part but Hollywood promises have earned their reputation.

  130. JD says:

    Enoch – I have a box of Opus X’s I have been saving for the gathering this summer. And the strippers and hookers are on speed dial. All set … ;-)

  131. happyfeet says:

    from Ric’s link here’s a bit more on press freedom…

    If anything, there’s way too much press freedom in Iraq and irresponsible ‘journalists’ can get away with writing almost anything. The judicial system is yet to adapt to slapping controls on such excessive margins for libel and propaganda, so Maliki’s only option at this time may be to yank some press passes and send them packing.

    Talisman Gate would strongly support such a measure.

    That’s a provocative thing to say I think – he’s talking specifically about foreign journalists – and I’m not sure about that part, but the whole thing is a great read. And who tf is Colin Kahl?

  132. Obstreperous Infidel says:

    “Keep telling self: stay away from blog. Just enjoy SuperTarget. Breathe.”

    Blow me, Mr. Jeff! And I mean that in a non-threatening heterosexual kind of way. POST! Comment!!! Post!!! COMMENT!!!! Please!?!?

  133. Jeff G. says:

    Again, what is the Cernig, and who invited it? With popcorn stuck in its teeth, no less?

    Really. What would Obama say to such a slovenly, vicarious existence. YOU ARE MAKING WHITEY LOOK BAD, MR CERNIG THING!

    Good DAY, sir.

  134. Sean M. says:

    Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit sniffing glue.

  135. JD says:

    How is it humanly possible to enjoy Super Target? Better Half is physically and mentally incapable of walking out of that place unless she has spent at least $150. And don’t get me started on those bright red “sale” stickers.

  136. happyfeet says:

    Don’t you mean saved $150? Of course you did.

  137. JD says:

    How much Better Half “saves” on the red sticker merchandise is calculated separately, haapyfeet. Our opinions differ on whether we actually save money by buying things just because they are on sale.

  138. Dan Collins says:

    JD–
    What’s the dealio on the monsterling?

  139. JD says:

    Dan – The future half honkey racist homophobic demon spawn of mine has a hold of Better Half’s transverse colon and pancreas, and is hanging on for dear life.

  140. N. O'Brain says:

    “Our opinions differ on whether we actually save money by buying things just because they are on sale.”

    Buy two. That way you save twice as much.

  141. physics geek says:

    From Jeff G. about Mr. Cole:

    What I don’t understand is how he has an audience in the first place.

    Because he says “Bush sucks and is the most evilest person ever!” over and over again. Naturally, the dipsticks at Indymedia, DU and the like flock to that sort of thing. They tongue bathe John’s anus so he does it again. Now I’m not one to criticize how someone keeps his or her tookus clean, but thinking that a sparkling clean sphincter muscle means your relevant, interesting, or even honest, is probably a poor assumption. Then again, this is John Cole that we’re talking about.

  142. Pablo says:

    And because he’s a “conservative.” So he gets the crossover worshipping leftbots that are too stupid to understand Excitable Andy. Which explains the lack of gravitas and the din.

  143. Cernig says:

    Dan, I apologise for the popcorn comment – out of turn. But you folks chose a comments thread instead of email so I figured chipping in was allowed. When my own blog became a group blog we hashed out a deal to split any and all ad revenue on a pro rata basis by author output. Anything else, I told myself, would be outrageously unfair. That’s why I asked.

    Karl wrote: #17 “the passive-aggressive comment on how things were running so well at PW that you could go do something else (not exactly the way to motivate a JeffG fan like me to keep going).”

    #100: “Note in particular the comment about doing something else because things are running so well here. Jeff characterizes it as a true and positive comment. But it can suggest that I am enabling his prolonged absence”

    If you guys weren’t writing content, ad revenue would fall. If you are enabling Jeff to stay away, then you are equally enabling his collecting ad revenue. I assumed when you described yourselves as guests that he keeps the ad money he receives on the back of your work. What would conservatives call that if not a welfare queen? If you folks are getting the lion’s share, though, then I withdraw my comment there too.

    Regards, C

  144. Karl says:

    Cernig,

    What would conservatives call that if not a welfare queen?

    We might describe the dynamic as repaying Jeff for years of enjoying his writing. Or an act of friendship. Possibly even as a charitable act.

    We would not call it welfare, because the guest-blogging is voluntary. But I can see how a Lefty might not grasp that distinction.

    Regards, K

  145. so, Karl, you promise Jeff doesn’t have you guys chained up in his basement? or there’s some kind of blackmail involved? you can tell me. no really.

  146. McGehee says:

    Jeff doesn’t have you guys chained up in his basement?

    That was the other place.

    Now it’s the attic.

  147. JD says:

    Cernig seems to just want to stir things up. Fucker.

  148. Karl says:

    JD,

    True, but also ineffective. Shocka.

  149. daleyrocks says:

    Cernig splits things equally with that single digit Libby? He might be worried against discriminating against the mentally retarded, but seriously, who does she have pictures of to rate that treatment given the vapidity of her writing?

  150. Enoch_Root says:

    Cernig is, alas, an ass-monkey.

  151. Ric Locke says:

    Happyfeet, if you haven’t already gone for it, here is a useful introduction to Colin Kahl. Summary: if all the leftists were like that it would be easy to come to terms, and if I thought Obama was really using his advice I’d be a lot happier overall. A quote from a Lois Bujold character comes to mind: “Dark and black isn’t the sum of realism. All the other colors are real, too.”

    Regards,
    Ric

  152. JohnDDoyle says:

    Son of a bitch! That was the most entertaining look into the addled minds of PW I has ever done seen! All the thin-skinned whining and rationalizing and hurt feelings for all the manly, right-thinking conservative types. Makes a guy want to stop comptrolling for large insurance companies…almost.

  153. comptrolling for large insurance companies

    ah, this explains so much.

  154. Ted Nugent's Soul Patch says:

    “Because he says “Bush sucks and is the most evilest person ever!” over and over again. Naturally, the dipsticks at Indymedia, DU and the like flock to that sort of thing. They tongue bathe John’s anus so he does it again.”

    This, IMO, was the most striking thing about Cole’s move to the left. Even before l’affaire Schiavo, he always seemed to me as the kind of person who desperately wants to be popular and ends up adopting the positions of those around him so they will tell him how wonderful and smart he is. Still, I didn’t mind his increasingly persistent critiques of the Bush administration because to be honest, there’s been a lot to criticize from a libertarian-leaning and classical liberal perspective.

    However, I stopped taking him seriously after he took Krugman’s fact-free analysis on the Graeme Frost nonsense and adopted it as his own. His unquestioning acceptance of Krugman’s misrepresentation of the arguments of Frosts’ critics is when he revealed himself as a purely reactionary individual, who could no longer develop a sober analysis outside of his preconcieved notions and the opinions of his commenters. Look no further than his promotion of Josh Marshall’s implication that criticism of Obama is equivalent to racism for evidence of this in action.

    His commenters are priceless, too–a collection of slightly more educated Democratic Underground refugees who seem to think that the body heat given off by the human population of the earth is contributing to global warming.

  155. B Moe says:

    Anything else, I told myself, would be outrageously unfair.

    As long as you have it on good authority.

  156. Karl says:

    JDD,

    You are easily amused. Anotha shocka.

  157. Lesley says:

    SarahW: you are really on a roll with artistic creations in swine flesh. I appreciate that fey aspect of your personality.

  158. happyfeet says:

    Thanks, Ric. I will get learned up about Colin tomorrow. Tonight got away from me.

  159. Sean M. says:

    You are easily amused.

    You know, I’m easily amused, too, but I don’t hang around at sites where I tend to disagree with the bloggers and/or commenters and try to insult them. I’m not a jagoff like that.

  160. Sean M. says:

    I try to save my jagoffery for my meatspace friends and family. They find it endearing, I think.

  161. happyfeet says:

    Oh. Ric. Almost forgot. There’s a white paper thinger you can get here. It’s from the Progressive Governance Summit that was in England this weekend. It’s called A Progressive Global Deal On Climate Change. I haven;t read it all yet, but here’s a sense of it.

    For progressive leaders engaged in reforming world politics along the lines of justice and social and economic inclusion, climate change offers powerful leverage.

    It’s really scary.

  162. happyfeet says:

    Ack. It’s late.

  163. datadave says:

    Meatheads! that was hilarious.

    damn, I’m driving up ad revenue again. (kudos to Karl even if he’s so wrong!!!)

    ah, time to clean out the cages and spread the Bunnie poop.

  164. Pablo says:

    If you guys weren’t writing content, ad revenue would fall. If you are enabling Jeff to stay away, then you are equally enabling his collecting ad revenue.

    Someone doesn’t understand the advertising structure in place here. Among many, many other things.

  165. Darleen says:

    Oh, geez louise, I’m away from the ‘puter on Saturday on twins duty and missed all this.

    Karl … I don’t take JeffG’s comments as a p/a poke or criticism at you at all. Sure, I’d love the boss back here much more, yet you have contributed A+ posts on what is your obvious strength as the prodigious pulminary political specialist. I’m always delighted at your depth of knowledge, research and analysis. It has allowed me to concentrate on cultural tics. Add Dan’s wonderfully eclectic scattershot and the on-point postings from C Craig and TSI and PW is really e pluribus unum in action. Yes, it’s still JeffG’s place and I, too, look forward to more of him because his voice and outlook is unique. Yet without this opportunity I would have never gotten linked by NRO (even though it wasn’t The Corner). You and Dan are pulling a lot of the weight and I cheer your Insta-launches and Hot Air linkings. JeffG has spent a lot of time and done some fine writing worthy of any graduate school lecture service, yet has gotten less than a pork chop in return. Indeed, some of the most infamous examples of how much political extremism smirks from behind a veil of snotty academia is to recall some of the ad hominem reactions to JeffG’s serious pieces.

    I love this place because of JeffG and like you, I take my posting here as an exercise in offering up whatever I can to make this place successful as a mere downpayment on all the years of enjoyment I’ve had reading nothing but JeffG.

    Jesus on Pony, guys, don’t make me travel to administer spankings …

    … uh, wait a minute …

  166. Darleen says:

    cernig

    bite me

    and I see dementednazidave is giggling.

  167. JD says:

    Karl – Refering to “O’Doyle rulez” as JDD really is pretty mean to me.

  168. Jeff G. says:

    Stop yapping here in the comments, plebes, and go make me some new content. I have a jet that needs fuelin’ — and the gang Hef’s place won’t stay naked waiting for me forever.

    CHOPCHOP!

  169. guinsPen says:

    So we’re the Commies.

    Who knew?

  170. guinsPen says:

    169 for 143.

  171. guinsPen says:

    author output

    May I have the envelope, please?

  172. guinsPen says:

    If you folks are getting the lion’s share

    Help!

    What’s the old There’s a Pony Around Here Somewhere joke?

Comments are closed.