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Just Say No, Or, Time To Ride the Unity Pony
With the primary season now (suddenly) functionally over, it is now time for us to figure out something else to write about. In an attempt to carve out a new, less repetitive, more creative discussion space, please take this pledge (and hit recommend, to encourage others to do so) --
I will not post or comment about the Clinton primary campaign.
I will not post or comment about racial cleavage, anger, etc within the Democratic Party.
I actually have something else interesting to say.
Riding the unity pony is fun.
Just say no to boring repetitive, conflictual blogging. Ride the pony.
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Comments (125)
Good. It's about time you shut up.
May 8, 2008 10:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
Why do you feel the need to "grackle" here?
May 8, 2008 10:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
That's all Otto does. Otto has admitted to not even reading responses. The MO is to leave a crappy comment and then move on.
May 9, 2008 4:37 AM | Reply | Permalink
Otto has admitted to not even reading the original blog in some cases -- just the headline.
May 9, 2008 8:21 AM | Reply | Permalink
Otto, vote for the candidate of your choice in November. Since I never expect people to vote for Party, but rather candidate, you will hear the same arguments as the registered GOPers and Indies. I encourage you to do what you feel needs to be done to get the best POTUS in the White House.
I wouldn't begin to insult your intelligence by pandering to you. If you feel that Obama is now the Dem nominee, I have an assignment for you:
Please go to these websites and look at the policies:
http://www.barackobama.com/index.php
http://www.johnmccain.com/
I'm not saying to vote based on policy alone, but it's important for you to become educated about, at very least, the two major party candidates.
I look forward in having discussions with you in the future.
May 9, 2008 12:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
lol!
May 9, 2008 7:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
(my laugh was meant for Otto, btw; hope he reads this.)
May 9, 2008 7:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
I will not post or comment about the Clinton primary campaign.
I will not post or comment about racial cleavage, anger, etc., within the Democratic Party.
I actually have something else interesting to say.
Riding the unity pony is fun.
Just say no to boring repetitive, conflictual blogging. Ride the pony.
(I had to include this last bit for the snark inherent in repeating a pledge to avoid boring repetition.)
May 8, 2008 10:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
So, you all need something new to write about? Jesus and Mary. Stop spending your entire lives with each other on bleedin' blog.
May 8, 2008 10:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
You first.
May 8, 2008 10:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
ha!
May 8, 2008 11:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
How is it possible to have perfect delivery in a blog comment?
May 9, 2008 5:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
Cypher is beginning to remind me of the "Washington Outsider" narrative that pols use when they want to get back to Washington.
May 9, 2008 4:38 AM | Reply | Permalink
There you go again. Typical blogosphere-insider cynicism.
How can we ever change the blogosphere if we keep recommending the same people to the top? Genghis, DF, articleman, Genghis, DF, Urbinato.
It's time for *real* change. Rec Cypher!
May 9, 2008 7:58 AM | Reply | Permalink
Billy has made a number of recommended reader posts himself.
May 9, 2008 9:11 AM | Reply | Permalink
Too early for unity. The games have not yet come to an end. I appear here this morning to tell you that I am absolutely not that horse's ass Billy Glad. You guys came up with that. I was just bored and went looking for him. He's enjoyable reading, surfing through the inept and inane shit that goes on here.
Articleman. Tell them to get real with this.
Shirt. Stop flashing. It makes you seem like a geek.
May 9, 2008 9:52 AM | Reply | Permalink
How droll.
Your comment truly sucks and blows at the same time.
Some trick.
May 9, 2008 10:08 AM | Reply | Permalink
Suck and blows. Great stylings. Doesn't follow droll quite right.
May 9, 2008 10:32 AM | Reply | Permalink
'Sucks and blows' is "amusing in an odd way," as are most of your complaints and whines, which are your excuse for comments. Perhaps you need to look up the word, "droll."
May 9, 2008 10:42 AM | Reply | Permalink
A Droll Troll! It's a new species!
May 9, 2008 10:45 AM | Reply | Permalink
Bee thing. Do you really think that I don't know the meaning of droll? But I will admit that before coming to this joint I didn't know the meaning of troll, other than the poetic mythic meaning. I never knew what the ubiquitous LOL meant -- as stupid an utterance to avoid descriptive language as has ever escaped into a dumbed down world as I've seen so far.
May 9, 2008 10:52 AM | Reply | Permalink
No, I don't think you are, blue guy. I have an alternate theory now.
May 9, 2008 10:22 AM | Reply | Permalink
Have whatever theory you wish. After all you're one of the few intelligent posters here who choose content over and message over lame "jokes." Can't you awaken this thread to something more vital than stupid self-stroking?
May 9, 2008 10:30 AM | Reply | Permalink
You first.
May 9, 2008 10:32 AM | Reply | Permalink
Ya see. I never claimed to be good at this. I'm here in a needy way, trying to get some energy off Mr. Glad's fine stylings - that spit fire shoot deal, the patter of it, turning what might be rant into a flowing rhythm.
Ya see, Glad has rhythm. Timing. The rest of you don't. Hence the tediousness of it all.
May 9, 2008 10:38 AM | Reply | Permalink
Ugh.... I should have edited that second "ya see" crap. Broke up the rhythm. Read Billy's stuff. Never breaks the rhythm.
May 9, 2008 10:43 AM | Reply | Permalink
Your predictability is certainly tedious.
May 9, 2008 10:44 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yup. You see the problem. The trick would be to find the rhythm and then a counterpoint of meanings. I don't know how to do that.
Eventually you will realize that you shouldn't respond to me. Makes both us look crappy.
May 9, 2008 10:46 AM | Reply | Permalink
The problem with this statement is that it sounds stuffy. The reason is that you've used too many Latinate words when you should have found some straight sounding Anglo stuff. That's the difference between saying "fornicate" instead of "fuck." Fornicate comes from the Latin. Fuck comes from the Celts, bless them.
May 9, 2008 10:58 AM | Reply | Permalink
You should ship out with the Obamanauts, blue man. I'm going to go by land with the old people. Take a different way through the pass this time.
May 9, 2008 3:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
This reminded me of a poem I heard once. Couldn't place it till now though. Turns out my literary prowess is not what I thought it was.
You can go by boat, you can go by rail, you can't stamp yourself and go by mail...
May 9, 2008 6:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
And neither is my typing prowess.
*can stamp yourself* not can't.
May 9, 2008 6:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
You give me too much credit. This is my favorite post on here in the last two days.
May 9, 2008 6:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
Will you share the new theory?
May 9, 2008 3:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's a work in progress. I can't divulge it just yet.
May 9, 2008 5:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
Can some musician out there please craft a "DEMOCRATS UNITE!" to the tune of Bob Marley's "Africa Unite?"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcywvFUheD0
May 8, 2008 10:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
I thought all men were interested in cleavage.
May 8, 2008 10:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm a bit intrigued by this "racial cleavage" concept as well, but didn't want to be the first to bring it up.
May 8, 2008 10:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
Speaking of cleavage, Arianna Huffington looked incredibly H-O-T on the Colbert Report tonight.
Wow-wow-Wee-wah.
May 8, 2008 11:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm pretty sure that you're not supposed to look at those sites at work.
May 9, 2008 4:40 AM | Reply | Permalink
My cleavage is white when I don't have a tan.
May 8, 2008 11:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
hmm. I'm keeping my multi-racial cleavage covered so that no one mis-identifies it as not mine.
May 9, 2008 2:03 AM | Reply | Permalink
Good style. Words match the avatar's sexuality.
May 9, 2008 11:20 AM | Reply | Permalink
¡(Muchas) Gracias!
¡Eres Muy Amable!
May 9, 2008 6:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
My cleavage is hairy
May 9, 2008 7:59 AM | Reply | Permalink
You know, if you wore a belt, we wouldn't have to look at your "cleavage" when you bend over.
May 9, 2008 11:06 AM | Reply | Permalink
At least it doesn't blink, shirt.
May 9, 2008 11:18 AM | Reply | Permalink
TMI
May 9, 2008 12:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
Just a lesson I carry with me from childhood: when someone asks you to ride the unity pony, you say no.
May 8, 2008 11:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's okay. Articleman is a friend of your parents. They asked him to come pick you up from school today to take you for a ride on the unity pony.
May 9, 2008 4:41 AM | Reply | Permalink
That did, in fact, pass the LOL threshold.
May 9, 2008 5:49 AM | Reply | Permalink
....unglaublich !
May 9, 2008 11:25 AM | Reply | Permalink
I was feeling some unity yesterday, but now I feel like maybe I didn't know Sen. Clinton as well as I thought I did. So maybe we can all unite AGAINST racism.
May 8, 2008 11:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah.
She's a literal party pooper.
May 9, 2008 1:17 AM | Reply | Permalink
GiddyUp!
May 9, 2008 1:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
When I was a kid, I wanted a racial unity pony, but all we could afford was a working, hard-working American, white American pony.
Dangit!
May 9, 2008 12:31 AM | Reply | Permalink
Dude, thanks for sharing...
;)
[Don't blame. Having lived through the Dem. Primaries, all I have left is snark.]
May 9, 2008 1:37 AM | Reply | Permalink
But what if I don't have anything interesting to say? Can I still ride the pony? Can I? Can I?
May 9, 2008 1:41 AM | Reply | Permalink
would sound more satirical as "may I, may I."
May 9, 2008 11:19 AM | Reply | Permalink
This is all I can think about after reading your post:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=BWh8XKvsYqc
May 9, 2008 4:43 AM | Reply | Permalink
Wow, I just watched that, and I feel almost complete. Almost, because here's what I couldn't stop thinking about:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8j2ej5jqQw
May 9, 2008 5:47 AM | Reply | Permalink
And here I was guessing that one of you was going to post this.
May 9, 2008 8:54 AM | Reply | Permalink
"It is a view supported by Lucy Higgins, the editor of Horse and Hound, who said that the unpleasant stereotype of the pony parent was becoming more common as the financial stakes got higher in a notoriously expensive sport. She said: “We know from our own experience that pony showjumping parents can be very, very ambitious. They travel miles around the country and there is an awful lot of money invested.
“When I was a pony-clubber there was a great ethos of manners, politeness and sportsmanship."
-TimesOnline- http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article3864416.ece
May 9, 2008 6:17 AM | Reply | Permalink
Okay, I henceforth officially renounce all thoughts about racial cleavage. From now on, my only response to remarks about "Clinton" will be "hey! let's leave Chelsea out of this."
I've climbed aboard the Unity Pony, as well as the Peace Train.
So will someone please come up with something interesting to say about McCain and the general election. We could use this thread to brainstorm?
For instance, this morning I had the brilliant idea of suggesting that we attack McCain as a flip-flopper. Against staying in Iraq before he was for it, against the Bush tax cuts before he was for 'em -- if he used to be a straight-shooter, he's lost his (moral) bearings now in an all-out effort to pander to diehard Bush fanatics. The gas tax pander might fit in here, as well.
It's a straightforward Rovian strategy of neutralizing your opponent's supposed strength. But, you know, it wasn't quite novel enough for a blog posting. Kinda obvious.
Any other brilliant ideas?
May 9, 2008 9:03 AM | Reply | Permalink
Moreover, Robert Michelson already got there.
http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/2008/05/mccain-has-lost-his-bearings.php
May 9, 2008 9:28 AM | Reply | Permalink
I actually think that's one of the best lines of attack, particularly with the Independents. We have to make sure people know he's not the old McCain. I was playing around the other day to see what all he's flip-flopped on, and I kid you not, it's nearly every single issue: the economy, health care, Roe v. Wade, the religious right, campaign finance, immigration, the war...
May 9, 2008 10:13 AM | Reply | Permalink
I'm too big for the unity pony. I prefer to ride the horse with no name.
May 9, 2008 9:30 AM | Reply | Permalink
Forget about it articleman you are pissing in the wind.
May 9, 2008 9:55 AM | Reply | Permalink
Evidence? From the last 24 hours, please?
May 9, 2008 10:05 AM | Reply | Permalink
Read much?
May 9, 2008 10:08 AM | Reply | Permalink
Louis, as Allsburg says, this is a transitional period. Recently, there was reason to have a tough contest. We crossed the it-is-stupid-to-yell-at-each-other threshold. I'm redoubling my efforts to ignore things that make it so.
If we piss in the wind enough, we will surely change its direction and begin pissing upon John McCain, the bullshit war we're all against, putting more Scalias on the court, ignoring healthcare, the things that we have in common, all candidates aside.
It will take a few minutes to let go, but we have six months to win an important election, in the House, in the Senate, and also the Presidency, and the fun part is, we should win all three big and set ourselves up to really govern.
May 9, 2008 11:19 AM | Reply | Permalink
Articleman's achievement is to actually sound like Obama, finding the flowing, informative phrasing.
May 9, 2008 11:23 AM | Reply | Permalink
A-man , take a look around. Forget about it. Your going to ruin your pants.
May 9, 2008 11:47 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah, well, okay. Looking over the current list, I admit that you're right, Louisville. People are still beating the USA Today interview into the ground.
Wake up folks. Say it to yourself: "Our Republican president, John McCain." Feel that anger? Okay. Say it again. Let the anger grow.
May 9, 2008 11:38 AM | Reply | Permalink
Not the old McCain, the older-than-ever McCain. The war, choice, the economy, Bush III - surely to god we can beat this guy.
May 9, 2008 10:26 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yes, you can. He's Bush 3. Tied to the most impeachable administration in history. Completely tied to a failed occupation -- even if off camera al-Maliki has been kicking al-Sadr's ass. That won't last, will it? And the economy won't turn around before November. If you can't beat McCain, you'll never beat anybody.
May 9, 2008 3:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
They'll never beat McCain. Watch it happen again.
May 9, 2008 7:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
Need a correction the proper term is:
"Mythical Unity Pony" TM Balloon-Juice
or MUP, if you know him
May 9, 2008 10:37 AM | Reply | Permalink
So, now that I've finally come over from the dark side you're saying I won't even get the opportunity to sling mud the way only a convert can? Now that I'm in the majority I can't kick mud on those few lonely holdouts trying to spoil the party? Not fair, I say. Can't I just have one shot at that race-baiting, Republican leaning, war mongering, pantsuit wearing, Bill loving, poll consulting, child molesting, b****? Ahhh, felt good to get it out of my system. Ok, I promise.
May 9, 2008 10:46 AM | Reply | Permalink
I am dwindling in numbers catch me while you can man.
May 9, 2008 11:10 AM | Reply | Permalink
OK. We have a truce of silence. But I shall be watching each morning as I try to get on with my own work.
I'll be the LOL patrol. Whenever you use LOL, or any other crappy nonsense related to "snark," I'll be online to humiliate (Latinate) both of is.
LOL. Little of levity. An excuse for people under 40 to share in the iPhone world. A hope for people over 40 that they will feel younger. It's not HIP. It's self hype. Self stroking. I will not use the Latinate word for self-stroking. The Celtic words are too strong for the string.
Please avoid "snark." In it's older meaning-- the "snark hunt" --it appealed to the 12-year-old set. Like LOL, snark reveals pandering to some sense of a superior community. A kind of no-longer secret handshake that now reveals a complete void of originality.
"Grackle" sounds OK now, but wears thin.
Don't speak and write like modern day Valley Girls. Billy doesn't.
May 9, 2008 11:16 AM | Reply | Permalink
Dude, really. You're not Flaubert.
May 9, 2008 11:33 AM | Reply | Permalink
Good pic. Good writing style that reflects the avatar. And, dude,
trust me that I know that I'm not Flaubert (whoever she was).
May 9, 2008 11:37 AM | Reply | Permalink
Gag me with a spoon.
May 9, 2008 11:41 AM | Reply | Permalink
OK. I admit that I'm disappointed that none of you feel for the Flaubert trap.
Gag me with a spoon. Isn't that GMWAP in crap-speak?
May 9, 2008 11:44 AM | Reply | Permalink
No, it's vintage Valley Girl speak.
I am one, incidentally, no offense taken.,
May 9, 2008 1:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
So your a Valley Bee Girl?
Buzz on!
May 9, 2008 1:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
Oops. That was "you're" a Valley Bee Girl!
Just waking up........
May 9, 2008 2:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
Guilty, but really, I never spoke like that, although I had friends that did. I went to a snooty Prep school where that type of verbiage wasn't tolerated.
I even shopped at the Galleria once or twice and helped a photo student move around life-sized photo cutouts of other art students and photograph them in shop windows there. I don't think the Valley was ever the same after Frank.
:)
May 9, 2008 4:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
After commenting on this thread, I looked at the recommended list and the three most recently added were "Hillary's Shame," "Clinton Plays The Race Card" and "It Is Not Racism" (the last one, despite its title, still claims Hillary is a racist). They are not listening to you, Articleman.
May 9, 2008 11:29 AM | Reply | Permalink
Later today I'm going to throw up a post about posts, if I have time. The monotony of posts is getting kind of funny and self-parodic.
May 9, 2008 11:50 AM | Reply | Permalink
I tried a post about posts about posts, but that didn't work.
May 9, 2008 11:58 AM | Reply | Permalink
I have a post about posting in my blog. You should mail yourself links to all the posts about posts over time. You could do a post about what you see as the best posts about posts.
"People" would go crazy for it.
One uses that term advisedly in here.
May 9, 2008 4:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'll look for it, not that it matters. Teach these bozos how rise above crap-speak.
May 9, 2008 12:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
Okay, first:
Let's get off this "Unity Pony" thing. Do you want to win the election?
Then start promoting a "Unity Stallion"!
Second -- sign me up... right after Hillary Clinton signs.
May 9, 2008 12:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
The unity pony ran so hard her legs broke.
May 9, 2008 1:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
What happened to this thread? I'll hop on the Stallion.
May 9, 2008 1:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
You're really suggestive!
May 9, 2008 2:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
You should see me in person!
May 9, 2008 2:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
girl from the bronx..
Do you think there can be any unity with Hillary talking race like she did yesterday?
May 9, 2008 2:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
It was a disgraceful thing to do and a serious miscalculation on her part.
May 9, 2008 2:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hillary who?
May 9, 2008 3:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
I just go back and forth on this. I respect articleman's tremendous wisdom and judgement and awesome avatar, but the fact is, Hillary's still doing harm and I'm not sure we can or should ignore that. At the same time, she is essentially trolling the general election now (OBAMA CAN'T WIN WHITE PEOPLE! HILLARY '08!!!!) and maybe ignoring is the best strategy.
May 9, 2008 2:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
I can't ignore and I will never forget it.
May 9, 2008 2:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
I respect your perspective, you blueness, your insouciance, and your addressing Allsburg as "Baby."
To a certain degree, it is the general election when the party says it is. Let's say it is.
May 9, 2008 3:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
I love "trolling the general election." That's a durn good metaphor.
Don't feed the trolls.
May 9, 2008 3:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
I never understood the '68 Dem Convention, but I'm finally getting an inkling of what happened.
It's amazing... Dems really do seem to run scared in general!
We need some real swagger in the party... not someone with balls, but with backbone.
I think that's what people respond to in Obama. He has a course, he sticks to it, he doesn't second-guess it every 5 seconds.
Again, this is similar to why Reaga