Sadly, an old problem has begun re-asserting itself again, forcing me to spend my time engaging in calls to law enforcement, lawyers, etc. Please do not think I’ve abandoned you. I simply must put my family first.
I’ll try to pop in later with a few silly posts. Until then, enjoy the work of the gracious and able guestbloggers who have been helping to keep this site alive while I’ve been spending inordinate amounts of time behind the scenes trying to make sure that when all is said and done, no one else will be forced to put up with what my family has been forced to put up with.
No way. She’s back? Crimminy.
Aw, nuts. Not that again.
Sorry to hear it. We’ll be here.
Like a bad rash.
It’s a mad world, Jeff. May you prevail in your efforts. The worst thing that can happen in your absence is that I write something.
And on that note, from the unintended meanings file, this was on the back of the car ahead of me a few days ago: “If you can’t trust me with a choice, how will you trust me with a child?”
Jeff,
For what it is worth you are fighting the good fight. Good luck and GODSPEED Jeff Goldstein!!!
Maybe we need to form a posse. Ride out after the bad one. Quick Jeff, deputize us!
Why should he deputize morons like us when he’s already got his own armadillo. I mean, you ever crossed an angry armadillo before? Those guys take no prisoners.
Jeez shank, up until now I had no idea I was a moron, so you know, thanks.
Guess the “theraputic” drinking will start a little early today.
In any case, good luck to you Jeff. Hopefully she will learn soon that crazy isn’t fun for the whole family as she seems to imagine it is.
Shank,
The only person(s) that ever bowed up to Chuck Norris and lived to tell about it was the duo of Jeff’s armadillo and Regis, John Bolton’s mustache.
Stick to your guns and good luck, Jeff.
Looks like the 90 days of meds she had squirreled away must have just run out. More blogaloon goodness in our futures?
If only it didn’t have to be troubling to our host. I mean, she’s pure entertainment – except for the death threats and all.
Whattafreakinloon [link removed – ed]
Do what you need to Jeff. We’ll be here when you get back. Best of luck.
Oh, fer fook’s sake. Can’t they find a nice zoo to take her?
I don’t get it. Why is this person so obsessed with you, Jeff? You write a few columns, make a few jokes, most of which I don’t even understand. I can’t see why she hates you so much.
I believe this comes under the category of “cyber stalking.”
Also, being an interstate matter, is there perhaps something the FBI can do about this?
Crap! Sorry to hear about it.
It’s not just Jeff, Stogie. He’s just her highest profile conquest, I think. She’s had a number of other run ins and has another similar case against her in her local area. Crazier than a shithouse rat is what she is.
Don’t take the ‘morons’ comment personally. I guess I’m just a cynic. Besides, emprical research would show that morons significantly outnumber any other intelligence category in the general population. How else would tripe like “Everybody Loves Raymond” have gotten such high viewership?
I really didn’t write this post for any other reason than to explain to you why I’m not posting regularly as promised.
I ask that you all avoid any mention of the problem by name, and that you don’t reward it with what it desires most—personal attention.
It is simply not worthy of same.
I continue to believe that when all is said and done, the problem can and will be solved using the legal system.
Ya know, I was going to make a comment, a simple joke, but then realized the truly unbalanced could take it as a threat.
People liked the guy from “Young Frankenstein”.
shank
No offence taken. Now, as per Jeff, I’ll put the whole sordid affair out of my mind.
That I’ll replace it with a nice bottle of Tequila and some scantily clad dancing Evangeline Lilly’s shouldn’t be a concern to anyone.
Jeff, good luck taking care of your deranged fan. It’s a crappy problem, but hopefully you’ll be able to make it go away for good.
Meanwhile, I’ll be right here with your other deranged fans.
Not that you need my permission, Jeff, but I have no problem with you deleting any comments I might make to this thread, including that last one. And this one. Taking care of yourself comes first.
Just to clarify, I likely won’t be gone very long.
It’s just that playing phone tag and keeping myself available to who I need to be available to—while taking care of my other responsibilities—keeps me pretty busy.
Additionally, this newest in a long string of intermittant, unprovoked escalations—like all such escalations—is distracting enough to affect the quality of my output.
Though I’m sure there are more than a few trollish wags that will quite enjoy seizing on that particular statement.
Man, just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water…….
Is it safe?
Is it safe?
Is it safe?
Is it safe?
Pfft.
Jeff says he’s about to return after a long absence, and an escalation occurs.
If the goal is to keep this site (and Jeff) off the map, there’re some successful tactical decisions being made. PW has been dead in the water for months, and that state of affairs will now go on even longer.
Think someone is feeling pretty damned powerful lately? Maybe even vindicated? Talk about fueling a fire…
Ignore her. Don’t give her any hits. Don’t give her any comments. Shun her.
I don’t know about dead in the water, Timer. And I don’t think it will go on too much longer.
At least, I keep hoping as much.
And though someone might be feeling pretty powerful today, such delusions tend to be short lived.
So we’ll see.
Meanwhile we can all like comment about other things and stuff.
Hey, Slart —
Missed this little bit of ad hom while I was away.
I can’t recall being anything but respectful to hilzoy, though she’s now called me unhinged and accused me of wishing “indiscriminate” carpet bombings.
Next time you speak to the good preening doctor, you might advise that she heal herself.
Of course, her post wasn’t as “amusing” as a Mahablog post in which she and her commenters pronounced on my authoritarian character and &tc fir 39 comments—with respect to a post written by one of the guestbloggers.
I’ve long believed that the commenters on sites like that can’t be bothered to do more than skim the first paragraph of a link (if they bother to look at it at all—instead, they seem to gauge the prevailing upon on the thread and pile on. Like good little lemmings).
This embarrassing incident, which went uncorrected until I just left a comment (which, who knows, may be deleted), tends to bolster my beliefs.
If that fails, I think we should settle this the old fashioned way and burn her as a witch.
After a proper inquisition, mind you.
TW: justice81
Heh.
“indiscriminate†carpet bombings.
Exactly what can she mean by that? She wants us to discriminate against them first, and then bomb the crap out of them? Yeesh… some leftists…
AUUUUGH!
It’s “She Who Must Not Be Named For Legal Reasons”!
Where’s my garlic necklace?…
I will not fear, fear is the mindkiller…
I’ve walked away from the helm, mostly. I highly disagree with that sort of discourse, but I’ve given up on fighting it.
At least she thought you were insane in an interesting way, so you’ve got that going for you.
Yeah, well, some people still believe about terrorism, too. I think we should be consistent in recommended solutions to these kinds of problems – this sounds like nothing the 101st Airborne can’t handle, eh?
So does this have anything to do with the michillines/michelle lady? We saw her picture. She looked nice. She told us about her cats. She’s from Texas. She wasn’t nuts so much as excessively plaintive. Except for her views on things and stuff – that was a little nuts. Oh – and that kooky bond she has with Jim Montague… the one he never really acknowledged…
How does her weight compare to that of a duck?
unfortunate news
go once more unto the breach
may justice prevail
Speaking of unfortunate, did anyone watch the Hildebeest’s video announcing her intent to run? She looks like she’s reading a story to preschoolers.
…such soulless eyes…
I see that Mahaosama has closed the comments like a good little Taliban. Oh wait, she’d be off having her clit snipped.
But what do I know, I still think that breathing through it is one of the things the mouth was designed for. Silly me. Her heads so far up her ass, she doubtless thinks a snorkel is the only normal way to breathe.
Notice how she blames me for not teaching her how to read my site. I mean, the name of the poster was included in both the title AND the “Posted by” field.
But, you see, it wasn’t LARGE enough for her. So she refuses to admit to any mistake.
These people are priceless. “IT’S NOT MY FAULT I’M AN IDIOT! IF YOU DIDN’T WANT ME TO BE AN IDIOT, YOU’D USE BIG LETTERS AND HOLD MY HAND! FASCIST!”
They’re Simply Not Peopleâ„¢.
Well, I’m sorry if you got grief on my account, Jeff.
But I am liberal. Old school.
I don’t care that I got grief on your account, ahem. Of course you are a liberal in the classical sense, and of course these faux liberal / progressives wish to redefine “liberal” to fit their leftism.
My complaint was that this idiot couldn’t be bothered to get her facts straight—then, upon being confronted with a correction, she immediately claims victim status and shuts down comments.
I have absolutely no respect for such people. None.
Now granted, they have no respect for me, but the reasons are quite different.
Fuck them. I’ve come to despise every last one of these faux liberals who wish to dress in liberal garb so that they can bring transnational socialism to the US under the guise of “progress.”
I will continue to fight them, but that’s about all I can do, sadly. And I’m not sure it will make a difference.
If you’re really a liberal, you’d realize that brown people can’t be fascists.
Fuck all this.
Test pattern upcoming in 3, 2, 1….
Deep breath, Jeff. (Easy for me to say.)
One of the things you (and all of us in this wierd little playpen) count on is a couple of functioning gray cells in all participants. Apparently that bar is too high and we’re doomed to disappointment on that front.
Do not despair, however, because your regulars do, in fact, “Get it” with a minimum of hand-holding. Other than that required to keep Dan or ahem away from the Cheez Whiz, I mean.
And (in my best Richard Gere weep): “We’ve got no place else to go!!!!”
Sure you do. In fact, there are a number of sites on the right who I believe would be happy to see my go away. Because you’d all flock there, and I’d be a distant memory.
Which is why they were all so generous with the links when I did come back.
But hey, all is fair in love and blogging, right?
I’m done with this until I can get the whole interstate affair settled.
I can’t concentrate anymore. And you, as consumers, have a number of choices. So go. Get with the lifestyle.
The whole thing:
Fear is the mind killer
I must not fear.
Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past, I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.
Only I will remain.
— The Bene Gesserit Litany of Fear
Couldn’t figure out how to put the test pattern up. Will work on it again tomorrow.
Meantime, I hear Ace is having a fun haiku contest!
Jeff, when you get time, I’d appreciate either a post detailing what ‘being a classical liberal’ means to you, or a link to that post if you’ve done it already.
I consider myself a Conservative, but for all I know, I might be whatever you call a Liberal. Except for your Godless Atheism, and you killing Jesus and all, I find myself agreeing with you far more often than not.
Yoday’s conservative is yesterday’s classical liberal.
Today’s liberals are a bunch of reactionary asshelmets.
I’m not an atheist. I’m an agnostic. I believe in evolutionary theory, but that doesn’t answer questions about first causes—nor can it. Atheists will tell you there is no need to answer that question. Which is fine. But under such circumstances, I find it prudent to say, “I don’t know,” rather than to proclaim myself all-knowing.
I wrote a post several years back about how I had always considered myself liberal, but was forced to start calling myself conservative, because modern conservatism was best representative of the views that I held when I was liberal: racial and gender equality (blindness before the law), an appeal to the Constitution as written and ratified (vs a “Living Constitution”), etc.
But then, modern SOCIAL conservatism has the same activist impulse as does progressivism, particularly when it comes to the courts, so I began distancing myself from that. And today’s “libertarians” are just Dems who want to smoke weed. Or, to be less flip, they have no coherent or serious answer to how to handle foreign policy.
Classical liberals recognize the role of the federal government as limited—but that protecting national interests, sovereignty, and providing for the national defense are paramount—and recognize that individual freedom and personal autonomy is what this country should, by its founding principles, be based upon. This is classical liberalism.
Of course, I’m hammered and pissed off beyond belief just no, so excuse me if I’ve rambled or left something out.
Jeff,
Ace is good. So are twenty others. They are all generic. If one of them went away (even Glen Renolds), would anyone even notice? But you, my man, are an artist. You have style, paizzaz, small southwest desert creatures.
Please, please don’t cut and run. The concept was good. I know things look bad now, people are bragging about dissing you, you’re under frequent DOS attacks, you lost your licking toad.
But you can’t just leave us hanging man, you just can’t
I think I may need prozac.
Two words.
John Wayne.
Wait, it’s not a man that needs correcting?
Sorry.
Margaret Thatcher.
done.
Jeff,
You hang in there, ‘cause you’re loved – you hear me?
I’m disposable, Robin. A dancing…er, armadillo, if you will.
I appreciate the support of those of you who stuck around, really I do.
And if you happen to be reading this, Glenn, please know that I appreciate everything you’ve done for me.
No other site offers the co-branding opportunities this one does. Also, the guest posters have really grown into their role I think. And I really like the block quotey thing.
Good. Let them take over. Like I said, disposable.
HAVE AT IT FOLKS! IT’S ON ME!
Sorry to cross-post, but at least in my head this resonates better here than in the thread I originally parked it…
Eric is right… Israel would not only retaliate, but it would do so because it would have a moral duty to do so. Morris’ “So what would be the point?†is a shockingly amoral statement. For nuclear terrorism to be sanctioned with a non-response would be tantamount to a wholesale surrender of all civilization.
Dis. pos. a. ble.
so much depends
upon
point and
counterpoint
beside a glazed
armadillo
and I really like
the block quotey thing.
Thanks, Jeff (more to come, I hope) and I live in a certain city, in a certain state, and I own a hammer. For like, hammering stuff…
Fukkit. I’m hammered.
I’m hammered.
Jeff,
I have been reading (and learning) at this site for about 7 months……about the same time as I discovered blogs. I am sure there are people like me that come here to read/learn/laugh, that for some reason just dont post many comments. Well, I post sometimes but for the most part the usual suspects(Dan Collins, ahem, pablo, McGehee, Ric Locke ect)beat me to a point and say it better anyway.
My point is that you and your posters make a difference. I dont care what you or anyone else says. You, my friend, are not disposable. This last year has been absolutly batshit crazy and this site helps me wrap my head around all of it(Hell I learned that I am not technically a conservative). I dont always agree with some of it but either way it helps. And it is always entertaining.
You do what you have to do by all means. You need to do what is right for your family and your own health/sanity as well. But you need to lose the whole “I am disposable” bit……there is just no truthiness to it.
BTW I really enjoyed and agreed with your MLK day post.
I started reading blogs shortly after 9/11, because I was looking for more information than the media were providing. I don’t know when I started reading PW, but it has provided some interesting perspectives not covered by others. Other bloggers don’t put up long posts about intentionalism or identity politics; or at least not any I could stand reading. I also liked Martha Stewart’s prison diary.
Not what I’d call disposable.
Not by a long stretch. The site is still interesting when you aren’t posting, but when you are, it is absolutely unique.
Buck up little camper. I’m sure things will get better. Things COULD be worse, you could be John Cole or his lunatic co-blogger, Tim. Wrap your head around THAT!
No, you’re not what I call disposable. I’ve actually missed the Jeff Goldstein posts quite a bit, even if sometimes they’re way beyond me. I don’t always comment, but I’m always reading.
I only visit a few blogs, and this is always one of them, and will continue to be one of them until you shut the place down.
I thought I was a liebertarian who smoked pot and was conservative till the last couple of years. I’m not real happy with my libertine type brothers.
Jeff, talking to them is a complete waste of time unless it amuses you to do so. Talking about them and exposing their bullshit antics is a service to humanity.
The serenity to accept the things you cannot change, the courage to change the things you can change, and the wisdom to know the difference.
Oh, and Illegitimi Non Carborundum.
Jeff-
I don’t comment much, but I read every day. You’ve provided a unique perspective that I greatly appreciate.
I understand the pressures placed on you are enormous, but I just want to say that if you hang up your keyboard, that the cybersphere will be poorer for it.
I mean, where else can you get a serious discussion of intentionalism AND a ballon fence on the same blog?
Best wishes and prayers to you and your family, and may the fleas of 10,000 camels nest in the pubes of your enemies.
Harry
Second the folks above, please don’t close up shop. This site is sanctuary to alot of us. Think of it as a homeless shelter for Classic Liberals. You can’t just throw us in the street, man!
And nothing has illustrated that more than the last few days. We-uns can keep the place warmed up for ya, but you’re the only one who can coax the maximum RPMs out of it.
Aw jeez, the mad cow is back? Do what you gotta do Jeff, but I’m not going anywhere. Your guest posters are good and I enjoy reading their posts, but you, sir, are at least within spitting distance of comic genius. This whole interweb’s just not the same without the Goldstein touch. Let us know if you need something.
As someone who has been reading your stuff pretty much since you started your site (I was one of the many dissapointed folks when you took your first sabatical), I can say without a doubt that you are not disposable. How long have you been doing this now? I very seldom comment, but trust me I do read almost every day, and I am sure there are many more people like me. And if you can keep people interested, and not just for a month or two, but for YEARS, there is true value in what you do.
I found Instapundit back in August of 01, and have been reading blogs since on a regular basis. It has been my experience that the tone and tenor of the entire enterprise has really changed for the worse, as there is very little interesting original work out there anymore. In my mind, its no accident either, as the changes really started to take hold with the rise in popularity of Kos, and the organization of the “left-side”. Its just like anything in life really, once the politicians get involved in anything they ruin it.
I disagree. Talking about people is pretty much the entire ouevre of guys like Thersites and NTodd. Pretty soon the discussion devolves into who eats how much paste, and the topic gets brushed under the carpet like it was embarrassing or something.
Which, come to think of it, is as good an explanation for their side of the brouhaha as any I’ve come across.
I like Jeff’s approach better. Obviously, since I spend about a thousand times more time reading him instead of them. I’d come up with a more accurate estimate, but my computer keeps giving me a floating point underflow error.
Hang in, Jeff. We’re not going anywhere, and those of us who believe in that thing are praying for you.
I mean WTF, sometimes it’s hard to believe they still call this place “America”? What happened to the days when idiots were not allowed to roam freely?
Good luck with whatever is happening. If you need a nose poked, let us know.
Thanks again for putting up with this BS so that we all have a home…
JG–
Illegitimi Non Carborundum
…or, for the purists:
Noli nothis permittere te terere.
Now for the ignorant and uneducated, like moi;
Carbination Non Cokitus Uncoverus
Besides, education is overrated…
Hang in there, Jeff. Let not the evil in the world allow their dominion to succeed. Godspeed.
Don’t shut this place down! I still have to take over and force everyone to wear the pink tutu!
Seriously Jeff, don’t quit.
Disposable? Did you say disposable? I call a gi-normous bull shit on that one. For all the reasons already mentioned and others, you, sir, are not disposable. You are damned good at what you do. You need to tend to you first and we all expect, respect and admire that, but never call yourself disposable. Because the simple fact is that you are not.
I thought libertarians were just conservatives who like porn. This is all very confusing.
Your detractors are by and large clowns Jeff. When it comes to making a persuasive argument or merely expressing an idea you and they are not even in the same league.
They are like the children, and you the parent. IMO, if you must address them at all, you should do so with that in mind.
So, you know, don’t quit and stuff or else its likely to get all Lord of the Flies out here and who wants that?
Not you, Phinn. I was talking about the current poster children—many of whom have taken over Reason and turned it into a Bush bitch fest, while simultaneously chiding “right wingers” who look askance at mainstream media and presume to locate bias. I’ve had a couple of run-ins with Jesse Taylor (I think it was him) over this.
On the other hand, I love Jacob Sullum and Cathy Young, and I think Matt Welch is a gifted guy. Ditto Freund and Bailey.
What’s all this about librarians who love porn? What librarians do on their own time is their own affair.
What?
Oh.
Never mind.
Oh, and you are allowed to be indisposed. But you are not disposable.
Oh #2, thanks for fixing the comments-thingies, so I can comment again. Although you may be reconsidering the repairs now that I am able to comment again.
For whatever it’s worth Jeff, I think this blog is one of the best out there and the blogosphere would lose a serious contributor to rational discourse if you walked away for good.
But you don’t owe either myself or anyone else anything. So if you decide to walk away permanently, no one can blame you. This reminds me of when Stephen DenBeste walked away from USS Clueless (another serious contributor who the blogosphere is worse off without), primarily because the email over his political posts were causing him PHYSICAL problems.
If this stuff, the internet for godsakes, is causing you or your family problems like it has, I can’t imagine why you would stick around to put up with it.
You don’t owe anyone anything, and frankly with all the entertainment and insight I’ve gleaned from this site, I feel as though I may owe YOU something.
So yeah, beers are on me for the Titans-Broncos game, is what I’m saying.
And seriously everyone, get a freaking grip ok. It’s the INTERNET not the real world.
What was in the fucking water yesterday, Jeff? I was in the downy dumps, and ready to shut my shit down, too. Today I feel perky. Weird.
Bane, this might explain it. ;D
Oops. It was Julian Sanchez I had the run-ins with.
Phinn—“A libertarian is an Iowa Republican who is thinking of taking up sodomy.” —R. Fiore, The Comics Journal
you are the worst any desert has to offer myster ‘rocks more threatening than tanks’ belief goudeerlijk upholdster steen
http://sadlyno.com/archives/4893.html
66th comment is mine
last peace of advice: quite scaring ‘your’ family
Piet: you might want to contact michillines, michelle, whatever and have her help you with your English/Esperanto confusion.
She’s been empowered by working with Internationals, dontcha know.
Late addition to the thread, here.
I’m just now getting around to reading well over 100 back posts here that have accumulated in my RSS feed reader since mid-January (and some more posts that didn’t make it that far, like this one in fact). I’ve been off the grid, eating shit for overtime pay, and the prospect of getting a chance to sit down to catch up on Protein Wisdom has been one of the things that have kept me going these last few weeks. So, I just wanted to say thanks for being here, Jeff. If there was ever a test-pattern up, I’m glad I missed it.