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 more importantly through nominations sent to Top Comments at gmail dot com by your fellow Kossacks. When you send in your picks, please include your username and a word or two about why you nominated the comment, and send them in by 6:30 pm Pacific/9:30 pm Eastern to ensure they make the finished diary.
To everything - turn, turn, turn
There is a season - turn, turn, turn
And a time for every purpose under heaven
A time to be born, a time to die
A time to plant, a time to reap
A time to kill, a time to heal
A time to laugh, a time to weep
To everything - turn, turn, turn
There is a season - turn, turn, turn
And a time for every purpose under heaven
Those famous lyrics from Pete Seeger, covered by The Byrds, among others, based on passages in Ecclesiastes, remind us that so many things in life - whether we wish them to be so or not - are cyclical. Tonight we are on the cusp of yet another critical election in the life of our country, and the analysts tell us that the tide is turning against us in most unpleasant ways. We don’t yet know what will happen. We hope there will be surprisingly good news. We intend by our blood, sweat and tears, and our contributions of every kind (our time, our energy, our money, our spirit, our ideas) that things will go well for our candidates, our people and our country.
That intention isn’t going to change Tuesday, and it isn’t going to end 52 Tuesdays from this one. Each of the last elections I have experienced have been the most important elections of my life. It seems there is more riding on the outcome every time. And I do believe we are facing some of the scariest internal threats this country has ever faced.
A time to build up, a time to break down
A time to dance, a time to mourn
A time to cast away stones
A time to gather stones together
To everything - turn, turn, turn
There is a season - turn, turn, turn
And a time for every purpose under heaven
But, to every thing there is a season. We’re going to experience ups and downs. That is the nature of life. Downs are forecast for this next week. Some disappointments are in the cards. Hopefully some good things will happen, too, but some things will be true afterward, no matter what.
First, we’ll still be in this together. We’ll still have to work to be the best human beings we can be. We’ll still have to work for a more tolerant, more compassionate, more effective world.
A time of war, a time of peace
A time of love, a time of hate
A time you may embrace
A time to refrain from embracing
To everything - turn, turn, turn
There is a season - turn, turn, turn
And a time for every purpose under heaven
I understand the frustrations. They come with an imperfect world. With imperfect arguments and strategies and implementations. They come with imperfect timing. They come with surprises.
We have done good work. We have more to do. I can’t think of any people I’d rather stand with than those I’ve met and read and appreciated on this site, and those with whom I’ve stood in local campaigns and initiatives. In the face of dismay I feel joy within at the prospect of spending the remainder of my life in worthwhile work for our Democratic candidates and causes. And, for me, fault-finding and laying blame has no place in that work.
Best wishes to every one of us in these next days and hours.
A time to gain, a time to lose
A time to rend, a time to sew
A time to love, a time to hate
A time of peace, I swear it's not too late!
(Lyrics from stlyrics, though they are available many places online.)
On to comments!
From rfall:
From Thursday night's OND, the topic of which is "Tool Time", ontheleftcoast has this hilarious and insightful comment.
From LaughingPlanet:
Dillonfence's reply to my comment made me choke on my tofu. (Note: I only link mine cuz his makes no sense otherwise.)
From maybeeso in michigan:
Aquagranny tells about how her daughter reacted to being called a fucking socialist asshole. Beautifully done.
From cfk:
It just happened, tonight, at Bookflurries: Bookchat: pico chose from my poll and it made me laugh.
From sardonyx:
In Matt Taibbi's diary Daily Kos GOTV: Why the Tea Party Doesn’t Matter, Excerpt From Matt Taibbi's GRIFTOPIA, madtownpopulist picks up on the implications of Matt's opening sentences.
After Eclectablog's schedule for GOTV is detailed, drache shows what Electablog's going to need.
My picks:
The Presidency is an exposed position, indeed! And wader comments on the 'lightning rod' aspect of it, in a contentious political world.
Sarah Palin got you puzzled? drewfromct has it figured! See if you agree!
Top Mojo (cskendrick/sardonyx-style) excluding search-identifiable tip jars, first diary comments, Cheers and Jeers, various pooties, and Mojo Friday:
1) tipd and recd... by grannyhelen — 141
2) Not as pleasing... by Bailey — 133
3) We live in a world where the truth by indycam — 122
4) Rand Paul Chimes in by JekyllnHyde — 117
5) I'd be letting my lawyer do my talking by NearlyNormal — 116
6) Dear ABC News: by second gen — 99
7) And it is not over. by TomP — 95
8) I miss you here by dwahzon — 94
9) Matt will be here to chat between 11:30 am and by Patriot Daily News Clearinghouse — 93
10) A word about the long roots of voter suppression by dengre — 92
11) hey everybody, it's Matt Taibbi by Matt Taibbi — 92
12) Good stuff by eugene — 91
13) grannyhelen, you're so on-target... by APA Guy — 79
14) No, It Sounds Like A Wake by Empower Ink — 77
15) Never trust a clown who sells burgers by LaurenMonica — 75
16) Actually, my guilty pleasure was this part... by grannyhelen — 74
17) One rabid homophobe by gchaucer2 — 69
18) and here it is: by boatsie — 68
19) As my wingnut co-worker by edwardssl — 65
20) We were already living in France by mofembot — 65
21) Excellent Matt. by TomP — 62
22) Hi Newbie by edwardssl — 61
23) Interesting Argument by journeyman — 60
24) We sounds like the Republicans by TomP — 60
25) Am I the only person who is by Dauphin — 59
26) Actually, we (OFA) are dealing with the majority by mindoca — 58
27) It seems like 1994 to me. Groundhog day. by FishOutofWater — 57
28) we should all call in and let them know. by Tulips — 57
29) I think they are just asking for money, plain by Vera Lofaro — 55
30) That's kind of petty by Detroit Mark — 54
31) Uh...PD Can't Talk Right Now by JekyllnHyde — 54
Top Mojo with No Exclusions:
1) Tip Jar by Matt Taibbi — 457
2) Tip Jar by blackwaterdog — 395
3) Tip Jar by dengre — 380
4) Tip Jar by thereisnospoon — 354
5) This Diary was a pleasure to write by Lefty Coaster — 343
6) Tip Jar by Scott M94 — 340
7) Tip Jar by alguien — 331
8) Tip Jar by harveywasserman — 309
9) Tip Jar by Eclectablog — 305
10) Tip Jar by Jonathan Smucker — 277
11) Tip Jar by JTinDC — 276
12) Tip Jar by marabout40 — 244
13) Tip Jar by BFSkinner — 237
14) Tip Jar by Democrats Ramshield — 223
15) Tip Jar by Alan Grayson — 197
16) Tip Jar by pronin2 — 141
17) tipd and recd... by grannyhelen — 141
18) Not as pleasing... by Bailey — 133
19) Record low pressure inland CONUS storm by FishOutofWater — 127
20) We live in a world where the truth by indycam — 122
21) Rand Paul Chimes in by JekyllnHyde — 117
22) I'd be letting my lawyer do my talking by NearlyNormal — 116
23) Dear ABC News: by second gen — 99
24) And it is not over. by TomP — 95
25) I miss you here by dwahzon — 94
26) Matt will be here to chat between 11:30 am and by Patriot Daily News Clearinghouse — 93
27) A word about the long roots of voter suppression by dengre — 92
28) hey everybody, it's Matt Taibbi by Matt Taibbi — 92
29) Good stuff by eugene — 91
30) Bleach! BLEEAAAACH! by Horsefeathers — 85
Special thanks to sardonyx for formatting all of the comment submissions tonight, and for compiling Top Mojo! Please add your own comment finds below!