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I know we're all buzzing about Obama's speech, so your humble diarist has decided to keep Top Comments short, sweet, and upbeat...
Some of you may have heard that President Obama gave another speech, yesterday? I know it didn't get much media coverage...
::waits while you all stop laughing and snorting whatever beverage you were drinking. Monitor and keyboard survive?::
We sent Kid Brillig off to school yesterday unsure as to whether or not she'd be hearing The Speech. There was no school Friday, and no notification went out one way or the other over the holiday weekend. We'd heard from friends whose kids were NOT going to be hearing it live; rather, they'd be seeing it at a later date after it had been "screened" for "appropriateness."
"So, did you get to see the President's speech today?" I was ready to be outraged. "Yes, I saw it in English class then we talked about it in Social Studies."
OK, so my school district apparently isn't Teh Suck. Go team. I asked how the discussion went. KB said that her teacher told them some people hadn't wanted the speech shown live because they worried it would be 'bringing politics into the classroom.' She said not a single kid agreed with that statement. Then she said "I raised my hand and said I think if the President wants to tell us to work hard and stay in school, that he should be able to. And everybody agreed."
Freshly minted middle schoolers apparently are smarter than the average Congresscritter from a Red State. I'll also add that apparently no one yelled LIAR at the screen, either. Or wanted any part of spanking, more than likely, although I did NOT confirm that with KB. :-)
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OK, everybody done tweeting the speech and aftermath, and ready to check the TC mailbox with me?
From Jez:
Great response from wiscmass to a troll. (Diarist's note: I don't usually use troll diaries OR replies to trolls in TC, but yeah, this response bears seeing by a wider audience. Because not everyone can see the comment as it's in a hidden thread, let me quote said troll: "wow..maybe i should have looked up to you...and id be on welfare right now... nice example to teach people." Now here's the reply in its entirety:
well considering I came from a lower class background to earn a PhD and make a living well into six figures, if you were anything like me you might actually be able to fall back on merit rather than privilege.
Of course, I'd be making about twice what I make now if I didn't voluntarily slash my own salary so my employees could keep their jobs. But you know, doing that made sure that there were a whole lot fewer families in need of government assistance over the past 12 months, and I still have more than I need for myself and my family.
That's the difference between you and me -- well, one difference; we'll forget your inability to spell or grasp basic facts for the moment. See, I know that making sure others are taken care of is good for me in the long run, even if I have to make some short-term sacrifices. You, on the other hand, have the real entitlement syndrome. Your attitude is that you already got yours and everyone else can go to hell. And you don't care that you didn't really get yours based on merit, because let's face it -- you have about as much merit as a pet rock.
So yeah, mine is a great example to teach people. I actually care about people; you only care about yourself, and that's not responsible at all.
From Heiuan:
cdreid gives new meaning to the letters USA.
From voracious:
john07801 on football.
From sardonyx:
In sara seattle's diary from last night, Tom Harkin - H.E.L.P. is on the way, fromdabak starts a thread that goes through ferg's comment to kafkananda's minimum for happiness.
In response to Jed Lewison's front-page story Baucus plan: No public option, $3,800 fine for uninsured, muledriver summarizes the plan in five loaded words.
Replying to Electablog's diary Understanding returning veterans who cry "NOBODY UNDERSTANDS!", Riddlebaugh has a long, personal comment on veterans and war.
Vera Lofaro on how Republicans have gone too far, and it's going to hurt them in the long run.
In one of the best one-liners of the day, Crashing Vor replies to the subject of jimstaro's diary Inside the Mind of Mark Foley.
From your humble diarist, me:
RoIn wants to know if Rep. Joe Wilson LiarBoy (R-SC) can be reprimanded. psnyder has a suggestion, but the thread that followed explained why it's a Bad Idea.
Top Mojo time!! cskendrick/sardonyx provided the magic formulas and spreadsheets, I just ran em :-).
Top 30 Comments excluding tip jars, first comments and stuff:
1) At a minimum, he's going to have to change by not a cent — 393
2) Vets are used to socialized medicine by Dallasdoc — 217
3) Thanks everyone! by Renie — 208
4) Holy shit. by cany — 193
5) i'm so proud of YOU! and so glad that you by Patriot Daily News Clearinghouse — 163
6) Healthcare Expats by PsychicToaster — 159
7) LOL by Walt starr — 140
8) I'm Willing to KICK ASS for this, slink by MinistryOfTruth — 139
9) Excellent Diary. You Made a Lot of Good Points. by Greg in TN — 138
10) Sadly, I love this diary. by nyacker — 136
11) Your understanding means a great deal. by Onomastic — 117
12) Send this story to the White House. by Mike S — 112
13) I think Obama should replace Van Jones with by Eileen B — 110
14) "family values" is a euphemism by hannah — 109
15) I'm just surprised the quote wasn't by blackjackal — 101
16) lol - I actually get her, though... by grannyhelen — 101
17) Saxby Chambliss needs to be shown the damn by Muzikal203 — 99
18) she should know we have tried on many issues for by ca democrat — 97
19) But by radarlady — 95
20) So much for GOP "Family Values" by mamabigdog — 94
21) It was devestating. by Onomastic — 88
22) Here you go by Ash Tree — 87
23) Here's the vid: by djtyg — 87
24) We sure are going to kick ass by nyceve — 86
25) Couldn't by not a cent — 86
26) I don't think so, for a few reasons: by not a cent — 85
27) I'm in the same boat. by Joe Bacon — 82
28) My 95-year old mother, by SueDe — 82
29) Fuck you Max!! by psycho liberal — 80
30) And here are my stats by Delaware Dem — 79
Top 30 Comments with no exclusions, aka the Tip Jar list :-):
1) Tip Jar by Renie — 693
2) Tip Jar by not a cent — 690
3) tips/recs by WinSmith — 680
4) Tip Jar by Onomastic — 628
5) Tips go here by Muzikal203 — 442
6) At a minimum, he's going to have to change by not a cent — 393
7) Tip Jar by icebergslim — 373
8) Tip Jar by The Truth Will Out — 310
9) "He's Got This" ...HARMS...the actual reality by buhdydharma — 310
10) Tip Jar by slinkerwink — 301
11) Tip Jar by dday — 294
12) Tip Jar by eileen — 280
13) Tip Jar by litigatormom — 266
14) Tip Jar by Delaware Dem — 218
15) Vets are used to socialized medicine by Dallasdoc — 217
16) Thanks everyone! by Renie — 208
17) Holy shit. by cany — 193
18) Jean Schmidt is a fucking nut-case. by darthstar — 180
19) i'm so proud of YOU! and so glad that you by Patriot Daily News Clearinghouse — 163
20) Healthcare Expats by PsychicToaster — 159
21) Tips for the few, the proud, the reality based by MinistryOfTruth — 157
22) LOL by Walt starr — 140
23) I'm Willing to KICK ASS for this, slink by MinistryOfTruth — 139
24) Excellent Diary. You Made a Lot of Good Points. by Greg in TN — 138
25) Tip Jar by Walt starr — 137
26) Sadly, I love this diary. by nyacker — 136
27) Tips for John MacMurray by Seneca Doane — 124
28) Surprisingly for Max Baucus, by Anima — 118
29) Your understanding means a great deal. by Onomastic — 117
30) Tip Jar by Captain Future — 113