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.
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I haven't been commenting here much lately so it was cool today to see one of my earlier comments being recommended for a bumper sticker: $10-trillion later, are you better off?
Sadly, I returned too late to one comment and saw some questions that needed a speedier reply. The topic is faulty voting machines that don't seem to record the intended vote. This is going to be a recurring topic through Nov. 4 and beyond, I fear. I wrote about this last year after first-hand experience with Virginia's machines and revisited it yesterday:
I'm an election worker in Virginia and...
we have similar problems with our voting machines. It's not so much voter error as it is voter aggression - they're touch screens, NOT 'punch screens' but many people think that they have to hit it hard to make it register. After a while (even an hour or so), the screen gets knocked askew and needs to be recalibrated - takes less than five minutes and accuracy is restored.
by va dare on Sat Oct 18, 2008 at 11:50:46 AM EDT
There were two immediate replies with questions - I'm reposting them here so that they (and others) may see my answers:
If they are that easy to... "uncalibrate", then they should not even be in used.
By the time a mistake like that gets caught and fixed, hundred or thousands of miscast votes could be recorded.
I'm not buying the fact that a machine could be knocked off kilter that easily by somebody just putting a little too much pressure on a screen.
That doesn't pass the smell test.
by jkay on Sat Oct 18, 2008 at 12:01:58 PM EDT
You'd be surprised at how hard some people...
want to hammer at the screen. At times, I found myself standing behind it and holding it steady by bracing my arms and feet. I'm serious. I made a sign to hang in it saying 'Touch it, Don't Punch it.'
by va dare on Sat Oct 18, 2008 at 04:05:55 PM EDT
Let me get this straight
After one hour, the voting machine can become uncalibrated causing false votes. This then requires a five minutes fix. When does a poll worker know to "fix" a machine,after a certain time period, or after a complaint?
From what you are saying that it is known that the machines can become defective in a very short time span.
This is not comforting to hear - especially in a battleground state.
by ctsteve on Sat Oct 18, 2008 at 12:13:47 PM EDT
These are NOT well-built machines...
The '05 and '06 elections were the first years that Virginia's got used to the point that they began to malfunction. By '07 (local elections but heavy turnout), we'd rec'd extra training and instruction re: how to handle it on-the-fly. About an hour after the polls opened at my precinct, I noticed that one machine (of the three) would not / could not be re-callibrated and so it went off-line and we didn't use it again that day. If either of the other two machines had fully malfunctioned, we'd have been in serious trouble but we managed without too much delay to voters.
If any of you get a chance, take a close look at the technology - the whole unit weighs less than 15 pounds (the legs and carrying case weigh twice or more) and are NOT as sturdy as a cheap laptop.
I've been told that '08 is the last year the current model will be used in VA.
by va dare on Sat Oct 18, 2008 at 04:03:52 PM EDT
Again, this is an issue that will preoccupy this site and others on both sides of the political fence so it's even MORE important that each of us find a oversight niche to occupy on Election Day. Poll workers and watchers are needed everywhere!
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On to Top Comments!
From pixxer:
In the diary Hillary Sent Me (already a tear jerker of a title) HillaryIsMyHomegirl described many things, among them returning home to find a ballot waiting. The description of opening the ballot was picked up beautifully in this comment by kahunaloca: Me too. Perhaps others will enjoy it as much as I.
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From phonegery :
One of these days I'm going to tell the world that if theysend in a comment that make you guys laugh, you give them donut privileges.
The whole sign stealing thread has funny comments, none better than
You all made me realize by mellowinman.
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From Killer of Sacred Cows:
agnostic explains why the Religious Reich is so determined to overturn marriage equality in California: if they can't, then all their evil deeds will come to light:gladly.
CornSyrupAwareness explains why Daily Kos is so important: it's not just politics that draws us to the site: I'm hooked!
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From sardonyx:
In kos's beautiful Hell to Pay: For Martin, JesseCW writes an evocative Today in San Pedro....
In the diary Powell endorsement: Pat Buchanan just went there, where the execrable Pat Buchanan is said to have "accused Powell of only supporting Obama because he's an African-American," jazzence has some calming words for Pat. It's par for the Buchanan oeuvre; remember that Molly Ivins wrote of his 1992 convention oration:
Many people did not care for Pat Buchanan's speech; it probably sounded better in the original German.
MichiganGirl can sure carve a pumpkin.
lineatus explains why it's a good idea to post a tip jar when you write a diary.
Zach in Phoenix notes that the New Deal was a lot more than just regulation.
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From drchelo:
I find this comment about Sarah Palin's candidacy spot on! Well, he's wrong, but there is a grain of truth.
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My own picks:
Back door diary-rescues: Democrats take a road trip through West By God Virginia (by Carnacki) and Where Did $5 Trillion Go?: My Op-Ed Published by aprichard.
Who're the prolific commenteers at Mojo Friday? Sunday Stats Pull by Hedwig.
Great explanation of DKos peculiarities: Tips vs. Recommends by CDH in Brooklyn.
As to why "Silent Sarah submit[ted] to SNL skewering" - Mismanagement from the get-go by Word Alchemy, Did everyone see the end... by abbysomething, Look what they had to work with? by DivaBabe, and Does that make me Joe the Plumber? nt by the girl.
Funniest comment ever! I am delighted that Powell by the girl.
Re: Colin Powell's endorsement, some great poetry in this thread: Here's your haiku -- by Torta
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TOP MOJO - thank you, sardonyx!
Top Mojo (cskendrick/sardonyx-style) excluding search-identifiable tip jars and first diary comments:
1) He also needs to be brought up on charges by political junquie — 354
2) The guy needs to me made an example of. by Ludi — 239
3) They were both speechless by Lava20 — 207
4) Here's the photo Gen. Powell was referring to: by dmhlt 66 — 184
5) asdf by A Citizen — 177
6) Probably the most powerful part.... by Brit — 156
7) c.f.: by LithiumCola — 150
8) A good low-tech alternate solution by Lestatdelc — 149
9) Obama redistributed wealth by FishOutofWater — 144
10) The socialist-screamer is a FREEPER by bayareaobamaniac — 139
11) Democratic Party should step in right away and by Hillblogger — 136
12) And -- I'm gonna go HERE -- much of the wealth by maren a — 131
13) You know, it doesn't matter how they spin it... by gimbo — 129
14) REC this up. It needs top line attention and by bkamr — 127
15) Unleash The Hounds on this hipocracy! by JustForTheRecord — 125
16) It's fantastic by mapantsula — 117
17) He is better at making the Dem case than by Tzimisce — 112
18) I agree. by Ludi — 112
19) I was being nice. Here are some pics: by Muzikal203 — 111
20) Powell's statement on the muslim soldier... by David Kroning — 109
21) Buckle Up For The Blue Wave! by TreeFrog — 107
22) A calm, measured, reasoned, on-the-issues by DemCurious — 106
23) Here's what they do in W. By God Va. by CA Berkeley WV — 106
24) Heroes in America by Taz Man — 106
25) Powell says: by zeus4prez — 105
26) He's a Jedi, to?!? by CJB — 104
27) Done. by lollydee — 103
28) Video here by paddykraska — 100
29) Kareem the Soldier > Joe the Plumber by Stroszek — 99
30) At least someone there had some sense by Muzikal203 — 97
Top Mojo with No Exclusions:
1) Get out there, please! by noweasels — 687
2) Tips for preserving political speech by craigf — 657
3) tips/recs by icebergslim — 647
4) Tips for hope over hate by jhecht — 641
5) To Kansas City for ending today, STRONG.... by icebergslim — 566
6) Tip your hat for Kareem R. Khan by BillyT — 519
7) Tips by Beauregard — 505
8) Tips for my grandma by HeidiEight — 500
9) Tips for your waitress by Escapade — 458
10) tips for doing nothing until it's too late by Inky99 — 382
11) PLEASE CANVASS WITH A FRIEND n/t by lollydee — 358
12) He also needs to be brought up on charges by political junquie — 354
13) Tips for Obama closing the deal! by NCDem Amy — 342
14) Hopefully that house got another visit.... by Losty — 329
15) Thank you. Will correct. nt by Bill Prendergast — 304
16) Tip jar below by HeidiEight — 270
17) Rec'd. Thanks for the info. n/t by marabout40 — 264
18) Anyone feeling complacent? by casperr — 252
19) Yes we can, you betcha also. by Angry Mouse — 248
20) The guy needs to me made an example of. by Ludi — 239
21) This is ad is sponsored by Republicans... by JeffLieber — 210
22) They were both speechless by Lava20 — 209
23) Here's the photo Gen. Powell was referring to: by dmhlt 66 — 184
24) asdf by A Citizen — 177
25) put up a tip jar by mhanch — 167
26) Heh. by MBNYC — 162
27) Tip Jar by Stiffa — 158
28) Probably the most powerful part.... by Brit — 156
29) c.f.: by LithiumCola — 152
30) Yes, it's legit by verily — 150
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Always the mountains,
va dare