Top Comments 1.14.08: Ain’t That America

When I was young, I had parents who liked to take day trips and consequently I saw a lot of Pennsylvania from the back seat. I remember homes sided with green serpentine stone and the boxy solidity of Sears homes, American Foursquares and elms lining the streets. We often traveled to Lancaster County, where I watched mule teams pulling plows over Amish fields. I still remember eating the most amazing chicken soup (during a statewide avian flu outbreak), and recall the good Mennonite ladies that served it. Oh, and the peanut butter pudding from Shady Maple! The fields and skies in winter, the colors of an Andrew Wyeth painting, and the hawks atop bare trees. And the horse auction somewhere in the country, where I was told not to stare at the Amish in attendance.

I thought about all these things last week while I was at the 92nd Pennsylvania Farm Show (where an Amish man pushing a stroller took a good long look at me, carrying Baby Monkeybiz in her sling). Come on in and take a peek at a little bit of America.

The farm show is enormous – great hangar-like buildings of pens filled with cows, goats, sheep, pigs, llamas, chickens – displays of fruits and vegetables, gingerbread houses, quilts, canned goods – booths from state agencies and small businesses. If you’re hankering for elk jerky or Hammond’s pretzels, this is the place to find it. I went looking for a little slice of small-town America.

Here’s what I found. (Go on, click... I'll wait.)

Yes, the cow, kids and bus are sculpted from butter. That sign from the rabbit display? "RABBIT MEAT -- FREE SAMPLES." (I have eaten rabbit, but I took this picture while waiting in line with Little Monkeybiz to pet the bunnies. Someone has a sick sense of humor.) The goofy-looking chicken with a CFL bulb and the bottle-eating goat were part of a display about energy awareness; I loved the suggestion of the Statue of Liberty. Too bad that my Percheron pics didn't turn out. The big boy I photographed didn't like the flash, and kicked the stall with a sound like a thunderclap to make his point. Maybe my post-pregnancy hormones haven't settled down yet, but there was something about the juxtaposition of the quilt, the restored John Deere tractor and the carousel that just moved me. So simple, and yet requiring so much skill. And so American.

At the end of the day – whether you’re for Obama, Clinton, Edwards or someone else – we are kossacks and Americans. Don’t lose sight of that. (With apologies to our overseas friends, who must be overwhelmed, as I am, by the candidate diaries.)

And now...

From nonnie9999:

In New Deal democrat's diary, Steven R explains the difference between a recession and a depression.

From lineatus:

In yet another candidate war induced GBCW diary, Ex Con says it best.

Loved Moody Loner's subliminal message to KO.

From astrea:

I thought this comment by Nemo Yocto was great. The comment was in smintheus' post,  "Escalation in the Persian Gulf."

From dadanation:

While the content of the diary has been deleted due to copyright violations, nevertheless, a hilarious thread carried on by otto, SeattleLiberal, KenBee, musing85 and MBNYC culminates with MBNYC repenting his ways and vowing to not ever post a specific comment again.

From madgranny:

Anna gives some excellent information for those of us who can't click on those huge-comment diaries without killing our machine, from the diary "If You Fear the Keith Olbermann thread, click here." Or try this from Fabian in the same diary.

Moody Loner sends a coded tip to KO and Geekesque has a wonderful suggestion for Keith in his diary "I Hate to Interrupt, But...." Ed. Note: Check the rec list for this one; it has so many comments, I can’t get it to load!

Top mojo is brought to you tonight by BeninSC.

Need to be smooth?

Impress the gang?

Ben’s top mojo’s

Just the thang.

BURMA-SHAVE.

Top Mojo - excluding search-identifiable tip jars and first diary comments (top 30 of each plus ties):

1 It occurs to me... by Keith Olbermann - 708
2 Just another Jesse Jackson. by Bob Johnson - 222
3 Run! Run, you poor bastard, RUN!! by Moody Loner - 183
4 Welcome to the candidate madhouse by FishOutofWater - 171
5 Again, what is the logic to blocking fellow by Bob Johnson - 115
6 It bears repeating, and forgive me by Lisa Lockwood - 105
7 Can you please also post this on the JRE08 blog? by grannyhelen - 93
8 The party needs to unite against Hillary now by RandySF - 92
9 Bwahahahaha by Rolfyboy6 - 88
10 The time to air that complaint was a year ago by DemocraticLuntz - 87
11 They were an embarrassment, as noted in my diary. by Bob Johnson - 84
12 Welcome! by Aethern - 83
13 WOWIE!!! by condoleaser - 82
14 Just received an email from the person . . . by nyceve - 81
15 If he didn't include Edwards it would look like by greenboy - 80
16 Do you ever call Matthews, Tweety ??? by Al Rodgers - 75
17 Morning Photos by Eddie C - 75
18 Uh-huh. by Bob Johnson - 74
19 Whatever it takes to win... by haruki - 73
20 Don't worry.  You're probably the least by Joelarama - 71
21 It's Not About Special Workers by bink - 70
22 This race has just begun! by NCDem Amy - 70
23 If you don't have a preference ... by Meteor Blades - 69
24 Also, they can call by emeraldmaiden - 69
25 Here's What by DHinMI - 68
26 That Bob Johnson is a Bush supporter. by Bob Johnson - 67
27 It is as ugly here as I've seen it by Manny - 66
28 It's despicable, frankly. by Bob Johnson - 65
29 What you do here is by o the umanity - 65
30 Latest poll in NV by pioneer111 - 63
31 Likely Story Olbermann by TooFolkGR - 62
32 Thanks for the special comments, Keith. by AmericanFactotum - 62
33 Funeral for a Friend. by Eddie C - 62
34 God originally posted under another name by sayitaintso - 62
35 Feel free to post it yourself... by KingOneEye - 62
36 End of the Interview was a telling moment by Steven R - 62

Top Mojo - everything included:

1 Tip Jar by Keith Olbermann - 1157
2 It occurs to me... by Keith Olbermann - 708
3 Is it refreshing to learn some history by New Deal democrat - 308
4 Yeah, but... Yeah, but... Yeah, but... by Bob Johnson - 293
5 Tip jar... by grannyhelen - 279
6 Don't believe these people. by Geekesque - 270
7 It's a two-fer... by KingOneEye - 254
8 Here's my tip jar w/ a big thanks to . . . by nyceve - 251
9 tips and comments by davefromqueens - 242
10 can we? by ScanDroid - 231
11 Just another Jesse Jackson. by Bob Johnson - 222
12 Tips for a fighting by TomP - 214
13 "Mama told me there'd be days like this." by JeffLieber - 202
14 Run! Run, you poor bastard, RUN!! by Moody Loner - 183
15 this is one person's perspective by teacherken - 181
16 Tips by beachmom - 171
17 Welcome to the candidate madhouse by FishOutofWater - 171
18 I know this is long by kid oakland - 163
19 To moving forward.... by icebergslim - 130
20 Good news. by TomP - 116
21 Again, what is the logic to blocking fellow by Bob Johnson - 115
22 tips!! by RDemocrat - 111
23 It bears repeating, and forgive me by Lisa Lockwood - 105
24 Oh no by Downtowner - 102
25 Yeah by RandySF - 95
26 Why hasn't Obama denied beating his wife? n/t. by MichiganGirl - 95
27 Can you please also post this on the JRE08 blog? by grannyhelen - 93
28 Crunch the numbers & spread the word by Red Wind - 92
29 The party needs to unite against Hillary now by RandySF - 92
30 Bwahahahaha by Rolfyboy6 - 88

And remember...

If you spot a comment that’s worth wider readership, send it to topcomments [@ -- you know what to do] gmail.com by 9:30 p.m. Eastern. Let us know your user name, give a link to the comment, and let us know the title and author of the diary in which it appears.

It’s a small site. Let’s be good to each other, folks.