One of the things I face when doing Top Comments diaries on a schedule is the challenge of finding things to write about. Usually my problem is simply narrowing it down to something I can do in a single night. So tonight I am just going to write a bit about some of the longer term things I want to do, and see what interests you guys! (If anything does!)
More below! But, first, a word from our sponsor ...
Top Comments recognizes the previous day's Top Mojo and strives to promote each day's outstanding comments through nominations made by Kossacks like you. Please send comments (before 9:30pm ET) by email to topcomments@gmail.com or by our KosMail message board. Just click on the Spinning Top to make a submission. Look for the Spinning Top to pop up in diaries around Daily Kos.
Make sure that you include the direct link to the comment (the URL), which is available by clicking on that comment's date/time. Please let us know your Daily Kos user name if you use email so we can credit you properly. If you send a writeup with the link, we can include that as well. The diarist reserves the right to edit all content.
Please come in. You're invited to make yourself at home! Join us beneath the fleur de kos...
|
One of the diaries I have wanted to do the longest goes back to a movie I love from many years ago, The Music Man, starring Robert Preston. His ‘Professor Harold Hill’ is a con man with a unique twist. He winds up in River City intrigued by a challenge makes in a train compartment by another grifter who has suffered by following Hill in other communities. The other grifters in the community are of the opinion that you’ve got to ‘know the territory.’ As they mean it, Hill never bothers with that. The territory HE mines is of the human psyche, which he believes is the same everywhere.
When he arrives in town, he meets up with a buddy of his named Marce (played by Buddy Hackett, whom he pumps for ideas he can use to manipulate the townspeople into falling for his pitch, to get the town out of the 'trouble it's in.' Marce says the town isn't in any trouble, Hill replies, have to create some! The trigger idea turns out to be the arrival of a pool table in town! Before you know it he had the townspeople revved into such a frenzy, they walk right into his trap.
If ‘pool’ is removed from the pitch, and Obamacare, gay marriage, abortion or any of a dozen other right-wing boogeymen is inserted, the scenario is nearly identical to those we see played out across the land every day. And Harold Hill displayed the blueprint in 1962! A lot to be learned from that fine film!
Next is a man who was elected just weeks ago for admission to professional baseball’s Hall of Fame, induction in a few more weeks. He pitched for a number of Major League teams, but I came to be a fan when he was the best pitcher for Bobby Cox’s Atlanta Braves. Even his teammates were held in awe by him. I have collected a good deal of information for that diary, quotations, incidents from his career. Some consider him the greatest competitor they have ever seen, but … what struck me, what strikes me to this day is the near perfection of his competitive approach. He wasn’t an in-your-face trash talker. I never knew him to talk trash. He wasn’t a foam at the mouth adversary. He never projected hostile energy. He was not WEAK. No one ever accused him of that.
He never talked up his abilities or his strengths. To hear him tell it, his success could almost be more attributable to luck than anything else.
But, he never gave his opponents anything. He never gave them anything they could use for motivation. He never gave them anything to make them angry, to piss them off. They could find motivation within themselves, perhaps, going out to compete against a future Hall of Famer. But if they could not find it within, they’d still have to face him the best they could. Because one thing was certain. What he’d bring would be as formidable a competitive package as they would ever see. Without compromise, without whimsy. With laser focus. And a competitive consistency that bordered on beyond human.
Most of my political theories are influenced by watching him compete, by learning from him. His simple approach was exceptionally powerful and effective. And he did it without giving away a thing, the greatest warrior I have seen on the diamond in my lifetime. We Democrats aren’t usually so consistent, and we aren’t usually so effective. ::smile:: But we can be. And I hope - with a diary about him - to help us a little along the way. His name is Greg Maddux.
Other diaries in the ‘hopper’ are about the Pinball Wizard (there has to be a twist!), about Intelligent Design in our free market electoral system, about Mulready/Lang from my beloved West Wing, and thoughts I’ve had about the ACA in that context. The greatest challenge in diaries facing me is painting a picture of the case against Nikki Haley for SC Governor. Her failure is one of the most egregious I have ever seen in US politics, and except for some peripheral, easily fended off forays, I don’t see anyone effectively making the case for her political demise. I believe it is there to be made.
Do you guys often have topics that tend to plague you? To await your convenience to find that critical ‘escape velocity’ that will launch them into significance? How do you deal with your challenges? And, of those I mentioned tonight, are there any that appeal to you? That I should expedite for Top Comments? :)
On to tonight’s comments! Compiled and formatted by brillig!
Brillig's ObDisclaimer: The decision to publish each nomination lies with the evening's Diarist and/or Comment Formatter. My evenings at the helm, I try reeeeallllyy hard to publish everything
without regard to content. I really do, even when I disagree personally with any given nomination. "TopCommentness" lies in the eyes of the nominator and of you, the reader - I leave the decision to you. I do
not publish self-nominations (ie your own comments) and if I ruled the world, we'd all build community, supporting and uplifting instead of tearing our fellow Kossacks down.
From greenbird:
I liked this comment by here4tehbeer. it should be free, like 'Don't Tread On My Obamacare' stickers.
(brillig notes the comment is out of range by a few hours, but the nominator didn't see it until this morning)
From BeninSC:
Flagged by bearsguy, this comment by commonmass must surely be accurate!
Top Mojo for yesterday, April 13th, first comments and tip jars excluded. Thank you mik for the mojo magic! For those of you interested in How Top Mojo Works, please see his diary FAQing Top Mojo.
1) So Much Worse: Finance Has Ended Economic Growth by Gooserock — 121
2) Finance is a blood sucking parasite by FishOutofWater — 92
3) This story is really made 'better' by WHY by ExpatGirl — 87
4) Such hatred. I am so sorry. by mjbleo — 85
5) i can't begin to say how personally distressed by kj in missouri — 82
6) Classic Obama double-speak by Dallasdoc — 76
7) To fit their narrative Jesus could heal or feed by ontheleftcoast — 76
8) Thanks for giving us our CC fix. Drip, drip.... by peacestpete — 75
9) I've seen stories about the Homeless Jesus statue by zenbassoon — 74
10) Wrapping their guns in the flag. by Bob Johnson — 73
11) IMHO, Krugman's pretty good, but Stiglitz... by bobswern — 73
12) When you scream "Heil Hitler" after killing Jews by AoT — 73
13) On so many fronts by Choco8 — 72
14) saying a prayer for the dead by Denise Oliver Velez — 72
15) Makes you wish you had a transporter... by JeffW — 70
16) Interesting when he stopped by TarheelDem — 70
17) I've decided to build a house by Crashing Vor — 69
18) How would a statue of Jesus healing the sick by allie4fairness — 66
19) What's the problem with making him pay? by Dallasdoc — 66
20) Tomorrow is Erev Pesach (Passover Eve)... by Mets102 — 64
21) Awesome and MOST righteous rant, Vyan! by blue in NC — 62
22) Hey, better late "bias" than no "bias," right? by DeadHead — 61
23) Funny how to them the only legitimate laws ... by niemann — 61
24) Crisis Christie by Dood Abides — 60
25) Pootie with Butterfly by Amber6541 — 60
26) Ummm. I'm reserving final judgement but by ExpatGirl — 60
27) I saw yesterday in the NYT... by Mets102 — 60
28) We need a new expletive. by Eileen B — 59
29) I apologize for making you look like an idiot by The Dead Man — 57
30) We are multiplying every day! by Ekaterin — 57
Top Pictures for yesterday, April 13th. Click any image to be taken to the full comment. Thank you jotter for the image magic!