We have so many insightful and powerful diaries written here at Daily Kos. Our diaries inform, inflame, impassion, and even entertain. We Kossacks have strong voices and an even stronger will to be the change we wish to see in this country.
One of the richest, and perhaps most under-appreciated, areas of thought come in the form of comments attached to these diaries.
Here at Top Comments we strive to recognize and promote the talent of this community by highlighting outstanding comments found throughout the day by the diarist, and through nominations at made at topcomments at gmail dot com by your fellow Kossacks.
These nominations are subjective, and certainly not complete (as no one can read the complete site on a daily basis!). But hopefully they will serve to shine a light where deserved, and to give the reader a good starting point in finding conversation on the site.
Please come in and make yourself at home! Join us beneath the fold...
Greetings to everyone! I've been away for a couple of weeks, visiting my newborn granddaughter in Maryland. Oh, you missed Lauren's photo? Not to worry! I have plenty to share!
My son is career Navy and teaches broadcast technology in the Joint Command school at Fort Meade. His students come from all the military branches and some stay in touch with him after graduating. While I was visiting and we were all rejoicing in this beautiful new addition to the family, he received the following, very troubling e-mail message from a former student, now in Iraq:
I have had something of the strangest days, one of those earth-shattering types which make you re-evaluate the entirity of your life as you know it to be, and have the need to write it all out, so do bear with...
On occasion, we are called on to shoot photographs of a less than savoury nature, some stuff which can both turn the stomach and sicken beyond belief. While I understand it's the nature of the job, that reality does precious little to lessen the impact these images can sometimes produce...
On a call from somewhere and someplace the tasking to shoot something rather sensitive came down yesterday, and two of us went out to take care of this, beyond what is considered a safe area. Upon arrival at an Iraqi police station, I discovered we were to take pictures of a thirteen-year-old girl who had been outfitted with a suicide vest (strapped to her) and told to detonate at a place I don't know. Instead of doing this, she turned herself into the Iraqi police; we were to shoot imagery of the vest and the girl - the Iraqi police work with the coalition forces and U.S. military. This little girl is 13-years-old, and looking at the end of her life!!! Regardless that what she did was right - her statement said 'she didn't want to hurt anyone' - her family will probably be killed now, despite the best efforts to protect them, and she is marked for life - she will be killed; that's how things work. Insurgents will force someone in a weaker position to do something based on a threat which more often than not will be carried out. I would take her with me if I could...can you imagine how brave she must be? She must know what will happen to her now...
That was in the late afternoon...in the early evening, as we are driving back, a car comes flying through an intersection and runs into the side of a humvee two in front of mine, and explodes. Thank god for some individuals' inability to put together a good device; it barely popped, but knocked the humvee to the side. We back up and take positions, and the other cameraman begins shooting video (these are sometimes the precursors to a secondary explosion)...everyone lived...
I'd yet to see anything like this, and the reality of it all came crashing down. Things here are in a more 'reconstructive' phase, and while occasionally stuff happens, it's generally pretty quiet...
I cannot get this little girl from my mind!!! If I could I would take her with me - she deserves a chance in life; they all do! But this one is special, and knowing that her life is over makes me quite sad...
I read about this little girl-child and hugged my new grand-daughter even tighter. May this horrible war be soon over.
~~~~
Interesting insight into the Bush-McCain dynamic in today's NYTimes Magazine re: "The Final Days" of the Bush Presidency (damn, I love the sound of that!):
... Through the second term, McCain walked a delicate line. He and Bush had come to an uneasy détente. McCain admired Bush’s political operation, and as he began entertaining another run at the White House, he tried to co-opt it by recruiting Bush strategists and fund-raisers. He also reversed himself on key Bush policies like the tax cuts. At the same time, McCain grew increasingly disgruntled over the course of the war and the administration’s policies on detention and interrogation of suspected terrorists. His discussions about torture with Vice President Dick Cheney grew so testy that Bush pulled Cheney out and sent in the more diplomatic national security adviser, Stephen Hadley, instead.
In some ways, the more Bush got into trouble, the more McCain gravitated to him. The establishment figure from 2000 had become a lonely maverick in his own right, and McCain began to see Bush with more empathy. The Republican strategist Terry Nelson told me: "He would say: ‘They’re a smart group. Why aren’t they doing better?’ "
That’s pretty much the question Bush now asks about McCain.
~~~~
Shout-Out to my Fellow Virginians:
Expected High Turnout Has Virginia Board Of Elections Looking For Approximately 2,000 Workers
This election day is expected to bring a lot of people out to the polls. Because of the expected crush, the State Board of Elections is on the lookout for approximately 2,000 poll workers on Election Day. Valerie Jones, the deputy secretary at the State Board Of Elections, says that all you have to be to help out is a registered voter. A typical election poll worker will set up the voting machines, and process voters. They have to arrive at 5 a.m. and then stay until the last voter has gone through. That could be well after 7 p.m.
If you are interested, go to this website and then fill out an application. Jones says that it's a statewide need, but especially workers are needed in the larger localities. Workers are paid on average about $100 for their day's work.
I'm sure that Virginia isn't the only state that needs poll workers and election observers. Find out where you can help and volunteer!
~~~~
For the Record:
On This Day In History:
1797 "Frankenstein" author Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley was born in London.
1862 Union forces were defeated by the Confederates at the Second Battle of Bull Run in Manassas, Va.
1887 Thomas Edison received a patent for his "Kinetoscope," and moving pictures were born.
1888 Mary Ann Nicholls, considered to be Jack the Ripper's first victim, was found murdered in London.
1893 Huey P. Long, the "Kingfish" of Louisiana politics, was born in Winn Parish, La.
1918 Baseball Hall of Famer Ted Williams was born in San Diego.
1941 Nazi forces began a siege of Leningrad during World War II that lasted nearly two and a half years.
1945 Gen. Douglas MacArthur arrived in Japan and set up Allied occupation headquarters.
1965 The album "Highway 61 Revisited" by Bob Dylan was released.
1967 The Senate confirmed the appointment of Thurgood Marshall as the first African-American justice on the Supreme Court.
1980 Poland's Solidarity labor movement had its beginnings when an agreement ending a 17-day strike was signed in Gdansk.
1983 Guion S. Bluford Jr. became the first African-American astronaut to travel in space when he blasted off aboard the space shuttle Challenger.
1990 President George H.W. Bush told a news conference that a "new world order" could emerge from the Persian Gulf crisis.
1994 Russia officially ended its military presence in the former East Germany and the Baltic states.
1997 Princess Diana and her companion Dodi al-Fayed were killed in a car accident in Paris.
2005 A day after Hurricane Katrina hit, floodwaters covered 80 percent of New Orleans and rescuers in helicopters and boats picked up hundreds of stranded people.
~~~~
ON TO TOP COMMENTS!
Nominated by Indie Tarheel:
From the diary "Not all evangelical conservatives are thrilled with Palin", this line from Buzzer regarding Cokie Roberts.
~~~~
Nominated by marykk:
Sammy James' reply to me is priceless.
~~~~
Nominated by watercarrier4diogenes:
Lauren S' answer to this comment gets my nomination.
~~~~
A few I found:
On the nth diary about Palin's pregnancy, First criticism: delete this Diary ... by Meteor Blades - enough said!
Reminding us of his evil history, check out McTWIN joked about katrina deaths by Patriot Daily News Clearinghouse
Someone suggested that John Kerry should refrain from criticizing McCain. Nuh-huh! No, I hope he doesn't watch his mouth... by Niwind
What we should be doing / talking about re: Palin: Spot on !!! however, deep thinkers are not known by Badabing
My back-door diary rescue for teacherken's diary re: the issue of poverty being lost in this election, do read: I thought Obama's acceptence speech by LithiumCola and What about us? by blueocean
I'll let pastordan's tip jar serve as a reminder of those who should be in our hearts and prayers tonight.
~~~~
Top Mojo (cskendrick/sardonyx-style) excluding search-identifiable tip jars and first diary comments:
1) Who cares by Blue Intrigue — 235
2) Isn't this driving you f'ing crazy? by Mr Magu — 193
3) Thank you for your sacrifice by geordie — 182
4) No, I hope he doesn't watch his mouth... by Niwind — 178
5) I saw that too. It is so freakin hard to keep up by TX Unmuzzled — 160
6) needs a pic of beautiful downtown Wasilla by InsultComicDog — 157
7) "Watch his mouth" is just CREEPY. by Loquatrix — 148
8) it's at the link by JLFinch — 139
9) Weekend at Brittney s by Al Rodgers — 117
10) Another thing un-reported by 57andFemale — 109
11) Talked to any Hillary supporters today? by anastasia p — 105
12) millwx, we're very lucky to have you . . . by nyceve — 104
13) Oh my goodness. by Leap Year — 104
14) Especially by BDA in VA — 104
15) That's not vetting you can believe in. by Angry Mouse — 101
16) And speaking of newspapers ... by hungrycoyote — 95
17) Ugh, I'm sick to death by Loquatrix — 93
18) Nah, I rec'd you for the great comments by Eman — 86
19) No, Dems have been too timid by machiado — 82
20) Beautiful photos by Alec82 — 81
21) I wonder if the Paulies by socratic — 78
22) What we can do, is tell the truth, by Vera Lofaro — 78
23) GOP education platform by InsultComicDog — 77
24) I see this "mommy" talk is disparaged by snowbird42 — 76
25) I saw a friend yesterday by desmoinesdem — 74
26) in sum by InsultComicDog — 74
27) I love it. I'm a f#*kin' news source now. by DemocraticLuntz — 72
28) John Kerry by zizi — 69
29) attacking McCain's decision-making ability by SeaTurtle — 68
30) Ohio by CandyKat — 68
31) Maria Bartiromo is shill #1 by Comrade Brad — 68
Top Mojo with No Exclusions:
1) tips for a liberal Jewish feminist by desmoinesdem — 595
2) Tips, Recs? by oregonj — 561
3) tips by Nuisance Industry — 540
4) tip of the evenin' to ya by jmknapp — 430
5) tips by distributorcap — 423
6) tips by millwx — 408
7) Tips for 7 more voters per precinct in Ohio! by JulieUnplugged — 387
8) Ron Paul! Ron Paul! Ron Paul! Ron Paul! by DemocraticLuntz — 308
9) Thanks by Eric Schmeltzer — 293
10) Tips for not only talking the talk by Muzikal203 — 275
11) Who cares by Blue Intrigue — 235
12) Tips by turneresq — 202
13) Isn't this driving you f'ing crazy? by Mr Magu — 193
14) Thank you for your sacrifice by geordie — 182
15) No, I hope he doesn't watch his mouth... by Niwind — 178
16) I saw that too. It is so freakin hard to keep up by TX Unmuzzled — 160
17) needs a pic of beautiful downtown Wasilla by InsultComicDog — 157
18) :-) by Trix — 153
19) Here is the local alaska account of how she by skiddlybop — 149
20) "Watch his mouth" is just CREEPY. by Loquatrix — 148
21) Obama is awesome by the3Cs — 147
22) it's at the link by JLFinch — 139
23) Tip Jar for fogeys by Sam Loomis — 125
24) don't let him and them by clammyc — 119
25) Weekend at Brittney s by Al Rodgers — 117
26) Another thing un-reported by 57andFemale — 109
27) Talked to any Hillary supporters today? by anastasia p — 105
28) millwx, we're very lucky to have you . . . by nyceve — 104
29) Oh my goodness. by Leap Year — 104
30) Especially by BDA in VA — 104
~~~~
Always the mountains,
va dare