[From the Frog Pond]

I've noticed this new common acronym that keeps getting repeated on Hillblogs: WWTSBJQ.  Presumably, this stands for 'Why Won't the Stupid B*tch Just Quit'.  Today, it's in use to suggest that John Edwards is part of a network of 'boiz' that are conspiring to push Clinton out of the race before all the people get to vote.  I guess I'm part of that network, and so is Markos and John Aravosis, and a bunch of other male pro-Obama bloggers.  

**Sigh**  Yesterday, Larry Kissell, a candidate we all admire (running as a Dem. in NC-8), posted a diary asking Kossacks to follow a link to the Progressive Patriot's Fund, headed by Russ Feingold.   Kissell asked us to vote for him in a competition among progressive candidates there; the Prog. Pats Fund would give the candidate with the most votes $5,000.

I had the temerity -- the nerve --to compliment the diary, and make a suggestion.  Now, I'm an Asshat.  And all because I said...

Your regularly-scheduled weekly forum to ask questions about how this place works.

That's a question I've asked myself lately. Looking at my notes for a diary I posted about Kossacks some 10 months ago, I see quite a few names missing.

Some have gone because they are tending their own blogs, others are gone via GBCW pieces for a number of reasons, some have fallen by the wayside, unable to get a steady readership, and quite a few have taken umbrage at the often biased candidate diaries: well, guess what? This is a political site, people will have heated debates ad nauseum and you know what they say about kitchen heat if you are fainthearted! I hope most of these posters will show up again once the candidate wars are over (are they...are we there yet?)

Today the Pro-Choice Group Naral, endorsed Senator Barack Obama.  This should be a good thing, this should help us women move forward looking towards the General Election, but I am saddened by my fellow women and their attacks towards Naral.  I would like to encourage my fellow female Obama supporters to thank Naral for their courageous choice and let them know they did not commit the ultimate betrayal as some have said.

From a press release this morning (also on their website):

As part of the Democratic National Convention Committee's (DNCC) commitment to engaging a broad spectrum of audiences in the 2008 Democratic National Convention experience using new technology and other creative means, Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chairman Howard Dean today announced the blogs selected to participate in the DemConvention State Blogger Corps during the four-day event in August. Governor Dean notified the blogs selected via an online video message available at www.DemConvention.com

Before the fold, I'm happy to announce that the blog from the Squarer State blogging in the Square State is SquareState.net.  Nyah, nyah to Wyoming.  Their western border is on an angle.  :-)

I will update with the video announcement from Howard Dean shortly.  

Sure it's a primary and not a general election, but in a year where the Republican brand has a lower approval rating than herpes it's something to consider:

Barack Obama with just 26 percent of the Democratic votes 91,663.
John McCain with just 76 percent of all Republican votes 89,654.

More good news to consider.

Anne Barth is going to face Shelley Moore Capito.

Welcome to psionotic (uid 163405) who registered at 2008-05-14 02:16:14 EDT, the most recent of 121 in the preceding 24 hours.

Yesterday 411 Kogs posted 411 diaries of which 393 were recommended at least once by a cadre of 4239 recommending readers and viewed by 11997; 213 diaries were recommended by 10 or more readers, 81 by 30 or more, and 20 by 100 or more.  Commenters (3919) visited 407 diaries; 272 had 10 or more commenters, 94 had 30 or more, and 17 had 100 or more.

Impact statistics from all 411 diaries.
min = 0.00, median = 0.161, average = 0.43, max = 14.04, total =  175.4 bharns
r50 = 17 (at 2.08 bharns)

Recommendations and comments were collected Wed May 14 06:10:22 2008 EDT; diaries posted less than 24 hours before that remained open for recommendation at that time.  

Links to on site search for yesterday, a year ago, and the last 6 hours are also included.

As a staunch Obama supporter who just gave the last two months of my life to the campaign, I say: QUIT IT, ya'll!  Quit it with the classist comments about West Virginia.  It's one thing to talk about the relative virulence of white supremacism in West Virginia; it's another to start talking about in-breeding and slack jaws.  I am quite confident that we all know where the line is.  So hows about we all start respecting it.  Right about NOW.  

Ok. Now that my Public Service Announcement is done, I'd like to share some pictures from the great state of West Virginia.  

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Welcome to ObamacratFor1America (uid 163284) who registered at 2008-05-13 06:01:00 EDT, the most recent of 103 in the preceding 24 hours.

Yesterday 367 Kogs posted 368 diaries of which 355 were recommended at least once by a cadre of 4195 recommending readers and viewed by 11433; 195 diaries were recommended by 10 or more readers, 76 by 30 or more, and 21 by 100 or more.  Commenters (3668) visited 364 diaries; 247 had 10 or more commenters, 98 had 30 or more, and 12 had 100 or more.

Impact statistics from all 368 diaries.
min = 0.01, median = 0.173, average = 0.45, max = 12.70, total =  164.7 bharns
r50 = 18 (at 1.89 bharns)

Recommendations and comments were collected Tue May 13 06:10:26 2008 EDT; diaries posted less than 24 hours before that remained open for recommendation at that time.  

Links to on site search for yesterday, a year ago, and the last 6 hours are also included.

Once again this dude from michigan wants to appear like an expert but can only come up with biased silliness. Only problem is, it is more destructive for common dialog and understanding that even Obama the man would advocate for. But that is the way it is in this country. Appalachia has a stigma- one that grows in the multicultural America because of fools like him. We are an exploited people, embattled. In WV we have an embattled candidate meeting our embattled culture and people. It is a match made in heaven. Hey it is almost heaven in WV!

Admit it: you miss meta.

Well, some of you don't -- those of you who have been around only in the past six months or so may not even remember the days here when meta occasionally reigned supreme.  I remember times when we would have eight meta-diaries at one time on the Rec List: one of them about how there ought to be more than eight slots available on the Rec List, and another twisting that diary's title into some sort of lampoon.

Those were the days.

Of course, these are the days too.  DKos is now, slowly, shifting from its role as Thunderdome, during the primary season, to Unleasher of Hell on Wheels during the general election.  You're going to learn about candidates and races you never imagined.  You're going to learn and pass on information that puts you ahead of most political journalists.  We're gonna party like it's October 2006.

But the site is soon going to change once again, with primaries winding down, and -- well, if it doesn't tempt fate, I think we need a dose of meta.

No matter how certain diarists try to couch it, they are bigoted towards a minority of people in this country.

Like the notorious Bell Curve authors, they extrapolate false assumptions from data to perpetuate negative stereotypes against this minority and take the worst anecdotes to use as an example of the whole.

The decision by some to mock, deride or write off an entire class of people is not just bigotry at its worst. It is stupid politically.

I don't mean listening to music.  I mean buying it.  Which I currently do on iTunes.  So kinda sorry, this diary is not about music's many pleasures.  This diary is also not about apple.

I want to talk about how those below thirty (above it too) are more comfortable with the idea that abstract ideas can become concrete.  I want to talk about why hope is seen as a practical plan.

Today I'm graduating from NYU with my second BA on my way to law school back in California next year.

You're an idiot if you hold Hillary Clinton responsible for the actions of her more insufferable supporters.

You're an idiot if you still claim you'd not vote for Hillary Clinton in the general. And you're bad for America if you actually wouldn't.

You're an idiot if you're still recommending anti-Clinton diaries. You're doubly an idiot if you're still writing them.

You're an idiot if you're reinforcing right-wing talking points about Clinton.

And if you're an Obama supporter and you're doing any of that, you're one of his more insufferable supporters. You're backing a guy who's all about hope and unity and moving forward together, and you're undermining his message and his purpose every time you hit 'post'. Good job.

Welcome to edeee15 (uid 163181) who registered at 2008-05-12 05:00:01 EDT, the most recent of 77 in the preceding 24 hours.

Yesterday 275 Kogs posted 276 diaries of which 265 were recommended at least once by a cadre of 2932 recommending readers and viewed by 10009; 134 diaries were recommended by 10 or more readers, 45 by 30 or more, and 18 by 100 or more.  Commenters (2772) visited 275 diaries; 187 had 10 or more commenters, 75 had 30 or more, and 13 had 100 or more.

Impact statistics from all 276 diaries.
min = 0.01, median = 0.157, average = 0.41, max = 8.37, total =  113.6 bharns
r50 = 15 (at 1.78 bharns)

Recommendations and comments were collected Mon May 12 06:10:20 2008 EDT; diaries posted less than 24 hours before that remained open for recommendation at that time.  

Links to on site search for yesterday, a year ago, and the last 6 hours are also included.

This is designed as a late night meta musing. I have been here at Daily Kos for just over three months now and have written tens of Diaries at this point. Certainly, I am no Kid Oakland or Jeff Lieber nor do I come close to the writing talent or skill of teacherken. Still, I have been rescued a couple of times and made the rec list once (for my happy birthday to Rachel Maddow, yea I know) and I have been generally happy with the response to my humble efforts. Once I was even linked to by a random person out on the web and that was really cool. I know that many here do not actually choose to write diaries or write only occasionally for lack of time or maybe out of reticence regarding criticism. I still have that feeling of anxiety before publishing, this time is no exception. Despite that feeling, my confidence has grown and I have come to find my own definition of a successful diary.