I wasted a couple of hours yesterday playing Solitaire on my computer - I have this great program called Solitaire Wizard that lets you do almost unlimited do-overs. I can book-mark a point in the game where I have a choice of which way to play and, if I decide later that my move went the wrong way, I can return to that point and take the other route.
In most software these days, we have an 'Undo' choice so that very few of our errors have to be permanent or 'fatal.' This is especially handy in using e-mail, as many of us have learned to our chagrin. And Photoshop? You gotta love the undo-feature there! (No, I said, green EYES, not thighs!)
When it comes to my past, my do-over wishlist is huge. Like I wouldn't have stood so close to the speakers at all those rock concerts, permanently damaging my hearing. I'd also do-over my first attempt at college in the late Sixties when I discovered men, alcohol, and drugs (in no particular order and in all combinations) and left there five semesters later with a GPA of .8 (although this does make a great cautionary tale for incoming freshmen).
And with my two kids, oh how I wish for some do-over opportunities - too many to mention here but the list is always, already growing. I wish I could do-over the last two years of my mom's life before her first stroke so that I'd be less concerned with finishing graduate school and getting ahead at my 'career.' I wish I'd spent more time with her, taking notes of her wisdom and experiences.
As for Daily Kos, I wish I could do-over my selection of a UID; I'd also do-over the timing of my registration - why did I lurk so long in fear of plunging in? And how about all the diaries that I started and abandoned thinking that my voice was too 'small' or insignificant when stacked up against the talents of Hunter or Meteor Blades or georgia10?
But at least diaries can be edited later if you make a mistake. Unlike comments... Ever wish you could get a do-over on that snarky response to a trollish-type? Or when you allow yourself to engage someone here who really, REALLY annoys the hell out of you already and you know it will probably turn out badly but you go ahead and make the comment? You know what I'm talking about... it's been especially, well, contentious around here the last couple of days.
Sometimes I get so caught up in writing the 'perfect' comment that the best timing for it is lost or mine ends up being swept aside in the rush of comments that came while I was composing. But I also long for a do-over when I hit the post button too quickly and realize that I've misspelled something or failed to attribute properly or that my link doesn't work. For the most part, Kossacks are amazingly forgiving about minor things but you can get dragged onto the virtual carpet quick around here for serious errors of judgment or reasoning.
But then there are all the comments I failed to write, even when I knew I had something to add to the discussion.
And how about all the diaries that I visit early but not again 'cause I get too busy? Days later, I've been known to finally see replies made to my own comments, even queries for more information - oops! how do I fix this so long after the moment has passed?
How about you? Got your own do-over wishlist? If not, you're probably incredibly blessed or stunningly pragmatic... either way, I'm not envious because without quandary and choice(s), life would be pretty damned boring, IMO - rarely humble.
ON TO TOP COMMENTS!
Almost EVERYTHING on the diary If Pie runs, he wins got a shout-out from either me or another TC-er. Thanks to all of the 80 or so who had commented at 2:35 pm EST - I needed the laugh(s). Stuff like that is the ubiquitous sharp pin that we need at times to puncture our inflated pomposity. bronte17 asked for special attention to...
This comment - And history by paradocs - started the thread of snarkalicious "pie" comments. Kogs were on a roll with this one.
And Cronesense had her own set of ROFL-inducements:
Rob Cole's question starts off this funny thread.
wmtriallawyer expounds on winning the south at the start of this thread.
Skeptical Spectacle plots, plans and speculates on on a whole range of pies...er, candidates - read the thread for more input.
kay dub starts off this thread opining on vp choices - read down to get sardonyx's take.
droogie6655321 on potential 'attack ads'!
sardonyx has yet another listing of recommends :
marathon* thinks that *Rob Cole*'s Pie on Meet The Press splendid partial transcript is Top Comment material. *Delaware Dem* posts a shocking picture with a caption that *Dreggas* immediately (and hilariously) amends in the next reply. A wet-blanket comment critical of the notion of the diary (not linked here) resulted in a number of very funny retorts, including *wmtriallawyer*'s Oh good grief; *Rob Cole*'s I know is primarily cited for the thread it starts - be sure to follow the links in the two subsequent thread comments, and then continue on down-thread.
Late addition: you have to read *nightsweat*'s thread starting at the historical reference Nose ran in '00
because of nightsweat's subsequent reply to J R Hand. A true LOL moment.
Very important image and link from TocqueDeville No we're not on the diary 'Who The Hell Cares?' Point well-made and understood.
Loquatrix with a British read of 'class' in America. This has been quite confusing to me.
In the 'Ghost Planes' diary, Got a Grip is smoking hot in What government does in our names. And bobinson is equally hot with This is what passes for partnership in GWOT?.
Out of many excellent suggestions on bonddad's diary re: a YKos panel on the vanishing middle class, this one by emmasnacker deserves serious attention: I would like to see some discussion (of environmental threats).
From Carnacki:
Arabiflora on the meatgrinder of souls in an excellent diary by The Angry Rakkasan.
boilerman's tip jar in his poignant diary.
From noweasels:
By its simple IF you ignore the complexity on one toy idea that hasn't quite caught on.
cskendrick and sardonyx discuss perfect and imperfect sloth -- and sloths.
From Carolita:
Wandabee explains why Scalia is unworthy to be called a jurist.
From Newhorizon:
Sometimes politics and sports DO mix: this is the best NFL season ever. :) by liberalsouth.
From nonnie9999:
In righteousbabe's righteous diary about access to reproductive health services for poor woman, ShaShaMae's short and sweet comment says it all. Well, not quite all, check out the comment by Dallasdoc and the conversation that immediately follows.
In his own diary, KingOneEye has this comment, which introduces us to the New White House Briefing Center, which, in turn, makes irate a little nostalgic.
From cskendrick's:
DIDS (Damn I Did Something) Diary:
Cousin Noweasels reminds us of her father's love of the stars
from this former Top Comments diary.
Shermanesq took a nap.
Sarahnity expressed a desire to be inducted into the Nappers Hall of Fame. :)
The One True Cronesense wrote some romance diary the night before. :)
Sarahnity gift-wrapped for a family her company adopted for Christmas presents. (I hate gift-wrapping, so I'm appreciative!)
quoar reminds us that Betelguese is a really, really big star.
That notwithstanding, AceDeuceLady calls me a geek.... but in a good way ;)
Rimjob brags about his map of the Star Trek universe.
Which starts a bit of a nerd catfight. :)
terrypinder confesses to having never touched real boobies.
(there was no way I wasn't going to mention that one!)
shayera teaches a two year-old to take digicam shots with a cell phone. Adding new meaning to the phrase: Work the camera, baby. :)
darthstar let's us know he's kind of busy.
plf515 asks if he'd mind lighting a match after he's done. ;)
From tryptamine:
Wisper talks about extremism in a diary that purported to refute Libertarianism
and Frankenoid makes an excellent point about why allowing abortions only when the mother's health is in danger is a seriously flawed stance.
Top Mojo-Earners as of 9:30 pm EST -
With everything included:
1 - Some excerpts from Ghost Plane - Avila - 192
2 - tips - thereisnospoon - 189
3 - Tips/Flames? - Dood Abides - 142
4 - We owe a lot of gratitude - smintheus - 126
5 - Good. - wmtriallawyer - 105
6 - The list is long... - Rep Brad Miller - 103
7 - Cheers! from a 50-year-old sorta KS! - Marc in KS - 87
8 - No, you go ahead. - Rep Brad Miller - 85
9 - Good for you - eugene - 78
10 - He was crying because - jamfan - 73
11 - It ain't Monday no more! - khereva - 69
12 - here they are! - buhdydharma - 66
13 - Sorry, but it missed ... - Meteor Blades - 62
14 - PS: - Marc in KS - 61
15 - Then I strongly recommend - Alvin K - 58
16 - You can't go wrong investigating torture. - cotterperson - 57
17 - Less Rights! Fewer Freedoms! - kath25 - 55
18 - you know, - righteousbabe - 55
19 - Wow. Premature. - Major Danby - 54
20 - Sorry about the delay... - Bill in Portland Maine - 54
21 - Yep. - Rep Brad Miller - 53
22 - er...um.... - NYBri - 53
23 - and an erroneous definition - Avila - 53
24 - i love - Turkana - 52
25 - Thank you for posting this. - blue jersey mom - 52
26 - The destruction of the Union movement - Granny Doc - 51
27 - Right on! - srkp23 - 51
28 - Happy birthday, Marc! - Floja Roja - 50
29 - Didn't NARAL endorse Lieberman? - Walt starr - 49
30 - jeers - condoleaser - 49
31 - Here you go - craigb - 47
32 - Its frankly astonishing... - kingubu - 46
33 - This is a tremendous diary - Timroff - 46
34 - Thanks for that link - Rep Brad Miller - 45
35 - incoming! - terrypinder - 45
36 - tip - TeresaInPa - 44
37 - Isn't it obvious? - melvin - 43
38 - Agreed with Webb on this - arthura - 43
39 - And in these dark days... - HighSticking - 43
40 - Monster's also in the vast minority - matt n nyc - 42
41 - Good Morning! - Debbie in ME - 42
42 - Same-sex marriage - ceratotherium - 41
43 - Cheers and Jeers!!!! - Mrs White trash poet - 41
44 - Only if pie is pecan can he win. - wmtriallawyer - 41
45 - pretty narrow exception - Frankenoid - 41
46 - Doggie's Posted by Proxy C & J... - Doggie269 - 41
47 - And without Rove and Atwater - LeftHandedMan - 40
48 - I really hope he runs - itstime - 39
49 - Will poll for tips. n/t - MTmofo - 38
50 - Cheers to posting in C&J - SallyCat - 38
With tip jars and C-and-J comments deleted:
The list is long... - Rep Brad Miller - 103
No, you go ahead. - Rep Brad Miller - 85
Good for you - eugene - 78
He was crying because - jamfan - 76
Sorry, but it missed ... - Meteor Blades - 62
Then I strongly recommend - Alvin K - 58
You can't go wrong investigating torture. - cotterperson - 57
Less Rights! Fewer Freedoms! - kath25 - 55
Wow. Premature. - Major Danby - 54
Yep. - Rep Brad Miller - 53
er...um.... - NYBri - 53
and an erroneous definition - Avila - 53
Thank you for posting this. - blue jersey mom -52
i love - Turkana - 52
The destruction of the Union movement - Granny Doc - 51
Didn't NARAL endorse Lieberman? - Walt starr - 49
Here you go - craigb - 47
This is a tremendous diary - Timroff - 46
Its frankly astonishing... - kingubu - 46
Thanks for that link - Rep Brad Miller - 45
And in these dark days... - HighSticking - 43
Agreed with Webb on this - arthura - 43
Monster's also in the vast minority - matt n nyc - 42
Only if pie is pecan can he win. - wmtriallawyer - 41
pretty narrow exception - Frankenoid - 41
And without Rove and Atwater - LeftHandedMan - 41
The Council of Europe - Jerome a Paris - 38
You're very welcome. I really love this place. - hcc in VA - 37
What an excellent idea. - ek hornbeck - 37
I got some connections - Dreggas - 37
Why... - dedmonds - 37
From yesterday's - BarbinMD - 36
Erroneous Renditions - BarbinMD - 36
Bush is shredding the Constitution - MD patriot - 35
Seems reasonable - johnny rotten - 35
That's all for me tonight - I'll be around for a little while but will have to leave a bit earlier than I usually like to do when I'm hosting TC but it's exam time and I got to get up early to crack the whip!
As always, if you find a great comment during the day, send it to us at topcomments at gmail dot com! And remember, include your UID so we can give you credit for the find.
Always the mountains,
va dare