The article features the "most popular commenters," such as a woman who knew the GOP didn't like her because "I’m black, pro choice, support equal rights for gays, and don’t believe the answer to everything is either bomb or drill, but... had no idea they also hated me because I’m a woman," a man who "enjoys pointing out what he calls the 'intellectual bankruptcy' of conservatives," a 60-year-old electrical engineer who says, "I’ve lost most all my friends as I’ve gotten older, and I don’t have people I can engage in deep conversation with like I used to years ago, and this gives me a platform to do that," and a 95-year-old electrical engineer who's loved for commenting in rhyme.
The comments on the article about commenters are particularly enthusiastic about the commenter in rhyme. Hey, remember back in 2007 when there was some sort of competition amongst the Althouse blog commenters over the title Poet Laureate of the Althouse Blog?
Posts
54 comments:
And yet not one of them is a conservative . . .
"Hey, remember back in 2007...?"
Been reading a long time, well before I ever commented.
Althouse liked her commenters.
Althouse then loved her commenters.
Althouse loved interplaying with her commenters.
Althouse married a commenter.
Althouse liked interplaying with her commenters.
Splooge.
Commenters stopped liking to play with Althouse.
Althouse stopped interplaying with her commenters.
Althouse grew distant from her commenters.
Althouse kept her distance from her commenters.
Althouse wished she had different commenters.
Moderation.
The Time-Line, as best I remember.
Betamax3000 might remember it better.
Bring back the guillotine.
I am Laslo.
"Should be "knew the GOP didn't like her"?"
Thanks. Sorry. Fixed.
I don’t have people I can engage in deep conversation with like I used to years ago
Maybe the problem is in the mirror!?
People didn't like listening to you, and then they actively avoided you!
After all I've done for you, Laslo?
I thought Laslo was Betamax.....cuz I'm pretty sure that Betamax lives somewhere near the Blue Moon.
The Blue Moon
What ever happened to the wonderful Sir Archy, "dead these 260 years or more"?
@mountainman
He got offended by something. I forget what.
Althouse has better commenters than the NY Times.
Dalton Wilcox, the poet laureate of the west, doesn't get enough recognition:
Andy Daly Podcast Pilot Project: The Wit and Wisdom of the West
Too bad the pictures are good enough to recognize the people, so as to avoid them.
Okay. Wait. I remember. He made vain comment that referred to his son and another commenter -- one of the best, someone who himself later flounced off -- mocked him and I declined to delete the mockery.
I will preface this with it is in Good Faith.
The commenters are Althouse's closest feel of the Private Sector.
The people who don't make over a hundred-thousand a year.
The people who save for retirement a share of their yearly fifty K, and hope it will be enough when they are let go at 58 to get them to reach Social Security.
Early on it is like getting hired at any job: you meet different people, you laugh, you share jokes and lunches.
Then some move away.
Others come on. Some as bosses, some as newcomers.
Later, some are let go, bosses and newcomers both.
Then the laughs and lunches fade, as things get more tight-lipped.
The woman who taught you how to navigate? Gone at 57. Called Retirement. Sells her house.
Pay cuts.
Train your replacement: of course, he/she is not called that explicitly, but you have seen the drill.
Pay taxes.
Understand government-worker retirement funds as a joke that is on you.
Listen to those in tenure explain what they may have given up to be in their situation. Everyone was going to be an artist, once. Including the barista at Starbucks.
Pay more taxes.
Train by teleconference your co-worker of twenty year's replacement, who is in India.
Train by teleconference your next replacement, who is in Pakistan.
Pay taxes to mollify Pakistan.
Realize that neither Party has your life in mind, in any consideration other than paying taxes.
Live a life that falls away from under you.
Listen to those on the government wage explain that they gave up the Wonders of the Private World for Security.
Pay their retirement. For life.
If you did not take one of those fucker's lives before you die then you will die a fool.
Feed the Tree.
I'm a demagogue!
I am Laslo.
For how long was "epistemic closure" a bad, dangerous thing? The NYTimes, you know, seems to have moved on from that concern.
blogging cockroach left about the same time as Sir Archy. Not really a fan of either, but that style of commenting requires alot of work and I can see it becoming tedious.
Ann Althouse said...
After all I've done for you, Laslo?
You have given me a place to write freely, which I will forever appreciate, with all sincerity.
I get to comment on great thoughts that you provide on a daily basis. Again: I mean this sincerely.
But as far as what you have done for me: is there something specific, other than letting me exist?
I feel indebted to you -- truly -- but what do you believe I should be indebted for?
I am Laslo.
Attacking other commenter's children is acceptable? Maybe that was part of the problem.
I'm on the bottom swing of my bipolar whirligig. Probably best to ignore me for a few days.
I am Laslo.
Is this an attempt to get us to start commenting in rhyme?
Or to send in pictures in the hope that we're sufficiently popular to make the Althouse-Commenter-Collage?
madAsHell said...
"I thought Laslo was Betamax.....cuz I'm pretty sure that Betamax lives somewhere near the Blue Moon."
Both myself and Betamax have been seen to be drinking at an Establishment a few blocks away.
I am Laslo.
THis is the time I hate moderation:
I wish I could apologize to Althouse in real time.
I am now grabbing a cat and going to bed with it.
By "going to bed with it" I do not mean in the Scarlett Johannsen way.
Yikes.
I am Laslo.
"Education occurs when you’re exposed to the world, and shielding yourself from it means that you’re not receiving an education. "
All of these commenters are essentially the same New Yorker Saul Steinberg reader. No diversity. The token "conservative" has a representative quote which chides the NYPD for turning their back on DeBlasio after he got two of them killed. Whoa! Bold opinion to express in the NYT!
It doesnt occur to these commentors to look in wonder about their lack-of-diversity sphere they have insulated themselves in. So much so that the NYT doesnt realize the irony of highlighting the "exposed[ing] to the world" quote.
The comment is from "Gemini". In the comments on the story the NYT Community Editor claims that they have no choice to feature the oblivious hypocrite "We had to make an exception of Gemli, because lets face it, he is apparently the Michael Jordan of online commenting."
I have been reading this blog almost since its beginning and comment infrequently. But I do agree this blog has the best commenters on the internet, at least among all the sites I visit, which is quite a few. Even the people on here I usuallly disagree with I enjoy reading and every day I am exposed to viewpoints outside my comfort zone, which I think is important in order to be well-informed and to be able to think through and defend my own positions.
I sent a letter to the new York Times in 1975 in rhyme. That is, it included rhymes.
This was based on a New York Times column by Anthony lewis. This was right after the fall of Saigon - sometime around May 1975.
What Anthony Lewis had was:
You cannot hope to bribe or twist (thank God!)
the British journalist.
But, seeing what the man,
unbribed will do, there's really no occasion to.
I had something seeing what alone he'll do,
there's really no occasion to.
And then:
Hanoi radio will cry and declaim,
unbelievable doings, vile and profane,
But fear not, Hanoi,
off course was your aim,
Lewis will write a better refrain.
......
The KGB can't pull (run?) a hoax,
on Lewis and other similar blokes,
And the Khmer Rouge can't pull a ruse,
on Schandberg and others in charge of the news,
But seeing what alone they'll do,
There's really no occasion to.
They pillage a city, the world will have pity,
A secret they keep it, till Saigon they reap it,
But this was not thought out, he wants to report out,
To go out by lorry, the other side of the story!
- Sammy Finkelman, May 1975
I had maybe another stanza or possible stanza. I think I actually mailed this to the New York Times but maybe an earlier version which had "how awesome and awty" instead of "to go out by lorry.".
Interestingly, (there was a puzzle here) the Chinese Communits had evidently stolen the Khmer Rouge from the North Vietnamese Communists, but the North Vietnamese didn't discover that they had no control over the Khmer Rouge until the war was over.
@Quinn Satterwaite
New York Times comments are probably much too moderated, and delayed. And they do resemble the letters to the editor - there's so much bias and ceryainty of opinion.
I think only the people who keep on getting approved continue to write, and certain kinds of opinions have alot better chance of getting approved - that's why you see the opinion bias there in the New York Times. What's approved can be factually wrong too.
"After all I've done for you, Laslo?"
Cruel commentality.
"All of these commenters are essentially the same New Yorker Saul Steinberg reader. No diversity."
If one is going to criticize the NYT commentariat for lack of diversity, I would propose opening one's eyes to the lack of diversity here. I was heartened though to read Althouse's invitation to lefties and liberals the other day. That's a start.
The best right-wing ones will hide in anonymity till they retire.
And maybe even afterwards, if their kids can be identified.
Anyone with a corporate or government position is vulnerable to retaliation.
Curiously, only if they are conservative.
How does that work ?
I miss Sir Archy. I have always assumed that BetaMax and Laslo were the same person who did Sir Archy.
PS- How could Sir Archy get insulted about his son? Wouldn't his son also be a ghost, dead this many years?
The best right-wing ones will hide in anonymity till they retire.
And maybe even afterwards, if their kids can be identified.
Anyone with a corporate or government position is vulnerable to retaliation.
Curiously, only if they are conservative.
How does that work ?
Glenn Handler. Internal auditor, enjoys pointing out the intellectual bankruptcy of conservatives. Imagine how happy he was to see himself saying that in the actual NYT!! An intellectual internal auditor. I am sure there are tons of them, but I haven't had the pleasure.
I would like to see him in action against some of the very smart commenters on this blog. I think he would fare poorly.
"the lack of diversity here."
Be the change you seek, George*!
I always liked how carol herman had that kind of auricle of delphi vibe in her comments. I don't know where she is now. She was commenting on just one minute for a long time and was here for a while.
I always liked how carol herman had that kind of auricle of delphi vibe in her comments
Carol didn't have the heart to have "that kind of auricle of delphi vibe". As for her Oracle skills, on the other hand, I don't know if she ever did database management or development at all.
> "I’m black, pro choice, support equal rights for gays, and don’t believe the answer to everything is either bomb or drill, but... had no idea they also hated me because I’m a woman,"
I'm thinking there are more obvious reasons...
I've been here a long while also Laslo, and I totally agree with your timeline.
I will say I respect Althouse's toleration of those opposed to her ideas.
"Live a life that falls away from under you."
Don't all lives do that? When it happens you start to fall too. Another opportunity comes when you hit ground again, which most though not all do.
The timeline above is wrong.
My best guess: Althouse loves this country, sees what the candidate she supported in 2008 has wrought, and cannot stand the constant reminders of just how ever-loving wrong she was to choose a candidate who does not also love America.
Insert cognitive dissonance...
Meanwhile, McCain would have been a gratuitously bad president.
They don't hate you
Because you're a woman
They just dismiss you
Because your a dumb'un
There have been a number of commenters here whose observations I have enjoyed, and then they're gone. Sad........I'm of the age where that sort of thing also happens among my acquaintances who are carbon based life forms. Also sad. The problem with these carbon based life forms is that you feel the loss when they go. Phantom limbs......You silicon based people can come and go, and it's no great plus or minus either way. Not much separation anxiety on the silicon sphere of existence. This is a place where you can say hello and don't have to bother to say goodbye.
RE: poem at 6:39
"how awesome and awty"
I think that was "how awful and awry"
I rvised that to "to go out by lorry" but may have sent the earlier version to the New York Times.
At that time the New York Times editorial page (I mean the editorials) seemed to be interested in poetry. (I got that feeling, I don't know, theer was a bit of quoting or something.)
I think they eventually got or must have gotten a poem or poems that made a point they totally disagreed with and that caused them to lose interest..
Looks like the back button will let you see what you sent. You can't edit it any more - which I had just started doing. Maybe tha doesn't look good because to do that you have to repost and delete the original, and a deleted messages just doesn't look good.
Such intellectual diversity. No lockstep conformity there.
And I think prof accepts a bit too much abuse towards her. I wouldn't tolerate some of the really vile bashing she tolerates. I can live with disagreement, even harshly so --- but some of the criticisms of her seem pointlessly nasty.
All I see are a bunch of libtards trying to out-Virtue Signal each other over who hates conservatives more.
The people who save for retirement a share of their yearly fifty K, and hope it will be enough when they are let go at 58 to get them to reach Social Security.
...
Listen to those on the government wage explain that they gave up the Wonders of the Private World for Security.
Pay their retirement. For life.
Yep. That's it. Hammer, meet [redacted] nail. Living it.
Thanks, Las...
"Insert cognitive dissonance...
Meanwhile, McCain would have been a gratuitously bad president."
Its interesting to consider a McCain presidency. It clearly wouldnt have been great since he would have an irresistible inclination to go mavericky on himself and the Republicans every so often.
Pelosi would still be speaker and McCain would occasionally slip his secret service detail late at night to cut some strange deal that left everyone baffled. Such as extending the Bush tax cuts two years in exchange for a country wide free needle program and 5% of GDP being marked for green energy programs. In the alternate McCain presidency, the CEO of Solyndra is living Elon Musks life.
One of the Press's principle objections to the Bush presidency is that the Bush's retired early and there wasnt much night life. Cindy McCain would reverse that policy and the press would once again be able to strap on the feed bag at swanky parties for free. They would then have to take an adversarial tone to the Whitehouse to show their independence.
At least 6 of them have cats.
Speaking of commenters past, I miss Capt. Hate, Carol Herman and Herman Carol for that matter. NS. Spinelli (sp?), and Crack MC. I always wondered why Crack left. My guess is that he got pissed off over some racial thing. Althouse was really good to him, IMO, posting the DJ & pod casts he did on line, and just generally promoting and putting up with his overall crazyness which he directed at Althouse on occasion. I rarely agfreed with Crack but he did have an interesting take on things, not often heard in the general population. Life goes on.
"All I see are a bunch of libtards trying to out-Virtue Signal each other over who hates conservatives more."
AKA circle jerk. Never gets old on the upper west.
Right now I am in the middle of reading: "Terms of Service: Social Media and the Price of Constant Connection" by Jacob Silverman. On dead tree, from the public library, no less.
Highly recommenced for any of you late-adopter, slightly Luddite, "this is all going too far" types. But my immediate reaction upon reading this post, being in the middle of this book:
Fake. Fake. Fake. Fake. Fake. Seriously, are they created composites of the typical NYT reader?
And then....
"How will this tie into selling more NYT subscriptions?" Ah...I see the marketing campaign now:
"Can't find fame via Twitter? Your LinkedIn profile hasn't caught fire? Too many great unwashed on Facebook? For $12.00 a month you can become a member of the most highbrow community on the web: NYT Comments Section, along with another channel for Internet fame."
NYT comments in rhyme? BFD. Just for fun my youngest son wrote all his essays in rhyme during the 8th grade study of The Last of the Mohicans when he was eleven.
He was two years younger than his classmates and even then was a more lucid thinker than the NYT commenters I've read - including the rhymer.
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