Are the humans to blame?
Or are the gods angry that all the world is bowing down today to Al Gore and his theory that the humans cause the storms?
October 12, 2007
It was a dark and stormy morning...
Are the humans to blame?
Or are the gods angry that all the world is bowing down today to Al Gore and his theory that the humans cause the storms?
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52 comments:
Wonderful pics...especially the top two.
One things for sure, based on the pics of Mr. Gore today, he hasn't missed too many meals...
Ron: It was too hard to notice the Statue of Liberty in the 3rd picture, but the light just changed, and I've substituted a new picture where it's very clear (and the sky is bluer).
Ann, I work down on the southernmost tip of Manhattan (my building is frequently shown in your cityscapes) and one of my favorite things about our location is our view of the changing weather over the water. We've seen some crazy storms roll in during all four seasons, and before you posted these photos we were just commenting about how cool it looked outside! I'm glad you appreciate the views as well.
"What is it?"
I often ask myself this question. Why is it that I continue to read "The Divine Ms. Althouse?"
It confuses and confounds me. More often than not I leave this little spot in cyberspace angrier than when I arrived, wondering how anyone finds her humor funny... why she feels the need to, say, pepper pictures of the sky with potshots at Al Gore.
I think it's that smarm that confuses me most. It's mostly not clever, but each time the humor is employed it builds up an almost irrational anger in me which is multiplied by the fact that I KNOW that SHE thinks it is terribly clever.
And, yet... I continue to come and the question remains unanswered. Because, life is a mystery, I suppose, and somethings remain unexplained.
See you tomorrow, Ann. See you tomorrow.
Don't forget: I like Al Gore. I voted for him. I want him to run.
(Dylan in the vortex.)
It is difficult to imagine the Nobel Peace Prize committee bestowing their award on someone who is circulating a pack of lies or distortions, as you have suggested, Ann.
Difficult to imagine something that actually happened. Hard to believe, maybe, but how can you not imagine it?
Stand up true towers and meet the day,
Be it fair or stormy;
So unlike Mister False God Gore:
Foolish, fat and smarmy.
Ann Althouse said...
(Dylan in the vortex.)
Her lifelong dream.
While writing on
her blog at her best,
She fell asleep
for a quick second's rest
She dreamed a dream
that pricked her pride
Concerning her vortex
and The Voice of His Generation inside.
Katie, I used to work on Broad Street with a great view of the harbor and I loved seeing the storms roll in. I would also watch Jersey City getting gentrified and wonder if I wanted to move there.
Ann, I like Al Gore, voted for him and would like him to run, too. And I still call him "King Tut-tut-tut."
Let's relieve Lisa of the burden of imagining.
Dylan wrote: More often than not I leave this little spot in cyberspace angrier than when I arrived, wondering how anyone finds her humor funny...
Funny, Dylan....I have a similar experience when I visit here. A very predictable part of the dynamic occured when, after your comment Ann inevitably noted how she liked and voted for Al Gore.
I have struggled to figure out my reactions as well. I keep returing to the notion that there is alot of "projective identification" embodied in Ann's blogging. See wickipedia for a readily available explanation of this defense mechanism at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Projective_identification.
At any rate, you are not alone in your reactions to Ann's postings and communications.
It doesn't look stormy. It looks like a cold front just passed and it's windy and colder. That's an anti-storm, fine weather.
And, if you're flying a light plane, it's turbulent. Most of the weekend is spent in the airport coffee shop. Good visibility is punished by discomfort.
I mean, you have to get the pathetic fallacy right, at least.
Looks like a city built from legos.
These aren't pictures of the gods' anger. They're all after-the-storm pix, as the gods turn their smiley faces on the great works of men, lighting up the City Beautiful to show men at their best.
Mindsteps, are you saying that Ann is reflecting the opinions and beliefs of her largely conservative audience despite her own personal opinions and beliefs? That is, throwing out the red meat for her readers?
I've noticed a shift in Althouse's posts lately, where she doesn't seem to stake out her own positions, but offers up a reference to the event, an oblique comment or two, and then stands back to watch the frenzy. Witness, for example, the recent Graeme Frost post. Ann reproduces a controversial statement about the family (a seeming endorsement? who can say?), says some things about personal responsibility and our willingness to take risks, and lets the thread run. How does she feel about the SCHIP program? Does she think the family has been misused by the Democrats? Or the Rightwingosphere? Who can say?
Althouse is under no obligation to comment on any of these matters, of course. I just find it interesting that she has lately begun to make fewer defining and outrageous (or brave, depending on your position) statements and instead blows the dog whistle to set her comments loose: TWEET. What does Hillary Clinton think? TWEET. Will Al Gore run? TWEET. Interpret this picture. TWEET.
It's an interesting and, as you and Dylan note, infuriating way to run a blog.
Althouse distorts, again:
"Or are the gods angry that all the world is bowing down today to Al Gore and his theory that the humans cause the storms?"
That's not Gore's theory.
Liar, lazy or just dumb? Who knows.
Gore has no "theory". But he has feelings and beliefs, which are apparently the only necessary constituents of a scientific theory in the fantasy-based community.
I'm not happy for Al. I hope he stubbed his toe getting out of bed this morning.
I don't like Al Gore. I've never voted for him and I never will.
But I would like him to run. Heh.
Mpudi: So how did the land rover get up the tree?
Steyn: Do you know she has flowers on her panties?
Mpudi: So that's how it got up the tree.
(The Gods Must Be Crazy 1980)
Trevor said...
Mindsteps, are you saying that Ann is reflecting the opinions and beliefs of her largely conservative audience despite her own personal opinions and beliefs? That is, throwing out the red meat for her readers?
No, although the phenomenon you describe may or may not be occurring as well. What you are portraying is a conscious, deliberate process. If Ann is throwing out red meat to her constituency from time to time, she would likely be aware of it, but I doubt she would own up to it.
Rather, by raising the possibility of projective identification as a characteristic of Ann and her blog postings, I am referring to an unconscious intrapsychic and interpersonal process that takes place between Ann and her readers, i.e. taking place mostly or totally outside of the awareness of both Ann and her visitors.
Projective identification is conceived as an process by which a person is able to express emotions unacceptable to them by unconsciously acting in a fashion that induces that emotion in someone else. The receiver then unconsciously takes ownership of the affects as his or her own, sparked by the words or deeds of the sender.
For example, if you find yourself angry after reading some of Ann's posts, it may be that she is angry, however she is not aware of it, cannot own up to it, and unconsciously acts it out in the tone, timing, word choice, order, or content of her postings.
In short, if projective identification is at work here, it would suggest that Ann struggles with alot of anger and this is one angry blog. However, this process occurs outside of Ann's awareness, therefore she would not be able to appreciate the intensity of her anger.
It is just a thought...and until you articulated your reaction, I felt pretty much alone in experiencing it, therefore, I thought it was probably a personal abberation (another form of projective identification perhaps).
On the other hand, it could be a bunch of psychological bullsh**.
Narrator: The rhino is the self appointed fire prevention officer. When he sees a fire, he rushes in and stamps it out
(The Gods Must Be Crazy 1980)
You either accept the fact that Althouse is superior or you don't. She accepts it. So I do, too.
Thanks for the clarification, Mindsteps. It's an interesting theory and would go a long way to understanding why these threads are such a flashpoint. No one can say, but I doubt it'll change over the next twelve months.
I will say this. When Althouse admitted to a preference for convincing others to buy (re Mrs. Instapundit), I nodded my head and said, Of course she does. That pleasure in manipulation is exactly what I see in the posts.
I have some concerns in respect to Mr. Gore that I hope some of you may help me with.
Al clearly believes that humans are to blame for global warming. He obviously has made a name and money out of promoting this idea. Yet as one of the viewers noted, he is getting larger by the day. Now most vegetarians that I know are fairly slim. To reach his size requires good, red meat. Yet cows and live stock are clearly implicated in production of "green house gases".
In addition, Mr. Gore lives a very lavish life and consumes far more of what these people call "carbon credits". Yet, Mr. Gores's response to this is that he pays a "carbon credit tax". Now his tax does absolutely zero to improve the environment.
The only issue seems to be that the common people (us) need to reduce their life styles, use less energy and accept the fact that the government is going to tax us for causing golbal warming and that we need to distroy our economy to eliminate production of "green house gases" that are potentially less of a threat than the cows he eats.
Does this really make sense to anyone? What about depopulating the world? Bush seems to be doing a better job at that aspect than anything Mr. Gore has proposed, expecially if he starts bombing Iran.
I certainly think much less of the Nobel awards.
Trevor said...
I will say this. When Althouse admitted to a preference for convincing others to buy (re Mrs. Instapundit), I nodded my head and said, Of course she does. That pleasure in manipulation is exactly what I see in the posts.
Wow, interesting interpretation Trevor!
Don't open up an office near mine. Otherwise, you'll take all my business.
Elmer: And what is lard? Lard is the morning and the evening star.
(Elmer Goretry, 1960)
Paul, thats the ticket.
Mind your manners, everyone. One day in the future, the name of Al Gore will come to be reverentially uttered in the same breath as other great men of science, such as Ptolemy and Lamarck. Give the man his due.
"the night was warm and moist"...
Momma: Owen! Food!
Owen: In a minute, Momma.
Momma: Don't you "In a minute, Momma" me! Get off your fat little ass or I'll break it for you! I want two soft boiled eggs, white toast, and some of that grape jelly god damn it! And don't burn the toast!
Owen: Kill her, Larry.
I'm deriving pleasure observing these efforts at trying to figure out what I'm doing and whether I'm doing it on purpose or not. It's pretty amusing. And vortex-y.
"I'm deriving pleasure observing these efforts . . ."
QED.
Thine alabaster cities gleam
Undimmed by human tears!
Gedalia, re Gore: But I would like him to run. Heh.
Well, if he ran hard enough, maybe he could drop a few.
Too vortex-y for her shirt...
Trevor said...
QED.
Trevor:
Your comments have actually helped me deal with some of the unpleasant feelings stirred up by this blog. Many thanks.
I will now play the amature phycologist:
I think Ann likes effort best when it is rewarded: If shopping is to be done, it is best when things are purchased--otherwise, it becomes somewhat pointless. It is better when the purchases are done by a shopping companion because it costs less and you remain unburdened by more stuff to keep track of. If you do purchase something for yourself, it is good if it is at least two things. The cost (in time and effort) of engaging in a transaction for just one item is painfull.
Blogging is similar: It is easy to get a lot of comments, just say something inflamitory. The comments you then get are like weeds in a garden, easy to grow but of little value. Ann likes the subtle touch, let us evoke thoughtfull responses but not so clever that the thread just dies-out.
Hey, thanks for remembering that I like to buy 2 things.
And Trevor, I'm disappointed that you didn't realize I did that on purpose. Maybe you're infuriated because you're not seeing the intent. Or you're seeing intent and thinking it was not intentional intent, which makes no sense so you feel bad. Just remember: I know what I'm doing. Now, you can feel calm and safe.
Scrumptious pictures. Al Who? Mother Nature always has the last word.
Just remember: I know what I'm doing. Now, you can feel calm and safe.
And yet I miss those who came before and who no longer comment here.
It strikes me as sheer whimsy.
In a way, it reminds me of that other Ann, the leggy blonde one. But where one uses inflammatory rhetoric, the other uses aesthetics and whimsy.
Does anyone really think that Althouse thinks the Gods are angry at Gore? Or was it just a nice romantic way to frame a set of pictures?
N.B. that picture threads are usually sparse. Mention "Gore" and the count skyrockets.
Agreed, Ruth Anne. Sippican leaps to mind.
But it is the nature of online communities. They are extremely fragile. I've never seen one that couldn't be destroyed in short order by vitriol.
How can I feel calm and safe knowing I've disappointed you? I'll have to try harder to amuse you in the future. But really, it's your vortex. How can I be responsible for my behavior when I'm in it?
How about we both try harder? That'll keep me warm.
....blows the dog whistle to set her comments loose: TWEET. What does Hillary Clinton think? TWEET. Will Al Gore run? TWEET. Interpret this picture. TWEET.
It's an interesting and, as you and Dylan note, infuriating way to run a blog.
Why make it so complicated? Think of it like the "Book of Questions"--except Althouse's the topics here are actually interesting. You never know what you'll get when you start reading.
Can you not tolerate that liberals are made fun of or criticized from time to time? If you can't find Gore's sanctimony funny, get a sense of humor --and perspective.
The day Althouse becomes predictable is the day I stop reading. Same goes for the commenters; you'd have to look far and wide to find the fascinating characters you'll read here everyday. Who wants to be spoon-fed? If I wanted to talk to someone who thinks just like me, I'll go sit in front of the mirror, thanks.
Perhaps some people feel that a proper diva ought to be hogging the mike for solo after solo rather than leading a community sing.
Althouse = fatal attraction
(at least to some...)
Well I think its the old "truth and beauty" thing. Beautiful scenes and an inconvenient truth.
the gathering storm foretold the incredible amount of mis-science raised in opposition to Mr. Gore's prize...her creating a vortex just by adding the phrase about his "prize".
I like the flat earth society because it has a sense of humor about itself and reminds me of nothing more threatening than a neighborhood drinking and chowder club. The incredible silliness exhibited by the anti-global warming crowd, though, isn't funny at all and all you have to do is toss the red meat of truth out on the table, as the Nobel committee just did, and the brainless wolves howl.
These pictures are marvels! My favorite is the one at the bottom - the sky is awesome!
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