Of Trolls (and Charlotte's Web)

(1) with Trapper John and DemFromCT and MB and the rest signing off, it feels a little like we're living through the closing scene in Charlotte's Web. "Goodbye Wilbur...goodbye!" And I dunno, I just wanted to share that thought.

(2) on a more pressing note: does anyone have any idea how to get folks to seriously pull back a bit on the Troll Alert pedal? It's starting to creep me the fuck out. It's like, anybody who says anything that's not party line is now an instant troll.

More often than not, when I go back and look at the supposed troll's previous comments and diaries, they sound like hardcore Kerry supporters just like the rest of us.

To me, casually calling a non-troll a troll is (and apologies for the name-calling -- this is just how it feels) borderline McCarthy-esque. And it's beneath us. And it will profoundly damage this community. And we can't afford that.

I know all our nerves are frayed. But an honest, open dialog is critical to staying smart. And we gotta stay smart. So I'm askin': if you're reading this, and you're one of the Troll Alert folks, can you consider just, you know, dialing it back a wee bit?

Thanks
-Cecil