We have so many insightful and powerful diaries written here at Daily Kos. Our diaries inform, inflame, impassion, and even entertain. We Kossacks have strong voices and an even stronger will to be the change we wish to see in this country.
One of the richest, and perhaps most under-appreciated, areas of thought come in the form of comments attached to these diaries.
Here at Top Comments we strive to recognize and promote the talent of this community by highlighting outstanding comments found throughout the day by the diarist, and through nominations at made at topcomments at gmail dot com by your fellow Kossacks.
These nominations are subjective, and certainly not complete (as no one can read the complete site on a daily basis!). But hopefully they will serve to shine a light where deserved, and to give the reader a good starting point in finding conversation on the site.
Please come in and make yourself at home! Join us beneath the fold...
I. Damn you, Twitter!
Ok, so I had no idea what was all the rage with the kids these days and their Twitters.
I mean really. Another dumb thing?
I'm already annoyed as shit with those goddamn Facebooks. Especially those effing (lil) green patch requests. And the fucking pieces of flair. (Leave me alone, I don't want them!)
So when I heard about the Tweeting Tubes, I thought, "Here we go again." Now I will be forced to read Meghan McCain's pathetic attempts to rehabilitate the Republican party:
Or perhaps I will be required to read Heidi Montag's incessant ravings about how shitty new album, her pechant for filthy food, and her love for teh Jaysus:
Sure enough, the Tweetings were worse than I expected.
Tiny URLs. Pictures that misrepresent the poster's true appearance. Snide, nonsensical tripe. Fragmented sentences. Inside jokes. Self-referential humor. Foul language.
And that is just my feed!:
I know, speechless, aren't you?
I'm sure you can imagine my horror, then, when I discovered the children's Twitters were literally stealing my money and using it to pay a NATIONALLY SYNDICATED COLUMNIST'S book advance:
I blame that socialist criminal Barry Hussein. He's too busy galavanting around Turkey (you know, a Muslin country) to protect Americans from this scourge.
In summary: Get off my lawn! Also, you can follow me here: @taylormattd
II. Tonight's Top Comments
Via NonnyO:
Redpin's excellent comment in DJShay's diary about Michele Bachmann's latest outrageous statements sent me over the edge with hysterical laughter!
Via sardonyx:
In Ms Citizen's diary changing schools: pay for performance?, Gravedugger writes The tests don't work. Some good comments downthread, too.
karenc13 offers an incentive for fixing health care.
kovie has an interesting way of looking at Glenn Beck and Fox News.
Via brillig:
mswaine sees what looks like waffle language in VT Governor Douglas' veto of marriage equality legislation. Various commenters add their $0.02.
HappyTexan's take on the Pew opinion poll numbers gave me a happy.
Via Ms Citizen:
Gravedugger tells us why merit pay for teachers will never work -- because of the fatal flaws in the standardized tests used to measure student performance.
Via BeninSC:
tbounnak likens conservatives to terrorists when it comes to health care.
[echoing Ms. Citizen!] Gravedugger explains how to best gauge educational effectiveness in this thoughtful comment.
Via Eddie C:
So many wonderful comments in my diary Did you see that 60 Minutes segment on Health Care? but later comments need love too.
Some of the late comments worth seeing are noswiftboat's comparisons and explanations of working medicine. CharlieHipHop put Michael Moore in his place. The Positive thought for the day came from bluegrass50 and CitizenOfEarth gave a shoutout to PBS. Betty Pinson tells it like it is. A call to action can be found in Democratic Sen. Baucus is blocking Nat. Health by Tuscany and anyname had some thoughts on Claire McCaskill. There were more thoughts about "rationing" by nipit. A letter to the White House from dkistner may open some eyes. Pacific Blue had logical rage while Onomastic offered gut wrenching poetry.
There are too many great early bird comments to choose from. The best probably was donations going out to Scott Pelley thanks to noweasels. I was also fond of a little music history lesson by Pris from LA.
III. Top Mojo
Top Mojo excluding search-identifiable tip jars, first diary comments, and C&J comments:
1) I could not believe any of it. by Eddie C — 380
2) Screw the R's, release the memos... by Josiah Bartlett — 148
3) Bless you, Eddie C by noweasels — 139
4) Filibuster? That's all they got? by blitz boy — 116
5) You guys did an awesome job! by David Kroning — 109
6) I was so relieved at the end by Lying eyes — 97
7) Scott Pelley is a good American by noweasels — 95
8) It's very expensive to be poor. by Eileen B — 93
9) hey, can you email this by robertacker13 — 92
10) I've stopped worring about corporations by Eddie C — 92
11) Not the phone book ... by Yellow Canary — 91
12) I got news for you by Marcion — 89
13) totally rec'd, Eddie! by Cedwyn — 85
14) Just release the memos by MadScientist — 83
15) That doc is a hero, imho. n/t by Lying eyes — 82
16) I'll try a thoughtful response... by David Kroning — 82
17) The War on Drugs is 100% fascism by xxdr zombiexx — 81
18) the mainstream media is 100% supportive by limpidglass — 77
19) How tired is that "go nuclear" threat? by Dallasdoc — 74
20) That chick crazy. by Melody Townsel — 73
21) It's Fox... by SLKRR — 70
22) Cop killer Paplowski linked to a video of Beck on by Little — 69
23) If you're against the War on Terror... by Corporate Dog — 67
24) And they were shamed into reinstating her policy by bumblebums — 67
25) I had a well meaning born again relative by grannyhelen — 67
26) what kind of country is this? by noweasels — 65
27) Michael Moore said in SiCKO by TrueBlueMajority — 65
28) Game On... by dr fatman — 64
29) wtf? by gooners — 63
30) Amen! by Danjuma — 60
Top Mojo with No Exclusions:
1) Tip Jar by fcvaguy — 611
2) Tips for Accountability and REC THIS UP by calchala — 567
3) Tips by Ellinorianne — 475
4) Stash Jar. by xxdr zombiexx — 414
5) I could not believe any of it. by Eddie C — 380
6) Tip jar by piccup — 306
7) Tip jar for another milestone by WineRev — 303
8) Tips for sanity, please! by DJShay — 276
9) Tips? For trying? by Reaper0Bot0 — 261
10) RIP -- Love to Keith by sc kitty — 176
11) Yeah, that was a real pick-me-upper by Snud — 164
12) Screw the R's, release the memos... by Josiah Bartlett — 148
13) Please get to work...let's be loud!! by Elise — 146
14) tips (n/t) by craigkg — 142
15) Bless you, Eddie C by noweasels — 139
16) Filibuster? That's all they got? by blitz boy — 116
17) You guys did an awesome job! by David Kroning — 109
18) Tip jar by Keith Pickering — 104
19) I was so relieved at the end by Lying eyes — 97
20) It's very expensive to be poor. by Eileen B — 97
21) Scott Pelley is a good American by noweasels — 95
22) I absolutely love LILACS! by navajo — 93
23) I've stopped worring about corporations by Eddie C — 92
24) hey, can you email this by robertacker13 — 92
25) Where's my tip jar? by Land of Enchantment — 92
26) Not the phone book ... by Yellow Canary — 91
27) me too! oh and tip jar n/t by ericlewis0 — 91
28) Tips.nt by Niwind — 90
29) I got news for you by Marcion — 90
30) Tips/Flames by Rimjob — 86