Althouse: Instapundit notices...

July 4, 2011

Instapundit notices...

... the new shining star of the Althouse comments community: Carol Herman!

110 comments:

ndspinelli said...: How does Crazy Lenny sell so cheap..volume, volume, volume!! Women talk[and write] too much and say too little.; 7/4/11, 7:40 AM
AllenS said...: I'm blinded by the light.; 7/4/11, 7:43 AM
The Crack Emcee said...: We've created a monster,...; 7/4/11, 7:48 AM
Ann Althouse said...: "We've created a monster...."

You can't create Carol Herman. Carol Herman is a force of nature who burst into the world before you were born.; 7/4/11, 7:51 AM
Wince said...: Carol Herman's comments always had a familiar ring to me, and I just realized what that is: they remind me of a full panel from Crack Skull Bob's Sunday Morning Talking Heads, except the related yet disjointed thoughts are all coming from one person.

But the bullshit factor ... where she is such a cockroach. And, not "grandma" ... should be a reason she has to step down.

And, Bradley, too. Unfit!

There was no choke hold!

You can't create this out of thin air!

And, what about a chief justice whose words can't be trusted, when she tells her colleagues an opinion will be published. When all she's done is stuck it up her ass. In a game of "hide-and-seek?"

This issue will be won, or lost, at the polls.

According to the unions, who elect their shills, they've learned "something" from kloppenhoppen's trot. What?

I don't know "what?" But "what's" not a first base.; 7/4/11, 7:57 AM
The Dude said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 7/4/11, 7:59 AM
Triangle Man said...: Carol Herman? tl;dr

Needs to be more like Hemingway.; 7/4/11, 8:03 AM
ndspinelli said...: Triangle Man, women don't get Hemingway. And, because most English teachers are women, he's not taught to young readers. When I first read Hemingway[nuns are more varied in their reading than faux feminists] I was blown away.; 7/4/11, 8:06 AM
ndspinelli said...: I have to assume Carol Herman is incapable of using Twitter. And, because of the generally discursive nature of women, I surmise most Twitter users are men. Think of most of the famous Twitter people..all men. It's not dispositive, but certainly curious.; 7/4/11, 8:17 AM
nana said...: Some of you remind me of the high school clique where the girls decided who was cool.; 7/4/11, 8:26 AM
Ann Althouse said...: "because of the generally discursive nature of women, I surmise most Twitter users are men."

LOL. Twitter wouldn't stop Carol. You write a sentence. Tweet it. Write another sentence. Tweet it. It's not a problem.; 7/4/11, 8:41 AM
HKatz said...: People here seem to be getting some sort of pleasure from her comments, otherwise they'd ignore them and scroll down, and that would be the end of it. In part it's the pleasure of morbid fascination, and also the pleasure of getting to grumble and whine.; 7/4/11, 8:42 AM
ndspinelli said...: HKatz, the pathology you decribe is akin to the "gapers block" that causes traffic jams..people slowing to look @ an accident.; 7/4/11, 8:51 AM
ndspinelli said...: Sounds like DTS[Deranged Twitter Syndrome].; 7/4/11, 8:54 AM
AllenS said...: Where one, and sometimes two sentences require a new paragraph.; 7/4/11, 8:57 AM
Chip S. said...: I see what you did here.

Counting down to the meta experience of Carol Herman commenting on Carol Herman...; 7/4/11, 8:58 AM
HKatz said...: HKatz, the pathology you decribe is akin to the "gapers block" that causes traffic jams..people slowing to look @ an accident.

The morbid fascination is just one part of it. But she's around enough that she's not surprising, the way an accident might sometimes be. Nothing in her comments is shocking or grisly. It really would be easy to scroll down past her (I'm assuming it's a "she").

It's more the pleasure of complaining and sniping; she gives people that. And I do love how her long comments are creating a whole thread of comments just about her comments. I'm also looking forward to what Chip S. points out. Wouldn't it be funny if she replied to this post with a succinct: "Thanks, folks!"; 7/4/11, 9:06 AM
G Joubert said...: Carol: Law and politics in a free-wheeling stream of consciousness format. A little different.; 7/4/11, 9:11 AM
Steve Austin said...: CH, DR

She needs to make her best point in the first three sentences. Then click "Publish your Comment"; 7/4/11, 9:16 AM
traditionalguy said...: Carol Herman for President! She is a female Herman Cain. She communicates in a direct and goal focused language; and she sees the battlefield as it really is.; 7/4/11, 9:17 AM
Shouting Thomas said...: I'll be that Carol Herman is really a 40 year old white hetero male computer geek.

He's got a beer belly down to his knees and he eats nothing but take out pizza.; 7/4/11, 9:18 AM
Fred4Pres said...: I hear Carol rubs two pieces of fire together to make wood.

Carol won the world series of poker using Pokemon cards.

Carol can make telephone calls with her ipod.

If Carol Herman dreams of killing you, you die in real life.

Area 51 is where Carol Herman stores her lawn mower.; 7/4/11, 9:19 AM
Lucius said...: Carol's posts are distinctive, and bear a kind of bracing comfort of the unfamiliar.

Some of her catchphrases and hobby-horses have left me puzzling whether (s)he's working at the Trilateral Commission or listening to am radio vis-a-vis a steel plate in the head.

And I've tried to straighten Carol out on these five elections she thinks Andy Jackson won.

But: okay. I enjoy reading Carol. Those I usually stop for. The loquacity has a liquid fire quality to it. Always entertaining.

As for Hemingway: mere terseness is no proof of style. C;mon fellas, a dick alone does not an epigram make.

wv: 'somedeep' Carol?; 7/4/11, 9:23 AM
Lucius said...: --I mean *Hemingway* has style but: being terse doesn't mean *you* have style.

No Hemingway-bashing here. Just sayin'; 7/4/11, 9:26 AM
somefeller said...: Carol's comments give me the mental image of a character from a bad Carol Burnett Show skit on a meth binge.; 7/4/11, 9:29 AM
William said...: I get the dispiriting impression that Carol can type much faster than I can read or even think. I skip over one lengthy post and discover, holy shit, there's another one and another one after that.....Like Shouting Thomas, I don't think she is who she claims to be. However, I don't think of her as a forty year old straight guy with a gut. I prefer to think of her as a 25 year old lesbo pilates instructor. She poses as a 72 yr. old woman because she is sick to death of guys hitting on her....On the internet anyone can be who they want to. But that works both ways. Carol Herman can be anyone you want her to be.; 7/4/11, 9:39 AM
HKatz said...: One strong point to Carol's favor - I've never noticed her attack other commenters here. She just has a lot to say, take it or leave it.; 7/4/11, 9:40 AM
Lucius said...: @William: Oh, oh my, that's--that's--

You really know how to make an old lady skip a beat, young feller

wv: 'vertifi' I'm longing to vertifi this 25-yr old lesbo pilates business

[NB: In real life, I'm not an abs-hound. My ideals are quite Baroque, ty. But still--]; 7/4/11, 9:43 AM
John henry said...: I've seen Carol in other places as well and am happy to see her here.

A bit verbose perhaps but generally worth reading.

Congrats on your fame, Carol.

John Henry; 7/4/11, 9:49 AM
G Joubert said...: Right up there with Sir Archy and the blogging cockroach, but with more street cred.; 7/4/11, 9:50 AM
Anonymous said...: I have to question the wisdom of singling out one commenter as "teacher's pet"

-creates a instant and unavoidable backlash

-makes Althouse blog seem more like a clique than a free and open community of commenters.

-has a chilling effect on other commenters that really try to write well and impress Althouse, but have seemingly failed, and will quit trying.

-; 7/4/11, 9:55 AM
The Dude said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 7/4/11, 10:08 AM
Shouting Thomas said...: Carol used to be a regular over at Legal Insurrection, but she seems to have been disappeared!

Evil forces at work!; 7/4/11, 10:17 AM
madAsHell said...: I wish Carol Herman would start her own blog. So, I wouldn't have to skip over her comments at Althouse.

How does one keep so many incomplete thoughts??; 7/4/11, 10:21 AM
Alex said...: It's a pointless exercise trying to become teacher's pet. Just be yourself and it may happen one day...; 7/4/11, 10:21 AM
Alex said...: OTOH - being teacher's pet isn't all it's cracked up to be. You know big fish in small pond syndrome.; 7/4/11, 10:22 AM
TTBurnett said...: There is only one Permanent Teacher's Pet on Althouse. Every other Favorite has fallen.

My own ghostly alter ego attained to that high estate briefly, but fell victim to undue exposure, which, as we know, is very bad for phantoms.; 7/4/11, 10:36 AM
Anonymous said...: What the hell!! Everyone comments but Carol?; 7/4/11, 10:43 AM
Carol_Herman said...: I guess the teacher called on me, huh?

I'm probably the only person whose gone to school who never minded being called upon. Getting attention, however, when other kids also shot up their hands ... Had me waving my arm about. (Usually to no good. Unless a few others crapped out on answering the question, correctly.)

You know, I didn't even think I was the first one, here, to say Justice Abrahamson perfected her "grandma game." I just thought it's a 30-second mask. None of her ads to win election, describe what she's like on the court.

You've got to let her opinions speak for themselves! She's not assigning opinions, because she's in the minority on her court. And, when she picks up a pen, she sizzles into a hissy fit.

The record is there!

Supreme court "sitters" should always be judged only on what they write.

It shouldn't be a game of politics ... which, as I've said went against Rehnquist's authority with plastic reindeer. And, forks.

It's going to be in the written words.

Thanks, Ann. For the longest time, I've felt we're all part of a wonderful classroom. And, it's the teacher that makes discussions possible.; 7/4/11, 10:43 AM
Winston Smith Rides Again said...: Fantastic.; 7/4/11, 11:05 AM
edutcher said...: Harrumph!!!

You never said anything when Insta quoted my comment.

Ann Althouse said...

Carol Herman is a force of nature who burst into the world before you were born.

Certainly right about that.; 7/4/11, 11:08 AM
Ipso Fatso said...: I hate to take the stage after Carol but you have to love her. I have seen her over at Surber's and she used to post at Volokh but not lately. She is one of a kind and as someone else said I have never seen her go after anyone even when they went after her. Rare indeed.; 7/4/11, 11:08 AM
galdosiana said...: It must be the ellipsis...; 7/4/11, 11:10 AM
kristinintexas said...: ...Tim? Did Sir Archy just out himself?; 7/4/11, 11:11 AM
lonetown said...: Tom Maguire has no comment! or maybe Yay!; 7/4/11, 11:12 AM
Titus said...: There should be an Althouse All Stars Family Squares like Howard Stern did with his group of weirdos.; 7/4/11, 11:23 AM
Anonymous said...: Sixty Grit said...

Browndog, you better write for reasons other than trying to please someone else.

heh-

I thought maybe someone would misinterpret that to mean I was speaking for myself.

Trust me-I don't write to impress--especially Althouse; just ask her.

Further, I don't bother to "write" anymore--not since good, clean, provocative writing started getting moderated into the ash heap of never seen cyberspace for not "useful" in the election of Obama.

No, I meant the 'newer' commenters that are still filled with enthusiasm over their new found freedom of expression.

I think they should be encouraged, and not be told who they should model themselves after--no disrespect to Carol.; 7/4/11, 11:24 AM
Chip S. said...: @Herman Carol:

Nice.; 7/4/11, 11:39 AM
Ann Althouse said...: "There is only one Permanent Teacher's Pet on Althouse. Every other Favorite has fallen."

Is it a contest? I know Titus would like it to be, but not to find a winner, only because it would be great fun.

There have been many commenters over the years who have distinguished themselves in lots of different ways, including ones who've created a character (or 2).

But if you're going to go head to head with another commenter and then come to me and demand that I pick a winner... that's imposing a template that I don't accept, whatever your previous contribution was, and even if the other person declines to say he should be the winner instead of you.

That's the way I feel about this endless coffeehouse.; 7/4/11, 11:47 AM
Ipso Fatso said...: Titus is on to something. It would be pretty cool to have an Althouse Blog Comment Hall of Fame (maybe as a side bar)just for individual comments that people love. Just a thought.; 7/4/11, 11:59 AM
Mark O said...: I've been stalking Carol Herman for years, here and other places. Never dull.; 7/4/11, 12:01 PM
ricpic said...: Unbearable yenta. But that's redundant because that's what a yenta is: unbearable. So just yenta. YENTA!; 7/4/11, 12:07 PM
lonetown said...: Man am I glad a "couch pouch" is something you buy and not something that develops!; 7/4/11, 12:24 PM
lonetown said...: just channeling my inner herman.; 7/4/11, 12:25 PM
Fen said...: New isn't exactly the correct word for Carol Herman. I have been reading her comments over at Don Surber's place for a long time.

I saw her first! Waaay back when over at Captain's Quarters [my first blog] before he teamed up with Malkin at HotAir.

*waves to Carol* Hi!; 7/4/11, 12:25 PM
Titus said...: I believe competition is good.

Good luck Carol and Troop and Palladian and Crackee, may the best gal win.; 7/4/11, 12:28 PM
rcocean said...: She reduces the number of Seven Nachos posts, so she's not all bad.; 7/4/11, 12:29 PM
Alex said...: Don't forget the tits. We must have tits.; 7/4/11, 12:29 PM
michaele said...: Once Carol is on your radar screen in the comments sections, she becomes memorable. I know she had a significant footprint on
neo neocon and Captain's Quarters although it seems she's settled in here on Althouse for now.; 7/4/11, 12:30 PM
Ann Althouse said...: "Once Carol is on your radar screen in the comments sections, she becomes memorable. I know she had a significant footprint on neo neocon and Captain's Quarters although it seems she's settled in here on Althouse for now."

And I like to think Althouse is the best place for an interesting commenter to do her/his thing.; 7/4/11, 12:35 PM
Phil 314 said...: We've created a monster

What do you mean we Kemosabe?; 7/4/11, 12:45 PM
Phil 314 said...: Lets throw it against the wall and see what sticks; 7/4/11, 12:46 PM
Anonymous said...: Cesspools of free speech tend to dry up....

...under the burning heat of political discourse...just sayin'; 7/4/11, 1:11 PM
chickelit said...: Shouting Thomas said...
I'll be that Carol Herman is really a 40 year old white hetero male computer geek.

My doubts about her authenticity started when she incorrectly schooled me on amniocentesis: link.

So yeah, she's either a man or an ill-informed woman. In either event, she's a welcome addition here.; 7/4/11, 1:12 PM
rcocean said...: I think its been proven that 90 percent of all lesbians on-line are hetrosexual males - while 65 percent of All straight women on-line are in fact gay white men.

And let's not go into who "Seven nachos" really is.; 7/4/11, 1:18 PM
Fen said...: Don't be a dick.

Especially if you're enabling the likes of Garage/Alpha/Jeremy.

Garage: "conservatives should be shot"

You: "Hey buddy! Lets grab some drinks after! How are the kids?"; 7/4/11, 1:19 PM
Carol_Herman said...: Chickenlittle, I had amniocentesis.

Nobody who has this done forgets the experience. My obstetrician took a long needle. It was inserted into my pregnant belly. I saw a tube filling with liquid. It didn't hurt.

When he removed the needle he smelled the contents of the tube. Telling me he wanted to be sure it was amniotic fluid. And, not urine.

He also told me that he doesn't put in an anesthetic because that would be two "stabs." When only one was necessary.

A few days later the obstetrician told my husband (who was scrubbed up, too), that the test results showed we were having a son. I even still have an old polaroid picture taken during the ultrasound. Which is what the pregnant woman is hooked up to ... When the obstetician "aims" the needle.

After the procedure was over. And, I got dressed. My husband and I went to see Superman. Big screen new movie, at the time. Year? 1979.

How come you have trouble with a true story?

How were you able to link to an old comment? Such stuff is a mystery to me. I don't even save old emails on my computer.; 7/4/11, 1:59 PM
J2 said...: Hurrah.

I've missed Carol Herman at JOM. I'm glad she is re-surfacing. She has a bold voice. Her perspective is unpredictable. I hope this community won't be so quick to attempt to preempt her POV.

( My guess is she's not likely to be bowed by a multiple of cheap shots.)

Some shots, very cheap, and all the better.; 7/4/11, 2:23 PM
Clyde said...: She's frequently cryptic, rarely terse. On those unusual latter occasions, my thought has been, "Who are you and what have you done with Carol Herman?"; 7/4/11, 3:02 PM
ndspinelli said...: I returned to school @ age 48 to get certified as a secondary social studies teacher. I did a lot of substitute teaching to get experience. The education classes I had to endure were mostly about pc inclusiveness and worthless[although expensive].

What I learned when I subbed was that the teaching profession is really the world's largest teacher's pet club. I was NEVER a teacher's pet. So, when I subbed I loved to stir the pot, remembering my bible.."and the first shall be last, and the last first." It was interesting to watch as the teacher's pets looked like junkies needing a fix. Other teachers hated that about me. Many hated that I was a man. Most hated the fact that I wasn't a control freak but had virtually no discipline problems. But, what really stuck in their asses was that I've had a life..a pretty interesting one. I had real life experiences and could give context to many issues, particularly legal, court, govt. ones. And of course, I despised the union rat mentality and made no efforts to hide that. I was the anti-teachers pet, which kids, parents, and some principals loved. The staff I got along best w/ were shop teachers and maintenance men. I ate lunch w/ them..not the gossipy teacher's lounge.

So..I see the suck ups here and just chuckle. It's so incestuous, making the gene pool quite shallow.; 7/4/11, 3:24 PM
Carol_Herman said...: I was never a teacher's pet!

And, I avoided college in my "yoot." Found I liked working and living in NYC a much better pleasure.

Came out to California. Already a mom. With a mom who came out here, following her graduation from Brooklyn College, at age 80.

So, I returned to school. And, to my delight, at Pasadena City College, met the best teachers I ever had in my whole life!

I was told that was so because Caltech couldn't hire everybody who wanted to work in Pasadena.

And, I had one social studies professor who was so good ... I told him anyone who took his classes ... could go out into the world to teach. He exemplified what perfect teachers do.

He'd come in with a folder. And, when he lectured he put up on the overhead, the outline. Then, to give the students a break, he varied his classes. So, sometimes, you'd see a movie that was done at Princeton.

I was so impressed! And, I told him so! I told him his method could be duplicated just by watching it. And, he laughed. He said he started teaching when he was 23. And, he was so terrified, he stood in the back of the room. And, instructed his students to keep their heads focused to the front.

All great teachers start at the beginning. And, just like Ann, here, where she gets debates going by NOT taking the best position ... but throwing it out. Like a fishnet. And, we come along and grab the bait.

It's wonderful!; 7/4/11, 3:44 PM
MikeinAppalachia said...: HKatz-
I beg to differ.; 7/4/11, 4:01 PM
ampersand said...: I enjoy Carol's posts, though she does remind me of this woman.

I suggest she be used as an avatar.; 7/4/11, 4:02 PM
HKatz said...: HKatz-
I beg to differ.

To which of my comments are you referring? That she hasn't attacked other commenters here? I never noticed that she had.

Or that the commenters on this thread who were complaining about her posts don't get the pleasure of complaints and grumbling from her?

Please be more specific.; 7/4/11, 4:29 PM
mariner said...: HKatz,
One strong point to Carol's favor - I've never noticed her attack other commenters here. She just has a lot to say, take it or leave it.

Thank you for that observation. I think it deserves more attention.; 7/4/11, 5:18 PM
Trooper York said...: Carol Herman is like a great player from another league who came up to the majors and knocked it out of the park.

She is like the Hideki Matsui!; 7/4/11, 8:18 PM
Trooper York said...: Now Palladian is the Mike Piazza of this blog.; 7/4/11, 8:21 PM
Trooper York said...: Lem is Manny Rameriez.; 7/4/11, 8:21 PM
Trooper York said...: Crack is Ricky Henderson.; 7/4/11, 8:22 PM
Trooper York said...: AllenS is Joba Chamberlin.; 7/4/11, 8:22 PM
Trooper York said...: Garage Mahal is Larry Bowa.; 7/4/11, 8:23 PM
Trooper York said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 7/4/11, 8:23 PM
Trooper York said...: Ricpic is Ron Bloomberg.; 7/4/11, 8:23 PM
Trooper York said...: Titus is Sandy Koufax.; 7/4/11, 8:24 PM
Trooper York said...: Pogo is Doc Medich.; 7/4/11, 8:25 PM
Trooper York said...: Cedarford is Harry Walker.; 7/4/11, 8:25 PM
Trooper York said...: MadisonMan is Mel Ott.; 7/4/11, 8:25 PM
Trooper York said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 7/4/11, 8:26 PM
Trooper York said...: Jeremy is Bill Lee.; 7/4/11, 8:28 PM
Trooper York said...: Chicklit is Mark the Bird Fdyrich.; 7/4/11, 8:38 PM
Trooper York said...: Sictygrit is Enos Country Slaughter.; 7/4/11, 8:39 PM
Trooper York said...: Somefeller is Moe Berg.; 7/4/11, 8:39 PM
Trooper York said...: The Drill Sgt is Ralph Houk.; 7/4/11, 8:40 PM
Trooper York said...: Ndppinelli is John Kruk.; 7/4/11, 8:41 PM
Trooper York said...: Rcocean is Sparky Anderson.; 7/4/11, 8:42 PM
Trooper York said...: Dust Bunny Queen is Ty Cobb.; 7/4/11, 8:43 PM
Trooper York said...: Peter Bella is Joe Pepitone.; 7/4/11, 8:43 PM
Trooper York said...: What's more American than Baseball on the Fourth of July.

Now I am gonna have a few hot dogs and some beers and get in my Chevrolet and run down some douchenozzles riding a bike on Union St. Happy Fourth Everyone!; 7/4/11, 8:45 PM
ndspinelli said...: Trooper..hilarious! Oh..Trooper is Sparky Lyle..maybe Horace Clark.; 7/4/11, 9:44 PM
JAL said...: @William Like Shouting Thomas, I don't think she is who she claims to be.

I don't know about Carol, but you need to follow some of the trails ST leaves and get another glimpse of who he is.; 7/4/11, 10:09 PM
JAL said...: I think they should be encouraged, and not be told who they should model themselves after--no disrespect to Carol.

Who is telling who(m) to model themselves?; 7/4/11, 10:21 PM
JAL said...: Seems like Greenjeans Meade is the Teacher's Pet.

And Carol Herman is the only commenter who can authentically get away with calling the Professor "Ann."

(Except when Titus goes out to dinner with Meadehouse.); 7/4/11, 10:25 PM
JAL said...: So Trooper. Who are you?

Ted Williams?; 7/4/11, 10:33 PM
PSGInfinity said...: I've been watching Carol for years. Captain's Quarters, if memory serves. She's gotten better - she's much more succinct (!!) and also more likely to stay on (less than five) topic(s). We watched her spiral into incoherence and then disappear. She seemed much better when she resurfaced. (shrugs) Hopefully it was nothing but a paranoid impression on my part...

wv: rusnimam; a paranoiacs nightmare?; 7/4/11, 11:30 PM
PSGInfinity said...: JAL re: S.T.

You're such a tease...; 7/4/11, 11:33 PM
Trooper York said...: Ted Williams?

What did I ever do you?; 7/5/11, 12:01 AM
Trooper York said...: I would be honored to be either Sparky or Horace.

But I think I am David Wells.

100% asshole.

And proud of it.; 7/5/11, 12:02 AM
Tiny Bunch said...: Anyone ever look up Carol Herman on IMDB?

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0379106/; 7/5/11, 7:07 AM
The Dude said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 7/5/11, 7:49 AM
Carol_Herman said...: Tiny Bunch, that's not me!

And, no, I didn't know there was an actress, in films, with my name. I do, know, however, that there are about 40 other Carol Herman's on Facebook. It's not an uncommon name.

My maiden name was. And, so was my mom's maiden name. And, in both cases, only on the Internet, did I find others.; 7/5/11, 10:04 AM