August 16, 2009

"Hello Ms. Althouse. My name is Tyrone Steels II and I am the site/server administrator (and sometimes co-blogger) of The Moderate Voice..."

Oh, no. It's what you might call The Moderate Email...from Tyrone Steels II (if that is his real name)...
As a regular reader of your blog...
I'll bet.
... I was disappointed...
Oh? You had such hopes for me, didn't you?
... when you attributed the post "Whole Food Boycott Picks Up Steam" to TMV writers. Editor-in-chief regularly posts "Guest Voice" posts on the site.
Well, then editor-in-chief must have thought he had something that fit in the place he calls The Moderate Voice.
The post was clearly identified as a Guest Voice and not a regular TMV contributor. Mr. Gandelman likes posting "Guest Voices" to stir the pot, if you will (Michael Reagan has been posted many times as a "Guest Voice").
To stir the pot, if you will... (What if I won't?) Stirring the pot is consistent with voice moderation? It's fine if "Mr. Gandelman" does whatever he likes, but I like saying when the name of a blog doesn't fit with what goes on under that name.... whether you will or not.
The Moderate Voice as [sic] many writers. Some conservative and some liberal. We don't hold writers [sic] feet to the fire but there have [sic] been a larger percentage of the liberal viewpoint rather than the conservative viewpoint recently. This is simply due to conservative writers not posting as much. So the site does tilt but it isn't an intentional thing. But that is regarding the regular writers, not "Guest Voices".
It's not my job to monitor your site, but my impression is that it leans left, as I think you are conceding. But I don't care about that. I was talking about moderation of the voice, and the way saying someone "shot his company in the face" is not a moderate way to speak.
In the future, if you could, please distinguish between "Guest Voices" and regular writers at The Moderate Voice?
No. If you put up a post, it's part of your blog. It's under the name "The Moderate Voice," and if I want to say a post on that blog is inconsistent with the name of the blog, I will say just that — and I'll give you a link. If you want some disclaimer, put it where you want on your blog, as big as you want it. I'm not cluttering my posts with hedging that doesn't mean anything to me. I linked. That's what I give you.
I think it would be beneficial to all bloggers to be very clear who they are agreeing or disagreeing with so their aren't any misunderstandings.
I'll be the judge of what's beneficial to me and my readers. If you don't want a writer associated with the name of your blog, don't let them post on your blog. The details of which writers you're vouching for and which are there to "stir the pot" are your business, not mine. I linked. That's the blogging ethic, in my view. My readers click on the link and can see what I'm talking about. If you haven't made it clear, you fix it.
Thank you very much and keep up the great writing!
Oh, ridiculous. You give a damn about my writing?
Tyrone Steels II
Chief Technology Officer
ENXIT Group, LLC " Equity Opportunity For The New Century"......
Office: (678) 701-XXXX
Fax: (678) 954-XXXX
tyrone.steels@XXXX.com
URL: www.enxit.com
Okay, why is the
Chief Technology Officer guy schooling me on blogging ethics? And ENXIT? What is it? I go to the URL:
Enx·it [eng-zit, enk-sit]

1. An act of entering
2. A way or passage out
3. A combination of entrance and exit point(s).
So... they don't know if they are coming or going? (Like this?)
The Enxit Group L.L.C. was created out of a group of ideas formulated at the virtual consortium SEMTAN Media in late 2005. The theme of Enxit was developed around a requirement to incorporate flexibility into a commerce model and endeavor which could identify and manage opportunities employing technological antecedents to improve efficiency. The Enxit Group is deigned to be facilitate PEST [political, economic, socio-cultural, and technological] antecedents which are rapidly integrating our global society, creating equity for all participants.
And I am deigned to be damned if I know what the hell you are talking about, but.... thank you very much and keep up the great writing!

ADDED: I had what was for me a very memorable run-in with The Moderate Voice back in November 2006: "So much for moderation.... I think Joe [Gandelman] had a nice blog going, one that lived up to its title. Maybe it's not a good idea to have a blog title that makes such a distinct claim, but...."

134 comments:

MadisonMan said...

Ah, they missed a You, a Law Professor opportunity.

All I could think of was thin skin. Theirs. Not yours.

wv: soprea So close to an opera

BJM said...

Althouse, I disagree, a disclaimer is absolutely required to prevent readers from spewing beverages over their computers.

Me thinks this fellow has never heard the expression "stop digging".

TWM said...

I'm going to forgo a number of thoughts about Ann's response post to Mr. Steels' email (all about how she is correct and reminding me not to ever annoy her) and instead comment on his name.

Tyrone Steels. What a name. And to be Tyrone Steels II is even more interesting. It has to be real as I can't see anyone making it up, but I have seen some name-generators online that might have done it.

chuck said...

>Snicker<

I think the name is mispelled, shouldn't that be Tyrone Steals second?

Once written, twice... said...

Wow! Ann! Marriage has been really good for your disposition!

(Getting a little cranky are we?)

The Dude said...

Tyrone Steels, but I blame Bush for that fact.

WV - derst - there were a derst of topics, so we get this mess instead.

Once written, twice... said...

Ann, by chance you wouldn't happen to be auditioning to replace Jerry Springer?

traditionalguy said...

I admire your style of argument, Professor. I think you must have done this before.

Jason (the commenter) said...

Excellent work Alhouse, I saw the note on their site about "a reader" mistaking "a guest voice" for a regular contributer and thought it ridiculous.

Would it be okay for them to post Neo-Nazi posts as long as they were from "guest voices"?

Not wanting to accept responsibility for something that is clearly in your control is contemptible. And whiny!

Peter Hoh said...

It's the return of the "guest blogger" excuse, last seen when a guest blogger posted the Trig rumors on Daily Kos.

WB said...

Great stuff, Ann. Great. It's a common lefty attitude to tell bloggers what they should and shouldn't publish on their blogs. Nice smackdown.

KCFleming said...

Tyrone and TMV are pussies.

Man up; admit you support the piece as written, and defend it.

Expect no respect for denying ownership.

J Lee said...

I'd be interested to know if TMV has run any similar "guest opinions" that have taken that sort of partisan tone while coming from a hard-line conservative viewpoint (I'm only an occasional viewer of their site -- less so since the '08 election -- but don't ever remember them allowing something as equally obvious as coming from the right side of the political spectrum).

sierra said...

It appears "moderation" is insufficent as a guiding policy. The clearly expressed need to stir the pot renders it a pretension. Why not just call the blog something else, then?

traditionalguy said...

L E... If we could only rename you "Moderate Commenter", then you would always have to say things here nicely and "moderately". Why you could then comment that Sarah Palin is a smart female politician instead of that she is a hick whack job. Wouldn't that be so much more fun? Oh, never mind.

Unknown said...

"Would it be okay for them to post Neo-Nazi posts as long as they were from "guest voices"?"

Well, they said they post Michael Reagan. They probably don't see a distinction.

WV: whosslu. A good Dr. Seuss word.

Jason (the commenter) said...

I think I know why Tyrone Steels II sent this email to Althouse. As site/server administrator he was supposed to put a disclaimer at the head of the post but forgot. (He admits this when the disclaimer was eventually put up.) Since the post contained possibly libel statements he fears he's opened up the company he works for, ENXIT Group, to a huge libel suit.

XWL said...

Allow me to summarize the state of play in the blogosphere,

Conservative and libertarian leaning blogs are not only completely responsible for their own thoughts, but also the thoughts and attitudes of everyone they link, mention, and allow to comment on their sites (numerous examples of this, most involving the 'you run a hate site since you have a few wackadoos commenting there' arguments have been made from the left against the right).

Meanwhile 'moderate', or 'progressive' sites (few claim the liberal tag for themselves for whatever reason) aren't responsible for posts if they aren't from their primary contributors since it's all about dailogue and conversation and pot-stirring.

Fascinating.

AimHighHitLow said...

I enjoy Althouse for the "Althouse Voice", and I have always found The Moderate Voice to not be "a moderate voice". "Liberal Voice" would be more like it. So I'm in agreement with calling MV out.

What puzzles me is why not a response from the editor?

Chip Ahoy said...

Speaking of grits again -- we are speaking of grits, aren't we? -- Hey! All you redneck, southern hillbilly Walmart-shopping, Coca Cola drinking, Cheetos-eating conservative know-nothing Republican types, I dun made me a mess uh grits! And, boy, is it good. Umm, umm, yeah, that's what I call eat'n.

I was mistaken earlier. These here ain't no instant grits, no siree, they're quick-cook'n grits that take five whole minutes. I looked in a book, that's right, a book, a big ol' fat green book by bon appétit, which is French for ... somethin', and it said that means they're ground finer sos they cook faster.

Methadras said...

Oh dear. They don't know what they have done.

WV = Ration. Guess what Mr. BarelyCare is going to give you.

The Dude said...

I'm agnostic on whether or not to put sugar on grits - suit yourself. But do not, ever, put sugar in corn bread.

WV - hatenong - the tribe from which our current most annoying troll is descended.

Joe M. said...

Oh, snap. This is one of my favorite combative posts you've written in a while, Althouse.

BJM said...

NKVD, I agree never, ever put sugar in cornbread (best baked in a cast-iron skillet primed with bacon drippings) and I prefer dishes with savory grits, but a little maple syrup on breakfast grits ain't half bad.


wv: renta = what Guido owes the landlord.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
G Joubert said...

It's kinda llke frying ants with a magnifying glass.

ricpic said...

How To Mau Mau The Flak Catchers

You've got to enxit the antecedents,
Eliminate the consequeadents,
Latch on to the platitudents
And don't mess with mister-in-between.

1775OGG said...

TNV: They did SHAT on their own parade!

Ralph L said...

I think they've discovered a moderate voice doesn't get links or page hits.

disagreeing with so their [sic 'em] aren't...

You missed one.

a requirement to incorporate flexibility into a commerce model and endeavor...creating equity for all participants

Sounds kind of Lefty to me. Never heard of a company stressing antecedents--not forward thinking, creative, or innovative.

yordr -- an irrational desire to garden

robinintn said...

Chip Ahoy: There's a world of difference between instant and quick cooking! My Grandmom explained it all to me when I was exiled to Boston from Nashville, and she very kindly Fedexed grits every couple of months. Bottom line: Instant just won't do.

Regarding Mr. Steel The Second, my Mom always said she would disown me if I ever brought home a boy whose parents were so...uninformed as to use 'the Second'.

I've learned from experience that these two ladies are pretty much always right.

HT said...

Ann,

I'm not gonna weigh in on this one, because I don't care. And I apologize for not knowing how to correctly propose suggested reading to you.

But, you should check out the main story in today's (ack!) Washington Post, getting by on $300K a year (in Rich County, NY).

I'd love to hear your take on it, but in DETAIL, not a drive-by, please.

Thanks much.

ricpic said...

Does Cream Of Wheat qualify as grits? Now don't get all huffy on me, I'm just askin'. I loved cream of wheat with raisins as a kid. Raisins would improve that shrimp and grits by the way. Add a touch of sweetness to it. Took me fifteen minutes dawdling over my bowl of cream of wheat to finish it in the morning. It was the raisins. Had to inspect each raisin before spooning it down. It was a science: so much cream of wheat; so much milk; so many raisins per spoonful. Hope I'm not holding y'all up.

MamaM said...

L.E. Lee! You and I appear to have had the very same thought!

"Wow! Ann! Marriage has been really good for your disposition."

The difference? My thought is backed with personal sincerity.

From the Wiki comes this definition: "Sincerity is the virtue of one who speaks truly about his or her own feelings, thoughts, desires. Sincere expression carries risks to the speaker, since the ordinary screens used in everyday life are opened to the outside world. At the same time, we expect our friends, our lovers, our leaders 'to be sincere'."

I find sincerity crucial to good conversation.

1775OGG said...

Correction (I didn't have my required allotment of coffeeeee today!): "TMV": They did SHAT on their own parade!

BlogDog said...

"Steels the Second." Is that like "seize the day" but downsized for the poor economy?

Turing word: unded
Is there a message for me in that?

Anonymous said...

This is clearly the first shot across Meade's bow.

I highly recommend putting the toilet seat down when you're through, bub.

Dust Bunny Queen said...

Does Cream Of Wheat qualify as grits? Now don't get all huffy on me, I'm just askin'

No. Grits are from corn. Cream of Wheat is basically semolina.

Grits are more coarsly ground than cormeal. More coarsly ground than grits.....it is Polenta. One of my very favorite side dishes.

That dope who wants to boycott whole foods probably considers himself so superior because he doesn't eat grits, but I'll bet he thinks it is very urbane to eat polenta.

BTW: the very very best cornmeal for making the best non gritty textured cornbread is Martha White.

Althouse is on FIRM ground with TMV. If your blog is named as such, you should have moderate voices. Otherwise, it is false advertising.

The Dude said...

Before puttin' raisins in the oatmeal my father would ask "Boy, you want flies in there or not?"

WV - glyzepti - what you get in your genecktecessoink after you are shpilkes.

T-Steel said...

Wow! I guess I learned my lesson. Never send a polite e-mail to a blogger that is upset at the site your part of.

And to disparage the company I am part of. Oh well. Lesson learned. No, I don't have a thin skin. This looked like a misunderstanding and apparently I misunderstood Ms. Althouse's irritation.

Take care!

The Dude said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
T-Steel said...

Hmmm. Well I read your post again Ms. Althouse and I'm curious, why did you have to attack the company I am part of? That has gotten underneath my skin A BIT but I'll survive.

And "T-Steel" is a nickname from my football playing days. Just using it for comments (which I always do). So there's no hiding.

T-Steel said...

Point taken NKVD. I have a tendency to do that with "your" and "you're". And I don't think NKVD is your real name so...

Either way, I'm game for a discussion on the "non-merits" of my e-mail to Ms. Althouse. So let me have it.

DADvocate said...

Heaven forbid you should attribute something written on their blog as being written on their blog.

I call for a boycott of TMV, which won't be hard for me as I don't think I've ever visited it.

T-Steel said...

Another point, we do have grammatical problems on our corporate website (Enxit). This due to a server issue where we had to quickly get information back up.

Charlie Martin said...

In the future, if you could, please distinguish between "Guest Voices" and regular writers at The Moderate Voice?

No.

The beginning of liberty.

The Dude said...

Nah, that would require thinkin' an' stuff. We git all likered up here on moonshine and lose our motivation.

Carry on...

Charlie Martin said...

I'm agnostic on whether or not to put sugar on grits - suit yourself. But do not, ever, put sugar in corn bread.

Word.

Charlie Martin said...

Does Cream Of Wheat qualify as grits?

No.

See, cream of wheat is wheat. Grits are corn. White grits are hominy corn.

Corn ≠ wheat.

QED

CassavaLeaf.com said...

"keep up the great writing!"

is that the blogger equivalent to:

Thank you and good night?

Charlie Martin said...

Wow! I guess I learned my lesson. Never send a polite e-mail to a blogger that is upset at the site your part of.

Clearly.

Tell me, when did you try it?

T-Steel said...

Well boycotting TMV wouldn't be a bad idea. Would stop all the denial-of-service attacks from some that keep me a little busy.

But it's all good. I like all of y'all anyways and have more in common with you than you think. I'm a black guy that voted for Bob Barr (cause I'm boycotting Democrats and Republicans). Went to the Tea Party at the University Of Georgia earlier in the summer. This health care "thingy" just doesn't work for me (I'm a "get a person a job, health care will work itself out" kind of guy). I may lean left on some social issues but when it comes to fiscal issues, I'm a conservative to the bone. So don't my poor little heart (LOL) by calling me a straight lefty.

Michael Haz said...

I bought grits today because I am a mindless robot who receives brain rays from the Althouse blog..... or something.

I'm waiting for tomorrow's breakfast to indulge. I think a side of this bacon will be involved.

@Chip Ahoy, dang, that looks good, but is that really sliced ham? Sure does look like bologna to me. With adobo sauce, so it's got to be good. Needs a dollop of Whiz, though.

Side note to Mr. Steels the Deuce: Be very careful what you say when you step through the door you've just opened. Miz Althouse has a very long fuse, but it connects to a very large bomb. Otherwise, welcome to the neighborhood.

T-Steel said...

Seneca the Younger, I thought it was polite but hey, perceptions are everything.

And I'm having a bad grammar day all around. Making it too easy to pick on me. It's all good (as I said before). I still like this site and just chalk this down as "an experience".

Chip Ahoy said...

I betch'ya could get ground corn uh one kind er a'nuther in them bulk bins at Whole Foods. I love that place on account uh all them bulk bins. All the peoples ah meet there is fascinat'n.

Once written, twice... said...

T-Steel. Don't bother. Everything is black and white here. Any position left of Jessie Helms makes you a commie. Althouse finds it the easy audience to attract and keep entertained.

Peter Hoh said...

Saw this response to the boycott on Sullivan's blog. By the way, Sully's got guest bloggers this month.

The Dude said...

T-Steel, let me apologize for my language and my assumptions. I was out of line. Lots of luck enduring the trolls.

CiarandDenlane said...

I'm not sure I agree with you on this one, Ann. "Moderate" seems ambiguous to me, with perhaps four possible meanings here. You're knocking MV for not living up to one of the possible meanings, but my sense is that the cite itself may aspire mostly to moderation in two of the other senses.

The sense in which you seem to use "moderate" seems to call for views, whatever they might be on the merits, expressed in a respectful and civil voice. I'm in favor of that too (as I hope googling my rare comments on this nom de comment would confirm).

A second sense of moderation implies views that, however sharply or politely expressed, fall in some intermediate political or philosophical ground compared to more extreme views on other sides.

A third sense is that the cite as a whole contains comments from varied viewpoints that balance out to moderate. The old SNL "Jane, you ignorant slut" debates were moderate in that sense.

These senses overlap quite a bit (most places that are willing to give voice to opposing views aren't SNL skits). But I don't see any inherent reason why moderates in the second sense don't get the fun of throwing the kind of occasional sharp elbow that the partisans do (some of us are moderate in the second sense only because the vector sums of strongly held views cancel out compared to where the parties draw their lines rather than because we have no strongly held views.)

My sense is that the MV aspires to moderation in the second and third senses more than in the first. (The fourth sense is that moderate views are whatever views are correct, other views by definition being either too left or too right. Gandelman cannot be moderate in that sense, because I am the world's only fourth-sense moderate.)

DADvocate said...

Grits. I love grits. Grew up in the South. Real grits only have a little butter on them, sometimes mixed with some American cheese.

(I never use "ya'll" in my writing though. Perhaps the most famous "Ya'll" in the country can be found in Florence, KY.)

Dust Bunny Queen said...

And I'm having a bad grammar day all around. Making it too easy to pick on me. It's all good (as I said before). I still like this site and just chalk this down as "an experience".

Don't worry about it. We all make typos and it's easy to not proofread.

However, the beef that I and some others have with the Moderate Voice is that it is not Moderate. Of course that definition is subject to interpretation by the reader and the writer.

I used to look at the blog all the time and it was on my favorites list. I gradually ceased looking and dropped it. Does that mean that you are no longer "Moderate" or that I have moved my position. Not sure.

However, if the blog says Moderate....it should attempt to be that. Othewise you are perpetrating a deception.

Chip Ahoy said...

Sérieusement, c'est absurde

Les granulations de maïs avec lardon et la tomate, les crevettes et les coquilles, le jalapeno et le chipolte poivrent, et fromage à pâte dure italien.

Michael Haz said...

Just wondering....who provides the better health insurance plan for it's employees? Whole Foods or Acorn? Whole Foods or the SEIU? Whole Foods or the DNC?

WV ditipo He ditipo job of explaining it.

Donna B. said...

Though born in CO, it was of Southern parents and, dammit I hate grits. They are the scourge of the South IMHO. Oddly, I like hominy.

And, as for sugar in cornbread? Just don't get caught adding it or adding too much. Frankly, it's required or the cornbread is bitter, especially if you use only white cornmeal.

WV - ernmengw: what cornbread without a teaspoon of sugar tastes like.

Michael Haz said...

Chip - C’est magnifique!

T-Steel said...

Dust Bunny Queen, you bring up a fair point. I'm not responsible for the overall direction of The Moderate Voice, Editor-In-Chief Joe Gandelman is. I'm site administrator since TMV is hosted and secured by my company. I also post occasionally. I appreciate all the voices that The Moderate Voice presents. But I can tell you this, the current political environment with issues that affect of us SO DEEPLY has made it increasingly difficult to be a pure moderate at times.

I go to a tea party and irritate a good friend so much that he's having a hard time speaking to me now. I say I like a CERTAIN piece of ObamaCare and now I'm a constitution destroyer. You get those reactions, you hackles get raised and BAM! Guns blazing. So I really understand your point Dust Bunny Queen. We try to find a happy medium between all the voices at TMV.

But even though I was initially upset at Ms. Althouse response, I took it all in stride. Better to be passionate about something than to be dispassionate. Life a bore without passion.

Michael Haz said...

Donna B - Try corn bread made of popcorn meal. Naturally sweet, no additional sugar required. Wonderful taste.

Donna B. said...

OH... I forgot to tell that www.stirthepot.org re-directs to aflcio.org.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

The Enxit Group is deigned to be facilitate PEST [political, economic, socio-cultural, and technological] antecedents which are rapidly integrating our global society, creating equity for all participants.

A roundabout way of saying we will extort for pay.

WV - tercyc = the opposite of neatly or effectively concise; tercyc.

Pastafarian said...

T-Steel, could you tell us more about "employing technological antecedents to improve efficiency"? That really sounds useful.

Maybe you could also touch on leveraging, best practices, boiling the ocean, and any number of other meaningless verbed nouns and buzz words that MBAs use to try to make their field seem more technical and less bullshit. Technological antecedents. Jesus Christ on horseback, I think I'm going to be sick.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

I'm changing my mind on this word verification thingie.

We might as well have fun with it.

WV - tospl - thats what you are going to need after Obama care going into effect.
you are going to need a tospl to see a Doc.

JAL said...

Scheep Ahoi raises ze bar.

And proves that we are not all Cheetoh eating hillbillies. Oui?

Porquoi? We like ze shrimp 'n grits.

wv busnesse What Scheep does to make a leeving.

T-Steel said...

Pastafarian, I will say this, in business, you have to know the right tool for the right job. And that's the way we have to play the game now (the MBA speak you referenced) based on our clientele. Maybe later we will adjust the language. Maybe not if we continue to work with those that need to see "the MBA way".

I'm a Georgia guy. Most of the time I speak simply and plain. But when business dictates, I put on my MBA hat and do what I gotta do.

Ann Althouse said...

"Well I read your post again Ms. Althouse and I'm curious, why did you have to attack the company I am part of? That has gotten underneath my skin A BIT but I'll survive."

Because you included it in your pushback email to me. It's not like I did research on you and branched out. You put it there and I was curious.

But anyway, T-Steel, thanks for being a good sport about it. I'll bet that deep down, you know "the moderate voice" is bullshit. Maybe you, like us, want to say what you think on the issues -- maybe going right and left on different things -- instead of posing as moderate on everything.

Ann Althouse said...

Reading more T-Steel comments... We like you, T-Steel.... It's just that "moderate voice" crap that is annoying me.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

..I will say this, in business, you have to know the right tool for the right job.

A bat in the car trunck?

WV - beningei = that's the guy in Italy we get for the big jobs.

Once written, twice... said...

T-Steel, you seem like a moderate, magnanimous type of person. As demonstrated by Ann Althouse's bizarre acid dripping reply on her blog to your friendly e-mail I think it is fair to say you probably won't fit in.

Laura(southernxyl) said...

As opposed to L. E. Lee, who is so comfortable here you see his/her comments everywhere. Hand, glove.

1775OGG said...

Actually, more like one hand keeping the beat! Or, clapping, perhaps!

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

A moderate voice at a village with a voice.

WV - kehiv = a moderate cry.

T-Steel said...

Lem, a bat in a car trunk? Naa... Little too heavy-handed for me. How about a beer summit and a BBQ!

Ba da BUMP!

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

I have a drinking problem T.. not your fault.. you ar new here.

WV - ratod = someone who dosent let Danika Patrick win.

Jason said...

The theme of Enxit was developed around a requirement to incorporate flexibility into a commerce model and endeavor which could identify and manage opportunities employing technological antecedents to improve efficiency. The Enxit Group is deigned to be facilitate PEST [political, economic, socio-cultural, and technological] antecedents which are rapidly integrating our global society, creating equity for all participants.

You know, Mr. Steel, I've been writing for a living my entire adult life. I've written for newspapers, magazines, military orders - including operations orders in combat, where soldiers' lives depend on clear and lucid communication - corporate newsletters, memos, advertisements, sales letters, financial documents, blogs, books, radio spots, comedy shows. Lots of times smart people hired me to clean up after corporatist bullshit like the above.

If I were in a boardroom and some dipshit with a mail-order MBA started spouting douchebaggery like that, I'd have the sorry son-of-a-bitch fingerpainting the boardroom walls with his own snot and blood. I'd give him the most thorough wall-to-wall beat-down since James Gandolfini put a major-league hurting on Patricia Arquette in True Romance back in 1994. I would have that little peckerhead begging for the sweet, merciful release that death would bring - simply out of respect for the English language.

E.B. White would be applauding from the Great Copydesk in the Sky, and REAL corporate leaders would be handing me a bonus check and asking me if I'd consider staying on staff.

So if you want to know why we're making fun of your company, it's because you frigging clowns can't even manage a mission statement.

I bet if anyone actually did a cost-benefit analysis on your services, it wouldn't be long before your balance sheet was as f--ked up as your mission statement.

Unfortunately, stupid MBAs do business with each other... until they drive their companies into the ground.

Oh. WV = inkyd. Inkyd you not.

garage mahal said...

Dick Cheney is a moderate. He didn't even send in those tanks on the streets of Buffalo, like he could have.

MamaM said...

Insincere Lee, now serving as Park Ranger for Hillbilly Heaven. Knows the place, the people and the host like the back of his hand.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

A song about fear.

Solo por miedo.

How nice it is when the fear is sincere
How bright the future when it is dark
how exquisite the offense when I cry
when I cry.

A lifetime later, we realize
we lost in life
only out of fear.
(Chorus)

What a beauty is life when you forget it
how deep is the wound if is asleep
to secure a boat adrift
adrift

(Chorus)

Whats the point of calm if It cant save me
how much my soul if you do not ride
Where is the hope if It cant reach me
if It cant reach me

(Chorus)

How nice it is when the fear is sincere
how wild the desire when I see you
Who could tell you how much I love you
how much I love you
.

(translated by me Lem)

WV - surafers - men that only surf adult channels.

David said...

I hear Althouse may be investigated for child abuse as a result of this post

Ralph L said...

T-Steel didn't know this was a whole nest of vipers.

CiarandDenlane, I would say your third sense of moderate is actually "even-handed", not moderate. You are not moderate if you shake someone's hand and then kick them in the nuts.

dicurath - the emotion caused by the above action.

T-Steel said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
T-Steel said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
T-Steel said...

Well Jason, you are incorrect on the cost/benefit analysis as well as the "friggin clowns" moniker but hey, that's going down Bombast Road and that gets us nowhere.

You say you have been cleaning up "corporatist bullshit" for years. Well then, we're interested in hearing your advice (and we know advice like this isn't free). We are a new company and always have room for improvement. Contact me, if you want, at operations@enxit.com. I'm always open to get advice as long as we don't have to travel down "Bombast Road".

Regarding a nest of vipers, well... I didn't expect this but hey, it is what it is. I'm good.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

We like you, T-Steel.... It's just that "moderate voice" crap that is annoying me.

A little Fire & Ice at Alhousia tonight.

WV - pilki = the secret name of Pat Benetar's lips.

Once written, twice... said...

T-Steel! Turn Back!

You are on the precipice of the village of Apocalypse Now! They are all crazy here. Ann is in her hut with platinum blond wig removed showing her sweaty bald head and reveling in her randian paranoia.

Man, save yourself!

Jason said...

Mr. Steele,

Just having a bit of fun at your company's expense.

Nevertheless, I don't believe you can deliver on that value, after a cost-benefit analysis by an informed, hard-nosed quant.

On the other hand, I'm open-minded, and always looking for a way to give my company an edge.

So if you think you can deliver value, after a cost-benefit analysis, convince me. Tell me HOW, and/or WHY. Better yet, tell me how I would BENEFIT. Do it in thirty words or less. Figure about three sentences. Don't use the words"paradigm," "empower," "implement" or "utilize."

You should also build in something about why your company is uniquely able to do this for me better than anyone else. That is your unique value proposition. That's actually a buzzword in MBA circles, too, but it's a good one. Your MBAs will have heard of it. But if they're crafting garbage like what's in your email, then it's a sure bet they don't understand it.

Thirty words or less.

Go.

WV: Farress. MBAs can't see the farress for the trees.

Alex said...

Yeah so-called "Moderate Voice" my ass. I'm always suspicious of any blog that calls themselves moderate.

Jason said...

Lee,

Are you an assassin?

T-Steel said...

Aww L.E. Lee! This is America! Passion (with knives drawn). LOL!

I'm a big boy. I wrote something, got a strong reaction (along with numerous other reactions), said my piece or pieces, and I'm good. Like I said, I was initially a little upset but got over it quickly. Like I said, I'm a regular reader although I admit I don't go through the comments as much.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

The World in (Althouses) Eyes

Let me take you on a trip
Around the world and back
And you won't have to move
You just sit still

Now let your mind do the walking
And let my body do the talking
Let me show you the world in my eyes

I'll take you to the highest mountain
To the depths of the deepest sea
And we won't need a map, believe me

Now let my body do the moving
And let my hands do the soothing
Let me show you the world in my eyes

That's all there is
Nothing more than you can feel now
That's all there is

Let me put you on a ship
On a long, long trip
Your lips close to my lips
All the islands in the ocean
All the heavens in the motion
Let me show you the world in my eyes

That's all there is
Nothing more than you can touch now
That's all there is

Let me show you the world in my eyes
.

Wellcome T

Jason said...

One of us! One of us! Gooble-gobble, one of us!!

WV: Porient. I know it when I see it.

T-Steel said...

Jason, fair enough BUT I won't do this out in the open among all these "friends". LOL!

I see your e-mail from your blog and I will e-mail you with my 30 words or less.

And Lem, I get it. LOL!

Once written, twice... said...

"The whore....The whore..."

Jason said...

Pussy. ;-)

WV: Frenosh. There's no such thing as a frenosh.

Synova said...

Hey, what's the matter Lee? Afraid the new guy might *like* us?

As for the grits, Cream of Wheat issue...

... and since grits are sort of gross...

Get at least the 2 minute kind of Cream of Wheat (the next step up is 10 min)... cinnamon, sugar, butter (and don't make them without salt... icky-poo) and cran-rasins.

The best thing is the cran-rasins.

wv: jikine

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Hey, what's the matter Lee? Afraid the new guy might *like* us?

Thats exactly right Synova.

WV - monsi = a ponzi scheme by the goverment.

Synova said...

"Dick Cheney is a moderate. He didn't even send in those tanks on the streets of Buffalo, like he could have."

Gosh, garage, I love you.

Anything reminding me of the loverly Erica Jong and her militaristic fantasies of a ripped Dick Cheney leading our heroic National Guard through American streets, bandoleers crossing his bare chest and a machine gun in each hand... it puts me in my happy place... as does anything so absurd. It was sad, though, that she only shared this wonderful insight with an Italian magazine. But we were not deprived!

And I will always treasure that mental image. ;-)

T-Steel said...

Well Jason, I may be a good sport, but I can only take so much "love" in one day. So I'll have to attach your label on my brow in shame. ;-)

And L.E. Lee, I said before, I read here regularly. So I'm not necessarily repulsed by what is said. I was defending the site I've invested much tech time with (TMV) along with my occasional musings as well as being friends with the site creator.

Things are good now and it won't stop me from reading. And heck, I may start commenting as well as reading.

Jason said...

Lee:

You don't REALLY think Col. Kurtz was saying "the whore, the whore" at the end of the movie, do you?

wv: imper. This is the way the world ends, not with a bang but a imper.

Meade said...

Back home again in Indiana, we called grits mush. No matter what you call it, corn gruel is good eating. Even better is fried mush. That's where you take refrigerated leftover mush, slice it up, fry it in bacon fat, pour a little maple syrup on it and serve it up hot. Fried mush is what make Hoosiers hoosierly.

Once written, twice... said...

Yes Jason. The movie is about a love triangle between Williad, Kurtz and an unnamed woman. (Except for the moniker "The Whore" of course.) You didn't know that?

Once written, twice... said...

Meade wrote
"Back home again in Indiana"

So, I take it the marriage is over? Well, it lasted longer than I predicted.

Meade said...

btw, I think T-Steel shows a lot of character and good humor, just like so many of the commenters here at Althouse.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

And heck, I may start commenting as well as reading.

Good for you T.

wv baticat = a cat that goes bati if there isn't a baseball game on.

Maxine Weiss said...

But isn't it just a wee bit self-aggrandizing for you to write something critical on someone else's site....but after the fracas has occurred...make sure to put the rebuttal on YOUR site ?

For the sake of consistency and continuity...why not do the whole thing on their site?

More shameless attempts at building your own traffic, at the expense of someone else's ?

But at least you're doing some original writing, all give you that.

Horridly self-promoting, but original nonetheless.

Love,

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

More shameless attempts at building your own traffic, at the expense of someone else's?

Dearest Maxine.. I kinda mist you. where have you been?

WV- ingsta = a wannabe gansta who cant rime.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Things arent the same w/o Maxine. Everybody knows that..

BTW on the wedding day I was trying to reach Maxine and I find out Maxine can only be reached via them fancy social networks.

I think thats why i fancy her.. way out of my league.

wv unjoicka = russia after Boris Jelzin

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

A bit of good news.

Okay, now stick those “keys” back in your steamer trunk, smoking them will just make you fat, and mosey on over to arlo.net and start reading. Yesireebob, the hero of Woodstock, the son of the iconic left-wing author of “This Land Is Your Land”, opposes the healthcare bill and supports Sarah Palin.

traditionalguy said...

Please T-Steel come back. The Georgia delegation needs you, and Meade loves you too, I know he does T-Steel.

Anonymous said...

Tyrone Steels II is obviously Maxine Weiss.

Anonymous said...

Is L.E. Lee the most socially dysfunctional person on the planet? I bet you spend lots of time alone at parties, dude.

It's not because people find you aloof.

kate said...

nice evisceration! i took notes. :D

miller said...

Dear Mr. Steele

You sound like a fun guy. Be sure to stick around. LELEE will call you hillbilly eventually, but if you can handle that, you'll do fine.

WV: termes, I kid you not.

Anonymous said...

Dear Easyriders Subscriber: I'll admit that you're not the only one to write in and complain about our lead article for May, "20 Slenderizing Tips for Summer". But why did none of you notice that this article was not the work of anyone on our staff? It's just something some freelancer sent in. We appreciate your business, but please try to read more carefully next time. Sincerely, Dirk Studds III, Mailroom Supervisor and Contributing Editor.

P.S. I notice that your subscription is about to run out. Renew now or you risk missing our Fall Fashion preview!

The Crack Emcee said...

This guy's a joke.

Prosqtor said...

Obviously, if you name your blog "Althouse" then it is about whatever the heck Althouse wants it to be about. Therefore, no dissonance possible.

DADvocate said...

Even better is fried mush.

So true. My Dad used to make this. He'd make a mess of grits Friday night, spread them an inch thick in a baking pan, refrigerate overnight, cut it into squares in the moring, fry, serve with syrup. Yum! (My Dad grew up in Ohio, very close to Indiana.)

wv - resistro someone who refuses to do their share (of rowing the boat).

Darcy said...

Hey, T-Steel. Nice way to man up here in the comments. I like your style. Good for you!

Dust Bunny Queen said...

Like I said, I was initially a little upset but got over it quickly. Like I said, I'm a regular reader although I admit I don't go through the comments as much.

Well, you should read the comments. They are what makes Althouse blog what it is....along with the eclectic selection of postings done by the host.

Unlike most blogs that contain political views, the commenters seem to also be an eclectic bunch with views all over the place from right to left.



The theme of Enxit was developed around a requirement to incorporate flexibility into a commerce model and endeavor which could identify and manage opportunities employing technological antecedents to improve efficiency. The Enxit Group is deigned to be facilitate PEST [political, economic, socio-cultural, and technological] antecedents which are rapidly integrating our global society, creating equity for all participants


I have to read prospectuses and all kinds of legal junk every day in my business, and I must agree that your mission statement is muddled, unclear and mostly gobbledegook. You may have a clear idea of what your company is attempting to do, but after reading that I still have no idea. I would probably go on to another firm that can better communicate its goals.

Just saying. :-D

section9 said...

T-Steele:

There's this guy who posts here named Titus.

You might want to steer clear of him.

William said...

I must say TSteel is exceedingly, intensely moderate in his defense of The Moderate Voice. Althouse, on the other hand, has jumped the snark and shows an immoderate desire to inflict flame upon someone who deviates from the moderate line. It is important for the future of moderation that the true moderates beat to death such faux moderates......The mission goal of every company is to get rich and disguise that goal as artfully as possible.

Angst said...

How about a posting on grits?

My favorite shrimp 'n grits:

Cook the grits (the slow kind) in 2 thirds chicken broth and 1 third buttermilk. Add in fresh grated Parmesan cheese. Top with sauteed Andoui sausage and shrimp. Yum!

WV geylated - relative is a tranney NTTIATRWT

Smilin' Jack said...

The Enxit Group is deigned to be facilitate PEST [political, economic, socio-cultural, and technological] antecedents which are rapidly integrating our global society, creating equity for all participants.

...why did you have to attack the company I am part of?


Aww, we're not attacking it, T, just laughing at it. That's what it's for, right? And say hi to Dilbert for us.

Darcy said...

Right. Because there is so much more to admire about people like you, Smilin' Jack. As opposed to apparently very decent and polite people like Mr. Steel.

Randy said...

I agree with Darcy. I was also less than impressed by the tone of Althouse's original post.

blake said...

Give Mr. Steel his props. His name seems to describe his testicular fortitude.

He's a good ad for TMV.

Tom DeGisi said...

1. I remember Tyrone from Dean's World. Very interesting and a class act there, but takes his classiness to an educational level in these comments. I must learn from him.

2. Grits are one of the great things about the South. Dad was an Italian from Jersey. Mom was from Kansas, but her Mom was from Missouri, so I'm seldom served grits, especially since my wife is half-German and half-Polish from Milwaukee. Plus my kids are entirely uninterested in grits. Taste in food appears to be unteachable, unlike taste in politics. So I ate grits every day for breakfast when we visited D.C. Gotta go with butter.

Yours,
Tom DeGisi, aka Wince