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 sent to 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...
I was surfing through the tv channels last night and lucked across a rebroadcast of Austin City Limits that featured a 2007 appearance by Old Crow Medicine Show, one of my all-time favorite Americana groups (along with Leftover Salmon - originators of "Polyethnic Cajun Slamgrass" - and Asylum Street Spankers - more on them in future diaries, heh?).
Here's how PBS described them in '07:
Combining American standards with original compositions that blend roots, folk, blues, gospel, bluegrass and rock, Old Crow Medicine Show makes modern traditional music that demonstrates "an ability to play fast and loose with old-time music, yet with healthy respect for the traditional path they've chosen.
The quintet met in New York state and hit the road, where they impressed Doc Watson so much that he scheduled the band to play at MerleFest. They were soon playing the Grand Ole Opry and winning over fans and critics alike.
Their self-titled debut release made Country Music Television's top ten bluegrass albums of the year and the New Yorker wrote it is full of "heartbreaking, plunky ballads and unfastened fiddle tunes charged with youthful vigor."
I got their new album Tennessee Pusher for Christmas and love it! It has been lovingly received and annotated:
Tennessee Pusher is a moonshiney mix of split-lip realism, drunken debacle, and sepia-toned mythology, and wholly American from first cue to last call. ... "Thematically," (writer/vocalist) Secor says, "it seems like I was sittin' on the street corner a lot watchin' hustlers, hookers, drug dealers, pimps, Katrina refugees, undercover narcs all struttin' by. It seems like there's a common theme running through all this, of people at a bus station. So I could say that there's an influence there from a lot of common American characters. Stackolee is on it. Billy Lyons. Frankie and Johnny make a brief appearance, blowing each other brains out on this record. I think that, uh, Sojourner Truth makes a brief appearance. And of course there's a little James Earl Ray cameo. And Boss Tweed is on this record. Oh, Lord. They don't make 'em like Boss Tweed any more." ... "There's a certain amount of preaching and tent revival in what we do. There's some snake handlin' goin' on too. Music is about gettin' fired up. Music is fiery and passionate. When it's evil, it's pure evil. When it's righteous, it's purely righteous. And sometimes it's too hot to handle. ... "
Although the new album is great, this oldie is still my favorite OCMS tune, "Wagon Wheel" (from their 2004 self-titled release):
Headed down south to the land of the pines
And I'm thumbin' my way into North Caroline
Starin' up the road
Pray to God I see headlights
I made it down the coast in seventeen hours
Pickin' me a bouquet of dogwood flowers
And I'm a hopin' for Raleigh
I can see my baby tonight
So rock me mama like a wagon wheel
Rock me mama anyway you feel
Hey mama rock me
Rock me mama like the wind and the rain
Rock me mama like a south-bound train
Hey mama rock me
Runnin' from the cold up in New England
I was born to be a fiddler in an old-time stringband
My baby plays the guitar
I pick a banjo now
Oh, the North country winters keep a gettin' me now
Lost my money playin' poker so I had to up and leave
But I ain't a turnin' back
To livin' that old life no more
So rock me mama like a wagon wheel
Rock me mama anyway you feel
Hey mama rock me
Rock me mama like the wind and the rain
Rock me mama like a south-bound train
Hey mama rock me
Walkin' to the south out of Roanoke
I caught a trucker out of Philly
Had a nice long toke
But he's a headed west from the Cumberland Gap
To Johnson City, Tennessee
And I gotta get a move on before the sun
I hear my baby callin' my name
And I know that she's the only one
And if I die in Raleigh
At least I will die free
So rock me mama like a wagon wheel
Rock me mama anyway you feel
Hey mama rock me
Rock me mama like the wind and the rain
Rock me mama like a south-bound train
Hey mama rock me
Yeah! There's lots more OCMS on the 'tubz - find some here, ok?
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ON TO TOP COMMENTS! Thanks to everyone who submitted nominations.
From marykk:
NonnyO remembers food before plastic and it was good: Ummmmmmmm.......
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From Colorado is the Shiznit:
I just came across a quite funny comment in a diary regarding Bill O'Reilly's reaction to Al Franken's win. The comment started and finished by indimcemopants re: what awards Bill supposedly won.
Enjoy! :)
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From Lava20:
Hello! (Also re: Bill O'Reilly's reaction to Al Franken's win) the entire diary is great snark. But happymisanthropy hits it out of the park. LOL!!!!!!!!!!
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From BeninSC:
buhdydharma commissions a team to study Uranus, and escapee provides the vessel for it! ;)
kezaro asks if new DNC chair Tim Kaine might not gain authority with a name change.
indigoblueskies describes the four seasons of Minneapolis.
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From carolita:
Lib Dem FoP has the perfect definition of North Slope in RandySF's AK: Did Palin Break Rules for Levi's Apprenticeship?
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From phonegery:
It was the genes, habit part that made me laugh, the rest is context: Blame the tort lawyers by gchaucer2.
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From bubbanomics:
Four diaries in a row on the recent list broadcasted the news that Gov. Kaine was named Chairman of the DNC. Four in a row? Jotter or dmsilev, is that a record? This comment by eeff, responding to DemocraticLuntz's frist in the fourth diary made me grin.
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From Asinus Asinum Fricat:
Arken's response (Yes, that's exactly what zemblan is saying.) to keepingitstraight had me rolling in the aisles in this serious discussion!
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From nonnie9999:
Funny story from mveit in juliewolf's photo diary. The comments that follow from CaCowGal and mveit are worth the read, too.
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From lineatus:
wiscmass posted this in tonight's (1.3.08)top comments, which lead me to this perfect retort by mistersite.
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And, 'though I didn't have time to read much today, here's a few that I found:
About Tim Kaine moving up to DNC, teacherken sums it up nicely with I suppose this is the rationale.
Meta-lessons for activists? I like this diary because it so clearly by BeninSC.
Great border-crossing story here: Makes me reflect on WASP privilege. by earicicle.
I learn something new here every day: If you want a real eye-opener on American by earicicle.
In praise of the diarist, GREAT pics! by jetskreemr reveals, in return, the talent of the commenter.
I've seen this (or something similar) before but still love it. Just goes to show you that geekiness is all relative: you are incorrect... by mediaprisoner.
Talk about damning with faint praise: Bush HAS done a terrific job by DisNoir36.
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TOP MOJO - thank you, brillig!
Top 30 Comments excluding search-identifiable tip jars and first comments:
1) I never thought I'd be saying this by bythesea — 328
2) Same phenom for black folks. by Robinswing — 142
3) That may be the case by david mizner — 107
4) Yeah, probably so. n/t by Brandon Friedman — 106
5) Maybe I've been living under a rock . . . by chrississippi — 98
6) You have totally inhibited my annoyingness by KateCrashes — 92
7) Shortly after they learn that by ablington — 78
8) Sadly by crazyshirley2100 — 76
9) Classic by Lava20 — 73
10) Thank you by JeNoCo — 71
11) you are incorrect... by mediaprisoner — 70
12) By the way by david mizner — 70
13) By Grabthar's Hammar... by grannyhelen — 67
14) When I hear about Muslims being kicked by bleeding heart — 67
15) I find it helpful to distinguish by WIds — 67
16) And I've just spent the week in Dubai & Kuwait... by pat208 — 64
17) Oh, I also have THAT habit... by JeffLieber — 63
18) Damn. Damn. Damn. by Naniboujou — 61
19) Obviously we need a patch, too! by begone — 61
20) Parroting Carville by The Field — 58
21) We are collectively so dumb in this country by dotster — 57
22) I Won't Minimize the Horrific Problems... by DHinMI — 57
23) We are at war with a Ethnic group? by edtastic — 57
24) D&D folks do follow the rules to a 'T' by antirove — 57
25) The "Arab narrative of Palestine" ... by anaxiamander — 57
26) Oh, Hai, Aimzzz. by FlCarat — 57
27) The death tolls don't lie by Lefty Coaster — 57
28) That by Lava20 — 55
29) the perpetual light of peace, by bubbanomics — 55
30) ??? by david mizner — 53
Top 30 Comments with no exclusions:
1) Tip jar by Brandon Friedman — 569
2) Tips for blogging from the snow. by JeffLieber — 423
3) Tips for peace by david mizner — 366
4) I never thought I'd be saying this by bythesea — 328
5) Tip jar by ksh01 — 320
6) Tips by MeMeMeMeMe — 273
7) Tippers can go to the smorgasbord by WineRev — 263
8) Tips eom by Argyrios — 259
9) tip jar by juliewolf — 225
10) Same phenom for black folks. by Robinswing — 142
11) Tip jar n/t by Kula2316 — 136
12) Well there is one thing by Sand in Florida — 134
13) Tip Jar by Muzikal203 — 126
14) That may be the case by david mizner — 107
15) Tip jar by sardonyx — 106
16) Yeah, probably so. n/t by Brandon Friedman — 106
17) Tip Jar by Trix — 102
18) Tips for peace. by brothers and sisters at dailykos — 101
19) Maybe I've been living under a rock . . . by chrississippi — 98
20) Not that this will actually stop them... by Arken — 97
21) Kibbles or quibbles by aimzzz — 95
22) You have totally inhibited my annoyingness by KateCrashes — 92
23) Eternal Rest by marykk — 84
24) Tips for by tonyahky — 79
25) Shortly after they learn that by ablington — 78
26) Sadly by crazyshirley2100 — 76
27) Tips for immediate seating of Senator Franken by WellstoneDem — 75
28) Classic by Lava20 — 73
29) Tips for Mitch n/t by RfrancisR — 73
30) Thank you by JeNoCo — 71
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Always the mountains,
va dare