71 Responses to The trolls are getting less creative and the flame wars aren’t what they used to be.

1. markfromireland November 24th, 2012 at 10:19 pm 1

   I’m nominating TarheelDem’s comment for the Intertoob Nostalgia Awards 2012.

   mfi

   Reply
2. EdwardTeller November 24th, 2012 at 10:20 pm 2

   {{{{mfi}}}}

   welcome back, my fellow musician.

   Reply
3. markfromireland November 24th, 2012 at 10:28 pm 3

   In response to EdwardTeller @ 2

   I couldn’t resist. :-)

   mfi

   PS: If you don’t take that back immediately I’ll set the Billy Goats Gruff on you!

   Reply
4. EdwardTeller November 24th, 2012 at 10:44 pm 4

   In response to markfromireland @ 3

   my cat can beat your billy goat with one paw tied to its tail. OK – maybe depends upon whether it is the left paw, the right paw, the green paw or the tea party paw….

   Reply
5. normanb November 25th, 2012 at 4:14 am 5

   I see that there were over 200 Comments, but I completely slept through it:

   Can you give me a brief synopsis of what happened?

   Reply
6. TarheelDem November 25th, 2012 at 6:36 am 6

   @1

   You forgot to say:

   Frist

   Reply
7. donkeytale November 25th, 2012 at 7:06 am 7

   As a confirmed troll, I must disagree with TD’s contention.

   We are the trolls on this blog. Orwell know what I’m talkin bout.

   So do DeLillo [emphasis mine]. The first passage from the novel applies just as aptly to the “non-troll” blogging milieu:

   To call DeLillo a “paranoid” writer, as some have, is somewhat misleading. The paranoid projects meaning onto chaos, believing that beneath its unintelligible surface the world makes sense. In his imaginative and sympathetic portrait of Oswald, of Jack Ruby, of Win Everett and Larry Parmenter and the other conspirators, DeLillo displays a deep understanding of how history really works, how much of it is accidental, unintended. Indeed it is impossible, today, to read many of the passages in “Libra” without thinking about our own situation, and in particular, the terrible mix of dishonesty, willful ignorance, and supreme confidence that seems to have driven many of our own leaders and planners all through the invasion of Iraq and its grim aftermath:

   “The invasion failed because high officials didn’t examine the basic assumptions. They got caught up in a spirit of compelling action. They were eager to accept other men’s perceptions. There was safety in this. The plan was never clear. No one was ever responsible. Some of them knew a disaster was in the works. They let it ride. They put themselves out of reach. They wanted it over and done.”

   For that matter, try reading the following passage without calling Abu Ghraib to mind:

   “Knowledge was a danger, ignorance a cherished asset. In many cases the DCI, the Director of Central Intelligence, was not to know important things. The less he knew, the more decisively he could function. . . . The Attorney General wasn’t to know the queasy details. Just get results.. . . The members of the committee would allow only generalities to carry upward. It was the President, of course, who was the final object of their protective instincts. They all knew that JFK wanted Castro cooling on a slab but they weren’t allowed to let on to him that his guilty yearning was the business they’d charged themselves to carry out. The White House was to be the summit of unknowing. It was as if an unsullied leader redeemed some ancient truth which the others were forced to admire in the abstract, owing to their mission in the convoluted world.”

   Reply
8. Knut November 25th, 2012 at 7:36 am 8

   I have to agree about the downward slide of trolldumb. I suspect it is because the Koch’s have cut off their fundig. The only one’s that bother to show up anymore are Israeli trolls, who gwt funded from the inexhaustible reserves of the US government.

   Reply
9. CTuttle November 25th, 2012 at 10:55 am 9

   Aloha, gor…! When I read the title, I first thought it’d be a skewering of ‘normalguy’…! ;-)

   Reply
10. markfromireland November 25th, 2012 at 10:59 am 10

    In response to TarheelDem @ 6

    Well, drat.

    /* Hangs head in shame */

    mfi

    Reply
11. ThingsComeUndone November 25th, 2012 at 11:18 am 11

    it might it be interesting to ask why

    Reply
12. markfromireland November 25th, 2012 at 11:25 am 12

    In response to normanb @ 5

    You didn’t miss anything at all which was really the point. This here’s a high class joint TarheelDem and I are used to better trolls we’re upset that the standard has gone down. Same with the flame wars in the good old days you could count on a good conflagration with flames, screams, innocent spectators running away, the fire brigade wringing their hands in despair, and the moderators flinging themselves from high buildings. Now it’s all sparkle ponys and care bears repeating the same old lines day in day out. I mean sheesh ….

    (Or to put it another way TarheelDem decided to have a bit of fun and I couldn’t resist joining in).

    mfi

    Reply
13. markfromireland November 25th, 2012 at 11:28 am 13

    In response to CTuttle @ 9

    He she or it is the perfect example of what I’m talking about. Really inferior trolling.

    mfi

    Reply
14. markfromireland November 25th, 2012 at 11:29 am 14

    In response to Knut @ 8

    The only one’s that bother to show up anymore are Israeli trolls, who gwt funded from the inexhaustible reserves of the US government.

    Maybe the US government should ask for its money back.

    mfi

    Reply
15. markfromireland November 25th, 2012 at 11:35 am 15

    In response to ThingsComeUndone @ 11

    it might it be interesting to ask why

    Inbreeding, nobody realised that as well as feeding frenzies trolls have shagging frenzies. As a result of these family values they’re all first cousins to each other at the very least, are incapable of original thought, suffer from scale drop, and have turned eyes.

    mfi

    Reply
16. markfromireland November 25th, 2012 at 11:37 am 16

    In response to donkeytale @ 7

    Well what would you expect from a donkey? Here, have a thistle.

    mfi

    Reply
17. wendydavis November 25th, 2012 at 12:09 pm 17

    I guess I’d like to know a bit more, too. Were you (and by extension, THD) referring to those making counter-arguments to PW’s original post (even if some were cursory)? I confess I don’t care much about the subject, being that so many reference the past, and don’t imagine the likely or possible future of massive amounts of Americans refusing the duopoly as irrelevant), but…I went and read the thread, or at least scanned it.

    I saw no behavior I would have called trollish at all. Gonna spill the beans?

    Reply
18. TarheelDem November 25th, 2012 at 12:31 pm 18

    In response to wendydavis @ 17

    You’re probably right about being trollish–I even put the Wikipedia definition of troll in a comment.

    But the “O-bot” – “lazy Green” – “Firebagger” – whatever flame war just got repetitive.

    So I asked them to try harder because they weren’t living up to the standards of yore.

    After a few feeeble attempts, no one ever rose to the higher standards demanded of quality flamery so if pretty much went in circles for another scores of comments.

    Reply
19. UCT1 November 25th, 2012 at 12:35 pm 19

    Sorry, but the title of this post is an obvious and hackneyed internet rhetorical device, and was so by 1993.

    Reply
20. TarheelDem November 25th, 2012 at 12:42 pm 20

    In response to UCT1 @ 19

    Bravo. And as they said then:

    And your point?

    Reply
21. markfromireland November 25th, 2012 at 12:47 pm 21

    In response to TarheelDem @ 18

    So you admit being nostalgic for obvious and hackneyed internet rhetorical devices that were outmoded by 1993, do you?

    You probably also hanker for bell-bottom jeans, tie dye t-shirts, and the smell of patchouli in everything. Plainly you’re a DFH suffering from a severe case of fashion angst.

    mfi

    Reply
22. juliania November 25th, 2012 at 12:53 pm 22

    Thank you, markfromireland, for making a few things clear. I hadn’t looked at the Phoenixwoman post, and having just now gone there, it would very much seem to me that the trolls are still very much with us, and you. This will be my final post here. I had advised wendydavis I would be sending an anonymous donation to the site, but now in light of the comments here and at pw’s post, I realize it should go to the Greens so that is where it is going, with my love and support.

    I’ll still be reading but not contributing anything further. It’s a great site for a variety of views, but I have said my piece and will happily take my place with suitonius as one who hasn’t ‘…bothered [my] lazy arse to make any sort of contribution to this community…’

    Enjoy, all, your support of Obama and the Democrats. This troll is now done.

    Reply
23. TarheelDem November 25th, 2012 at 12:54 pm 23

    In response to markfromireland @ 21

    Is there an herbal cure for fashion angst?

    Reply
24. UCT1 November 25th, 2012 at 12:56 pm 24

    In response to TarheelDem @ 20

    My point is that the oh-so-wise, world-weary, know-it-all self-proclaimed definers of who is a troll and who isn’t should themselves be more creative before hypocritically levelling their accusations at others.

    Reply
25. markfromireland November 25th, 2012 at 1:01 pm 25

    In response to TarheelDem @ 23

    Yes and with any luck the decriminalisation movement will succeed very soon. Fashion angst is an agonising ailment the alleviation of which is not only the essence of humanitarianism but which also plainly fits the definition of “medical usage”.

    mfi

    Reply
26. TarheelDem November 25th, 2012 at 1:12 pm 26

    In response to UCT1 @ 24

    I understand your point perfectly. I thought that you would take my riposte with the good humour that my use of a cliche intended.

    I see now that there are whole lot of good people of very different opinions who are wound very tight at the moment, to tight to take a levity break. mfi got it, which is why he put up this diary.

    People have gotten so dug in that they are making often false assumptions about the people with whom they have disagreements. Or perceiving slights when there have been none. It is becoming dysfunctional in focusing on what needs to be done and building the coalitions needed to do it. But then there are some folks who love to see the dysfunction, just for the lulz.

    Soemtimes the levity works. And sometimes it doesn’t. I’m sorry I disappointed you.

    Reply
27. TarheelDem November 25th, 2012 at 1:13 pm 27

    In response to markfromireland @ 25

    So now I have have more options than Colorado?

    Reply
28. donkeytale November 25th, 2012 at 1:14 pm 28

    In response to markfromireland @ 16

    Thanks, but thistle is better than this site deserves.

    I’m truly offended in a not really sort of way.

    Here, I have for the entire stretch run of this campaign provided excellent, high quality trolling exclusively for the undeserving members this site, far better than they deserve, and yet you lump me in with those lumps?

    All 35/100ths of one percent of them?

    And falling?

    How dare you?

    Make mine a thistle salad, please and can you add some Green New Deal Dressing to make it taste groovy?

    Make mine a salad, dude.

    I’m larffing my asses ass off.

    You crack me up.

    Isn’t t

    Reply
29. Phoenix Woman November 25th, 2012 at 1:14 pm 29

    In response to markfromireland @ 12

    Heh! You’re missing all the fun. Not only am I now considered a troll, my diaries inspire counterdiaries!

    Reply
30. TarheelDem November 25th, 2012 at 1:17 pm 30

    In response to Phoenix Woman @ 29

    And damn good counterdiaries at that. Well done, PW. You inspired a counterdiary that was front-page-worthy, whatever that means.

    Reply
31. elisemattu November 25th, 2012 at 1:18 pm 31

    In response to markfromireland @ 25

    Yep, now tht Jill Stein won the Presidency, de-criminalization will proceed.

    Oh wait. She didn’t win? In fact to quote Janet Reno, we will “probably never ever know” the extent of her support… Last Tuesday it was announced that the Local Registrar of Voters hasn’t even finished tallying up the votes for my county. Yet the Monsanto-opposed, “GM foods must be labelled proposition” was declared a “Loser” some 48 hours after the President made his victory speech. The Monsanto forces “Won” even though some one million and a half ballots were still unprocessed.

    As far as Obnama offering any reconcilliation between his Authority (and that of Eric Holder,) and de-criminalizing the ganga, All one has to do is read my FDL Diary post from the last week of September, regarding what is happening in the state of California in terms of those who are growing their own. Then you can see whose side the O -man really is ion.

    And just two days ago, the UN let it be known that it will not tolerate the results of the marijuana initiative victories in Colorado, Massachusetts and elsewhere. Whether Obama is behind that oppressive UN philosophy or not, I am sure he will be quite happy to state, “Well, now, what can I do if the UN is offering up guidelines to its captive nations? As the head of a country, I have to obey its suggestions.”

    Reply
32. Phoenix Woman November 25th, 2012 at 1:18 pm 32

    In response to TarheelDem @ 26

    I see now that there are whole lot of good people of very different opinions who are wound very tight at the moment, too tight to take a levity break. mfi got it, which is why he put up this diary.

    Oh Jeebus yes.

    Reply
33. donkeytale November 25th, 2012 at 1:20 pm 33

    Isn’t this at least worth a dollop of Green [New Deal] Goddess Dressing?:

    How are White Middle Class Progressives racist? Because you’ve disassociated yourselves from the black and hispanic underclasses (the white underclass has long since disassociated itself from you) exactly on those issues over which the two parties (yes, Virginia, there are two parties, “uniparty” = empty rhetorical fallacy) are battling:

    immigration

    education funding

    tax increases on the rich (Obama) vs tax increases on the middle class (Romney)

    Medicaid

    For instance, one would never know from reading WMCR rants against Obamacare that the Dems passed a HUGE increase in Medicaid expansion, and while SCOTUS weakened that part of the law, which I’m guessing most WMCP wanted tossed in total too, a handful of states have already implemented it for which 500,000+ poor people (remember them?) have already benefitted.

    The health care law required states to expand eligibility for Medicaid to all residents earning below 133 percent of the poverty line. That expansion was expected to provide coverage to about 17 million of the uninsured, roughly half of the total coverage expansion projected under the law. (The mandate on individuals to buy insurance, with substantial subsidies from the government and the establishment of exchanges where they can shop for competing coverage plans, is expected to provide the other half.)

    One would never know how differently poor people are treated in the Red States:

    In South Carolina, a yearly income of $16,900 is too much for Medicaid for a family of three. In Florida, $11,000 a year is too much. In Mississippi, $8,200 a year is too much. In Louisiana and Texas, earning more than just $5,000 a year makes you ineligible for Medicaid.

    Governors in those five states have said they’ll reject the Medicaid expansion underpinning Obama’s health law after the Supreme Court’s decision gave states that option. Many of those hurt by the decision are working parents who are poor — but not poor enough — to qualify for Medicaid.

    Republican Mitt Romney’s new running mate, conservative Wisconsin congressman Paul Ryan, has a budget plan that would turn Medicaid over to the states and sharply limit federal dollars. Romney hasn’t specifically said where he stands on Ryan’s idea, but has expressed broad support for his vice presidential pick’s proposals.

    Shame on white middle class regressive progressives for turning their backs on the very poor in our society in exchange for nothing but empty, broken rhetorical idealism.

    Just so you can maintain your blogging poses post-election.

    SHAME!

    Reply
34. donkeytale November 25th, 2012 at 1:25 pm 34

    In response to Phoenix Woman @ 29

    And hey, your diary started life as a comment in my lowly diary!

    This is an example of blogging fermentation at its finest. (hic!)

    Proving once again that four day weekends are living death for infotainment addicts.

    Reply
35. Phoenix Woman November 25th, 2012 at 1:26 pm 35

    In response to TarheelDem @ 30

    A-yep. I’m glad it was posted.

    And as I just told the diarist:

    Nice job!

    Now let’s see if it’ll work in Mississippi.

    I don’t expect to receive a substantive response. ;-)

    Reply
36. Phoenix Woman November 25th, 2012 at 1:26 pm 36

    In response to donkeytale @ 34

    Why, yes, yes, it did!

    Reply
37. donkeytale November 25th, 2012 at 1:31 pm 37

    In response to donkeytale @ 33

    PS.

    That wasn’t repetition on my part, that was aparody of low the quality trolling endemic to FDL…

    Reply
38. TarheelDem November 25th, 2012 at 1:32 pm 38

    In response to elisemattu @ 31

    The California growers are evidently going about it all wrong. They should be buying members of Congress like other industries. Bypass the executives completely.

    But aside from marijuana legislation, when would you know that a legistlative body, such as Congress, had been successfully bought with in-kind donations? Would it just be the pizza orders? Or the maneuvering by states to get subsidies for their particular varietals?

    Legislators don’t like industries that buy presidents or governors, and don’t include them.

    Reply
39. donkeytale November 25th, 2012 at 1:33 pm 39

    In response to Phoenix Woman @ 36

    We, the unsung anti-heroes just want a little credit where little is due.

    [:o)

    Reply
40. TarheelDem November 25th, 2012 at 1:33 pm 40

    In response to donkeytale @ 37

    I thought it looked familiar. It takes a whole lot of trolling talent to do different riffs on your own themes.

    Reply
41. TarheelDem November 25th, 2012 at 1:35 pm 41

    In response to donkeytale @ 39

    Sorry, now that Camus is dead, anti-heroic donkeys are out of luck. Try some magical realist writer instead. I understand that Paula Broadwell lost her most recent gig.

    Reply
42. donkeytale November 25th, 2012 at 1:37 pm 42

    In response to donkeytale @ 33

    OK, upon further review, maybe my trolling standards aren’t as high level as all that…or a bag chips.

    Reply
43. donkeytale November 25th, 2012 at 1:43 pm 43

    In response to TarheelDem @ 41

    You mean, “Agent Well Broad, don’t you?”

    And, wow, you mean, Camus is dead?

    Srsly?

    Reply
44. donkeytale November 25th, 2012 at 1:46 pm 44

    In response to TarheelDem @ 40

    0I’m also linking insidiously to my own lowgrade trolling.

    Somebody stop me before I break a “Term of Service,” or something.

    Or, worse yet, get flagged.

    Reply
45. UCT1 November 25th, 2012 at 1:57 pm 45

    In response to TarheelDem @ 26

    Wrong lesson learned, but my comment was not for only your benefit.

    Reply
46. Phoenix Woman November 25th, 2012 at 2:00 pm 46

    In response to donkeytale @ 33

    Speaking of taxation –

    Barely a month after Cameron’s government rejected the idea of setting up a UK version of the United States’ Foreign Accounts Tax Compliance Act, or FATCA, the folks in Whitehall seem to have done a complete 180-degree turn:

    Radical plans to force the UK’s tax havens to reveal the names behind hidden companies, account holders and trusts have been drawn up by the Treasury.The news has delighted tax justice campaigners, who predict that the move, which is expected to be unveiled in the chancellor’s autumn statement and come into force in 2014, will have major consequences for those trying to hide their money offshore.A leaked document reveals that the UK plans to impose its own version of the US Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (Fatca) on the crown dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man, as well as its overseas territories, such as the Cayman Islands.Fatca, which will come into force in the middle of next year, requires foreign banks to report American account holders to the US Inland Revenue Service. The draft UK equivalent, seen by the magazine International Tax Review, will require British tax havens to make similar disclosures about UK account holders to UK tax authorities.

    In other words, Mitt Romney’s about to lose his favorite tax shelter.

    Reply
47. TarheelDem November 25th, 2012 at 2:19 pm 47

    In response to Phoenix Woman @ 46

    Therefore there will be a new derivative to hedge the financial risk of disclosure: the Foreign Account Tax Compliances Act Trusts (FATCAT) See. Everything will be hunky-dory and business as usual.

    I would not look for Ann in a food stamp line anytime soon.

    Reply
48. donkeytale November 25th, 2012 at 2:24 pm 48

    In response to Phoenix Woman @ 46

    Excellent. But couldn’t they come up with one more word at the end of the law’s title that starts with the letter “T”?

    FATCAT

    Legislate whores are even less creative than trolls, obviously…

    Reply
49. donkeytale November 25th, 2012 at 2:26 pm 49

    In response to TarheelDem @ 47

    Great Dimoratic minds think alike

    Reply
50. wendydavis November 25th, 2012 at 2:40 pm 50

    In response to Phoenix Woman @ 29

    Er…which diary? The links wouldn’t work for me. Is it ‘My Thanksgiving: a Turkey Sandwich at Walmart’?

    Reply
51. Kelly Canfield November 25th, 2012 at 4:07 pm 51

    MFI – you wicked, wicked man. ;)

    Reply
52. Twain November 25th, 2012 at 4:37 pm 52

    I sorta like the trolls – they bring out the worst in me and get my old heart going. And the recent ones are not up to our standards at all.

    Reply
53. Phoenix Woman November 25th, 2012 at 5:55 pm 53

    In response to Kelly Canfield @ 51

    Which is why we love him so. :-)

    How’s Kelly doing this fine evening?

    Reply
54. Phoenix Woman November 25th, 2012 at 6:44 pm 54

    By the way: Flame Warriors!

    Reply
55. scrambler November 25th, 2012 at 6:50 pm 55

    No one who posts here means much. For example, if I croak tonight, no one would know and no one would care. I make occasional comments but am not a regular. I thought it was pretty funny last night. The suit person poster can’t remember his official tag was upsetting everyone. tbogg is by far the best troll on this site. I know he has his own blog, but he trolls every single thread that has one iota to do with third parties. His pure, complete and unadulterated hatred of any 3rd party voters is cool. It’s awesome and I’m determined to find out what that’s all about. donkeytale pissed me off on a fine thanksgiving morning a couple days ago, that was fun…he thinks I’m dumb, I got 4 kids and a job, yeah, I got tons of time to make a a politcal difference clown!! At least I’m a racist clown according to you that makes it so much better. I was thought to be a spawn of satan by margaret and many others when I dared defend that lady who posted about boycotting the election. Am I considered a troll or not a troll?? I’m not really a regular so have no idea. I do like a lot of articles written here and did like the Phoenix Woman one last night that was oh so controversial I guess. At what point do you become a troll??

    Reply
56. Phoenix Woman November 25th, 2012 at 7:23 pm 56

    In response to scrambler @ 55

    9.9, 9.9, 9.7, and 7.5 from the Romanian judge.

    Reply
57. TarheelDem November 25th, 2012 at 7:27 pm 57

    In response to scrambler @ 55

    At what point do you become a troll??

    The serious answer is when you are doing it purely for the enjoyment of disrupting something or the tactical intention of disrupting political opposition. Passionate differences of opinion is not trolling. The thread on third parties that you refer to was devoid of trolls.

    What it was was the beginning smouldering of a personal-attack-laden flame war that was rapidly deviating from actual issues being raised. That in itself is not bad when the repartee is interesting. Mutual claims of “s/he/it hit me first” are not that interesting.

    Seems you got some lulz out of earlier Green-Democrat flame wars. Seems Dems have not gotten over 2000 and Greens are still stinging from being called spoilers. No mystery there. They perceive themselves as competing for the same constituencies. That in part is because they are not being creative in broadening their constituencies. And because Greens are still pretty concentrated geographically although hopefully Jill Stein broadened the Green geography this year.

    Tbogg just needs a good third party advocate so that they will challenge each other to more interesting debate on Democratic vs. third party progressive strategies. With the right third party advocate, that could get right interesting. The current crop has made Tbogg a little ponderous and dull.

    Reply
58. TarheelDem November 25th, 2012 at 7:29 pm 58

    In response to Phoenix Woman @ 56

    There’s a Romania in the mini-sota?

    Reply
59. markfromireland November 25th, 2012 at 9:35 pm 59

    In response to TarheelDem @ 27

    In honour of the occasion perhaps we should commission a recipe from Ruth Calvo – herbal buns, or scones, or perhaps a Herbal Fruit Rock Buns recipe in honour of the trollish inspiration.

    mfi

    On edit: Anything but Dwarf Bread

    m

    Reply
60. markfromireland November 25th, 2012 at 9:37 pm 60

    In response to elisemattu @ 31

    The U.N’s authority and power is precisely nil. Really you need to calm down a bit before you burn yourself out.

    mfi

    Reply
61. markfromireland November 25th, 2012 at 9:42 pm 61

    In response to TarheelDem @ 26

    I see now that there are whole lot of good people of very different opinions who are wound very tight at the moment, to tight to take a levity break. mfi got it, which is why he put up this diary.

    Got it in one :-).

    mfi

    Reply
62. markfromireland November 25th, 2012 at 9:49 pm 62

    In response to donkeytale @ 28

    I was going to say “Eat your greens” like a good little donkey. But in the current febrile atmosphere I just know that that would cause somebody or another to throw a hissy fit. Eat your thistles long ears you need the roughage. :-)

    mfi

    Reply
63. markfromireland November 25th, 2012 at 9:50 pm 63

    In response to Phoenix Woman @ 32

    Ayup.

    mfi

    Reply
64. markfromireland November 25th, 2012 at 9:54 pm 64

    In response to Kelly Canfield @ 51

    Who me?

    mfi

    Reply
65. markfromireland November 25th, 2012 at 9:57 pm 65

    In response to Twain @ 52

    Have a Drakensberg biscuit to compensate.

    mfi

    Reply
66. markfromireland November 25th, 2012 at 10:00 pm 66

    In response to Phoenix Woman @ 35

    I’ve recommended it too – I keep on pointing out that “all politics is local” and that it takes slog and compromise and coalition building. That chap seems to get it.

    mfi

    Reply
67. TBogg November 25th, 2012 at 10:07 pm 67

    In response to scrambler @ 55

    tbogg is by far the best troll on this site. I know he has his own blog, but he trolls every single thread that has one iota to do with third parties. His pure, complete and unadulterated hatred of any 3rd party voters is cool. It’s awesome and I’m determined to find out what that’s all about.

    That can best be answered by one of the tags on my site:

    We just tease someone ’til they develop an eating disorder

    The sanctimonious, whether political or ecumenical are such low hanging fruit that I can’t help myself.

    Reply
68. markfromireland November 25th, 2012 at 10:26 pm 68

    In response to Phoenix Woman @ 29

    At 22:00 my grandfatherly duties kicked in. The twins and Giorgious together with Giorgious’ friend Odin* are staying with me until Wednesday. The battle has raged throughout the house, the courtyard, the back garden, and the woods at the back of the house. They were so engaged in a glorious free-for-all in which Dario and Giorgious were assaulting one another with pillows and Uffe was gleefully committing assault and battery on Odin using Effy the Gorilla as a sort of flail that they didn’t actually hear me come in to their room. I got them calmed down by dint of bellowing followed by telling them stories. It was a fun end to my evening :-)

    mfi

    *Yes he really is called Odin. He’s six.

    m

    Reply
69. markfromireland November 25th, 2012 at 10:31 pm 69

    In response to TBogg @ 67

    Spoilsport. That comment was next on my list :-).

    mfi

    Reply
70. markfromireland November 25th, 2012 at 10:41 pm 70

    And … before my day starts, last but not least. Thanks to the anonymous editor/moderator for adding the hilarious photo to my posting.

    mfi

    Reply
71. donkeytale November 26th, 2012 at 1:02 am 71

    In response to scrambler @ 55

    Excellent points, except that TBOGG troll dude aint got nuthin on me. Nuthin, I tellz ya.

    He can’t even play the “I’m a professional blogger and your snot” card agaonst me.

    The DLC pays much better than Jane Hamsher. Believe it.

    And, please, no need to flatter, although I do appreciate it. I doubt it was me made you feel dumb Thanksgiving morning…didn’t you say something about having 4 kidz?

    There’s your more likely culprits…

    Reply