At The Intercept, like so so many sites, the comments section has become a swamp, a battleground, a sounding board for maniacs. IOW "pretty much useless."
This site (or the one we end up at), which will be moderated, is an attempt to correct this situation. A place where almost anything goes.
Let it begin.
UPDATE
Mona now has admin privileges.
UDATE II: This is a temporary site. We are likely moving to something BETTER111
!!1! But the organizing starts here. And anyone else who wants admin privileges, ask Bill.
UPDATE III Doug S is now an admin
Hey there. Just checking in to see if this is all there is to posting a comment here. If so, cool.
ReplyDeleteThat's all there is to it!
DeleteTis is actually supertior to the shitty comment system at Intercept. And neither has a toolbar for formatting, so we've lost nothing being here.
Delete* Click on "Notify me" to be notified of new comments.
ReplyDeleteTest, test, one two three. Check check check. "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog, hey!"
ReplyDeleteHellooo, hellloooooo? Is this thing on?
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteHey who gave me the screen handle "outta work and pissed off politically"? I mean I'm pissed off politically but technically I'm not outta work. I'm semi-retired and work when I choose. And I choose to work when my supply of good bourbon and ammo starts to run low.
ReplyDeleteIn any event how do I change my screen name using that drop down thingy? I'd like to change it to Ronnie Ray Rabble Rouser and All Around Misanthrope for commenting purposes here at the offsite Intercept meet up space.
Helloooooooo?
You can change that handle in your blogger profile.
DeleteThis is better than email at least!!
OKey dokey, will this post?
ReplyDeleteFolks, I can't get into it right now because it would be emotionally exhausting. But this mess I've had with Glenn involves nuf said to some degree. I am asking that no one invite him, at least not yet, to this party. At the moment I cannot comfortably work with him, at all.
ReplyDeleteFine with me, I have no relationship with that entity.
DeleteI don't want nuf said here at all, sorry. He/she defeats the whole point of being here.
ReplyDeleteUm, which one of us are you?
DeleteThat's our Mr. rrheard. :-)
DeleteTest test, check check 123 . . .
DeleteOk, great, our Mr. rrHeard.:)
DeleteOK, I'm here. I don't have a Blogspot account, so we'll see how this posts.
ReplyDeleteI agree about nuf. His/her only involvement should be to post to the new site, as long as s/he behaves.
~Doug
Good. Then so far we are all ok with that. Phew.
ReplyDeleteWhen we're ready, I have every reason to believe Glenn would not object to openly recruiting at the Intercept. Indeed, part of my issue wiht him is how he's let down his long-time users where the commenting software and modding are concerned, and his postion was: "But you had said some months ago there was talk of starting a separate forum. I think that's GREAT! Do it."
But I feel we need, as we did at Bill Schee's blog, a registration process. People can be anon, but they have to be ban-able as well. And, that would eliminate drive-by trolling.
Since it's not practicable to monitor IP addresses (too variable for most people these days), the only way to make participants ban-able ;^) is to require them to register with a verifiable email address.
DeleteFor those (probably most) who use their own addresses or even throwaways that aren't skilfully masked, that means that at least the techie-type admins would usually be able to identify them, but unless we think they're about to commit a crime of mass destruction, life's too short to bother.
Also, advanced forum software provides a fairly wide range of moderation tools which would help to keep the crap to a minimum. Also, personally, I don't find it too authoritarian to occasionally edit a post to remove unacceptably offensive content while allowing meaningful points to be made.
Could we have some feedback about the preferred format for a forum, please.
ReplyDeleteThis, obviously, is the blog-style comments format, with everything in an undifferentiated stream.
I'd appreciate it if others would take a look at the example of the traditional forum format I sent around and offer comments/critiques.
~Doug
Doug, I really liked the site Bill Schee had set up, Peksinksa referenced it furhter in the group email. She says that was phpBB, and we all pretty much cottoned to it. It was more like a forum for separate threads in 3-4 broad categories. Private messaging was possible.
ReplyDeleteWho you calling "Peksinksa"? ;-}
DeleteBill set up the broadest of categories then folks could start their own threads - or even posts - under those. If we thought he needed to add another biggie we told him and he added it.
Well, fuck me, I almost deleted you. Anyway, I can't type for shit and finally went into my settings to see why my spellcheck was shut off. It's back on. All day uye poribly thut i wus drumk
DeleteIMPORTANT: No one should extend public invitations yet using THIS site's url. B/c it seems anyone can join. There's no registration and APPROVAL. WE had to approve members at Bill's site, and at least at the outset, I think that's a good diea.
ReplyDeleteWe can do that here too, but I did not set it up yet.
DeleteAnybody home?
ReplyDeleteHow about Joe (Carlisa/Kalizara is his wife, @024601)?
ReplyDeleteI can either email him or dm him on twitter.
GMTA -- I DMed Joe abt 20 minutes ago and emailed TallyHo to tell her she can sign in here.
DeleteDon't forget to invite PI (Presumptuous Insect)!
DeletePI is in the group emails. I think she should have gotten the url when Bill sent it. If not, several of us often chat with her on Twitter most nites. I can make sure she's apprised.
DeleteMy replies aren't posting.
ReplyDeleteI'll try a different browser.
~Doug
OK, this is what's happening for me: I don't have a Blogger profile and I don't have a "complete" Google+ profile. As a result, for some reason, I am able to post new comments but not replies (go figure).
ReplyDeleteFor politico-philosophical reasons, I just don't "do" corporate social media, so I often run into these barriers.
So, I'll be happy to chime in as much as I can, and I'll be willing to set up a domain/site/forum, with whomever may want to work with me, but my communication in this "forum" will be somewhat crippled.
At this point, I think we should be limiting participation to people we see as prospective administrators, moderators and evangelists. The best decisions are consensus decisions and those are more readily achieved with smaller groups.
~Doug
I don't have Google + profile either. Testing to see if this reply will post.
DeleteOK, cleared the caches, closed and reopened both browsers, turned off all javascript security. . .
DeleteREPLY
Rena is having trouble getting in here to comment. Can someone reach out to her via the group email to help her troubleshoot?
ReplyDeleteNo way I can help with something like that. Bill? Doug?
DeletePHBB looks good. I'm not familiar with it all though. I would really like to be able to post images, vids. I assume that's doable?
ReplyDeleteI don't recall if that was doable there. Didn't do it myself.
DeleteHow do I get an image associated with my handle? I addd it to my google profile...do I need to shut down and reopen the borwser to get it to take?
Yes, images are easy. Videos depend upon setup and sufficient storage (video files are BIG), but I'll make sure we can do it.
Delete2nd try...
ReplyDelete- TallyHoGazehound
Hello!!
DeleteWell, that's kind of interesting. I'm signed into a Gmail account which is all Blogger used to require... In any event, I can simply sign as TGH in the future.
DeleteHello!
-TGH
Hello TGH!
DeleteI had to make some adjustments to my google account. Still am not seeing my poodie pic. :-s
DeleteGood to see you here!
Bill, I'm pretty sure we posted gifs, but I don't recall any vids. But that could be only that no one wanted to. Doug would be the one to ask about all this.
DeleteI was totally DUH STUPID about how to do all of this, but can edit profiles, I think??
DeleteI felt it!
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2QNuDUTocE
OK, guys. I can now, at least sometimes, post replies by clicking the submit button TWICE. ;^)
ReplyDeleteI'd like to get this moved to a more capable system pretty soon, if all are in agreement.
Pedinska IV-V-VI: The proposed forum software allows for avatars and it's easy to implement. I don't know how it works with Google+, cuz, as I said, I'm so stubbornly anti-corporate that I only use Google for a GMail trash account.
I liked what we had at Bill Schee's and if that was PHBB, that means I like PHBB. (I am a reasoning genius, no?) So sounds good to me, Doug.
DeleteI want to be sure one has to REGISTER. Allow anonymity, but have to click on a real email to get in.
Yes. Gotta register with a real, verifiable email, but you can pick any screen name you want (we might ban "monasapedophilecannibal" pretty quickly, however).
DeleteLOL That sicko for those not ion the know is a Trumper who began calling me a "lesbian pedophile cannibal," and he had Maisie for an adulteress. And lots skripshur-spewing. Oh, and I worship Satan with Anton LeVay.
DeleteThat's the quality there, now.
"Oh, and I worship Satan with Anton LeVay."
DeleteWouldn't that make you a *dead* lesbian pedophile cannibal?
Doug, I'm a lesbian except for my necrophilia with Anton's corpse. Which I also munch on.
DeleteEeuuwww. If you and Pedinska and Maisie ever coauthor anything, I'll be too fragile to read it.
DeleteNow, we need a name. Has anyone contacted the young genius, Maisie?
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, let's brainstorm. theintrospect.org?
Joe, like Rena, can't post. He asked if anyone can fix it so one can log in with Twitter? Bill? And Bill, Doug's a techie please give him admin privileges so we aren't always hollering for YOOOOO.
ReplyDeleteI just invited Doug, once he accepts I can make him an admin. Joe needs to read this: http://mishkatestrun.blogspot.ca/2012/02/faq-do-i-have-to-use-gmail.html
ReplyDeleteOK, Bill, I accepted the invitation, although Google used an old, defunct, account I haven't used in a looong time, rather than the one you sent the message to. Sheesh.
DeleteHave you had a chance to look at the phpBB links I sent in the group email? I'll post them again, here.
phpBB Home: https://www.phpbb.com/
ReplyDeleteExample implementation, Ars Technica: http://arstechnica.com/civis/
Thanks Bill. Link sent to Joe.
ReplyDeleteBill or Doug, can one of you figure out how to make this post a sticky so it always shows first? I tried, after cluttering the place up with two more posts, but couldn't figure it out. This one should be on top.
ReplyDeleteOtherwise I'll delete my posts that sit above this one.
Do you mean Bill's post linking to the "How do I sign on without GMail" explanation? Or?
DeleteThe one titled "Intercept Comments. It should stay on top and my "Genius annotated...." and one about Bob Mackey's column should be below this discussion.
DeleteI gotta stop doing those new posts. Or just put them here in comments. Or we have to start a new thread about the organizing purpose for which we are here. I don't want to displace that as the main conversation.
Done -- by changing the "posted" date to one in the future, a cheap workaround. There's another klutzy workaround, but I hope we'll be out of here soon, so. . .
Delete~Doug
Ain't u da genius. And me, I think I got my google name change done.
DeleteJust when I was beginning to really like Hypatia.
DeleteBill, just FYI. It's fine for here because we aren't gonna stick around that long. But the graphic with The Intercept name, using their special font (I think it was designed just for them), is sketchy in terms of copyright issues. We shouldn't do that at the actual place we end up at, certainly not without permission, in writing.
ReplyDeleteNames, people! Think of names! The lack of a really cool, relevant, catchy, quirky name (that won't upset Pierre's lawyers) is the only think keeping my itchy fingers from getting started on more sustainable solution (well, that and Bill's blessing).
ReplyDeletetheinteractive.org?
Where's the smart kid?
theinterceder.org?
DeleteMy suggestion: Alt-Intercept
DeleteOr Abandoned Territory. That might be better, less encroachment potential on TI.
DeleteFor those who weren't reading Glenn when he first started, that's a play on the name of his first blog Unclaimed Territory.
It would be nice to have that humorous aspect be a part of the name choice.
DeleteAbandoned Territory is my favorite, by far, so far!
DeleteI think Glenn would approve. ;^)
~Doug
I like Abandoned Territory, because it's a dig. It's not mean, but it's pointed and says why this was necessary. Both to those who would get it's reference, and to those who would not.
DeleteMore thinking, and I REALLY like Abandoned Territory. With a subtitle along the lines of "For discussion of articles at The Intercept."
DeleteThat does not at all mean we have to limit ourselves to that purpose, but it is primary and should be made clear in site intro/name, imo. And remember, Glen has no problem with this project. He just explicitly told me he thinks it is a "great idea."(Which pisses me off on certain levels, but enough of that for now.)
Intercept/Intercepted
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteI was too techie-jargony in the deleted reply. Shorter: can't use "/" in domain names.
DeleteI like Abandoned Territory. Honestly, commenting has been a pain in the ass since Glenn left Salon. Does anyone know if Joe got things figured out? I can DM him with my vast expertise ;-)
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone *not* like Abandoned Territory?
ReplyDeleteWho hasn't checked in, yet, other than Joe? Did someone contact Maisie?
Last nite I DMed Joe with the url Bill said he should read to get in here. I also told Pedinska yesterday that if she has email contact with Maisie, to go ahead. Or, she could solicit her at Intercept, except we don't want this url publicly given out so they'd have to figure out how to get in private contact.
DeleteThat's where it ended with Maisie as far as I know.
Well, if it helps, my dougsalzmann@gmail.com address is always publishable.
DeleteIt's not as if the brownshirts don't know where to find me, anyway. ;^)
I don't know how to reach out to Maisie and don't want to publish any of my email addies in that swamp. :-s
DeleteIf Doug is willing to put his out there, that might be best bet. If she doesn't reach out, then others of us can encourage her a bit.
There ya go Doug. Feel free to approach Maisie at Intercept and tell her your email addy with enough of a hint why we want her. Altho it occurs to me it might be past the time of basic organization and too much needs to be settled pretty much right now, especially given Doug's time issues vis-a-vis getting the real and permanent site set up in bare bones.
DeleteI am only now getting caffeinated. But I have proposals for the Section headers under category: The Intercept:
ReplyDelete1. Glenn Greenwald Articles.
2. Israel-Palestine
3. Trump
4. Democrats
5. Natsec encroachments
6. American Muslims
7. Black Live Matter & related matters
8. Civil liberties under attack
9. Foreign Policy
I'm not married to the order except I'd argue GG should be first. Muslims and blacks can expect some targeted hell, and lots of writing about it, so I gave them their own sections. For now, it's not clear how much women and gays, Hispanics & etc will have to worry about, or what other civil liberties horrors the new Reich has in mind. So I thought just a broad civil liberties category.
Now to get that second cup of caffeine.
Mona,
DeleteJust my $0.02 on your list--I think the category of "Greenwald Articles" subsumes "Natsec encroachments"; "Civil Liberties Under Attack"; "Foreign Policy"; "Media Critiques" and maybe even "Israel-Palestine". Generally speaking.
So, if you feel it necessary to create subcategories out of "civil liberties under attack" I supposed the obvious ones are in whatever label you'd think is appropriate for: "race", "gender", "sexual orientation/identity", "religion" (muslims and BLM subsumed therein).
I think "Trump Administration" is interesting and fine.
For me personally if this offsite get together is going to be something of value other than just a space to rage/vent absent troll interference or crapflooding at The Intercept (which has independent value), the big two need to be:
"Democratic Party Reformation/Electoral Accountability"; and
"Economics/Political Economy/Expanding Unionism and Novel Models of Worker Organizing" as it relates to electoral politics going forward.
Again just my opinion, but couching all discussions in this "identity" language, while important in certain contexts, is not unifying but rather divisive for far too many in America (if not simple fatigue). Now, I would never suggest that some taregeted focus on each "identity", its history and unique issues is not important to talk about, but not to the exclusion, and not in the language of separateness (as in the interests of "intersectionality" and "education"). Again, this brings up a related point--think about the term "intersectionality" as an example. It is an important idea/concept but smacks of elitist egghead academic jargon. We have to learn to include and even embrace in some ways, a return to "plain speaking" to "all" Americans. The vast majority of Americans and human beings don't talk in the esoteric language of lawyers, or political consultants or academics or political junkies or "professionals" generally. In fact most Americans, IMHO, resent it for a variety of reasons.
Leftists/progressives and I suppose "liberals" are going to have to reorient (IMHO) their entire rhetorical universe away from "identity politics", and jargon, and learn to speak to "universal class identity politics" and shared aspirational goals, tactics and organizing methods in a language that resonates.
We don't do ourselves any favors by sitting around here, continuing our same old critiques re: the same old categories in the same old language that got us here in the first instance. IMHO.
The fight going to have to be on "their" turf, and fought in such a way as to persuade them of what we know--that the GOP is not their friend, never will be, will never meaningfully address their economic anxieties with anything but rhetoric, and that "culturally" the "left" is not their "enemy" but in fact their "class ally" who wants to genuinely listen to their issues (even if we don't like the way they speak about them, or who they blame) without talking down to them.
DeleteAgain just my opinion, but "we" (the people meeting here) are going to have to change ourselves first and foremost (not at a substantive policy level) but in how we attempt to persuade our fellow Americans that the GOP is what it is at base--anti-universal values, and an economic con. That's the fight. And we don't have to reach everyone. Just some 5% of existing electorate, and 5% (of approx. 50%) of the potential electorate that consistently abstains from electoral politics.
We make inroads there, no election for decades going forward would even be close or subject to manipulation or voter suppression. IMHO.
Again this is a difficult needle to thread i.e. to focus on class without alienating certain identities and their unique histories and issues. But that's also the opportunity--to recreate a Democratic Party that can united and speak to all of those issues without apparent favor/disfavor to any.
rr, my intention is to track what and how The Intercept publishes. TI is not especially into a strong class/identity distinction. Moreover, whether we like it or not, several groups, including blacks and Muslims are ALREADY targeted for THEIR IDENTITY by depraved white people (who are VERY INTO THEIR IDENTITY AS WHITE) emboldened by Trump.
DeleteI don't reject "identity politics" if that means fighting against the identity politics adopted by whites/Klan and imposed on targeted *identitites. I agree politically that class is a bedrock issue, but right now the identity issues matter as they have not for a very long time. Ask some Muslims or blacks and see what the vast majority think; they are petrified beyond anything having to do with class per se.
In sum: I think the section names should reflect the broad categories at The Intercept, and 2, reflect the reality that certain minorities are being, and will be, attacked precisely for their identities.
Finally, can we let Doug start the new site set up as I have it above and argue/modify once he's got the tech work done?
Of course let Doug do his thing and we can hash out the rest once there.
DeleteSome suggestions for other people we need to include (not necessarily right away, but at some point): coram nobis, avelna2001. Haven't found either on the Twitters, at least not under those handles.
ReplyDeletesysprog may know how to reach coram. sysprog was an admin at Bill Shee's place. I was too but didn't know how to admin and probably should have reaped a few email addies while I had the chance (but didn't).
DeleteOh, shit, I lied! I DO have coram nobis' addie. Shall I reach out to him?
DeleteAgreed. Right now, however, I think we need to stay focused on the group we need to organize and implement the new site, administer and moderate it, and act as evangelists to steer the commenting traffic our way.
DeleteUltimately, of course, cn will be critical. The site would be sterile without our film historian.
Okey-doke. Just tickled to find I still had it. Don't you guys let me forget about him.
Deletep.s. Mona, I sorta meant "Abandoned Territory" to be a mild poke at Glenn. I think his sense of humor is more than wry enough to get it and not take offense. ;-}
I will continue to love and respect Glenn even as I wish to give him a swift kick in the ass for the way he's treated his loyal, core commentariat. Do you know he didn't want to ban nuf for plastering the board with a FAKE AND ODIOUS QUOTE attributed to me -- with quote marks -- which I maintain is libelous, because "nuf is a long-time commenter." Yeah, and he's been so solicitous of the desires of we long-time commenters and waht we need in a comments space. But he at the very time I complained banned another troll who libeled *him. I about exploded.
DeletePska - Knew that was a dig at Glenn. It's perfect in every way, and he richly deserves it.
DeleteOK, folks. Can we get on with it?
ReplyDeleteI have the next few days relatively free, and then I have to work on a database project that will take substantial time and energy. I'd like to get the heavy lifting on this startup done while there's some free space and time (unless someone else would like to take the lead).
I propose going forward to set up the domain abandonedterritory.org, setting it up on a web host, and installing phpBB as the forum software.
Then, we can get everyone move to the new site and work out issues like the one under discussion above, between Ron & Mona. Among other things, the structure of the software itself will guide choices (as is always true) and, in this case, may provide options that will come close to satisfying both (maybe all!?!?!) parties.
Any objections?
~Doug
Go, Doug! Do it!
DeleteIt's all fine by me, the "techno" stuff that is. I'm pretty illiterate in that regard so I have no opinion or preferences. Good, bad or imperfect I adapt to whatever is technologically on offer--assuming it is fairly easy to understand or use.
DeleteOops, replied below. Do it, please and thank you, Doug.
DeleteOK, guys. I'm on it. Progress reports as appropriate.
Delete~Doug
Thanks for doing this Doug. It really is a lot of work to do something like this and I really appreciate your willingness to take on the task.
DeleteI'd like somewhere on the homepage a MEMEORIAM for Bill "Jebbie" Schee. He did this project before us (between when Glenn left the Graun and there were comments at the Intercept) and laid the template for it. He's also one of the oldest of the core readership and his voice is missed.
ReplyDeleteThis is a lovely idea Mona. Gettin' all teary-eyed......I miss Bill so much.
DeleteYou should give some thought to drafting something. You and he were very tight.
DeleteThanks. I will.
DeleteYeah, "Jebbie" needs to be remembered. Good guy!
DeleteInteresting recent interview with Prof. Chomsky:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/38360-trump-in-the-white-house-an-interview-with-noam-chomsky
I think his analysis is pretty close, without opining on an idea I think we all should agree on--that while Trumpism is seriously disconcerting, it is also an opportunity. An opportunity in the foreign policy arena, and theoretically some opportunities in the domestic arena, to capitalize on some potential theoretical re-alignments both abroad and domestically.
The "left" needs to quit counterproductively freaking out, make sure to bear accurate witness and be prepared to push back on any odious crap the GOP will push, but always be prepared to seize opportunities for building "unity" among the American people, forging or renewing alliances . . . .
Doug, please proceed. And thank you for your expertise.
ReplyDeleteSillyPutty just DMed me on Twitter, and wrote:
ReplyDelete"I beginning to think TI's comment section is designed on the model of "planned obsolescence" in that it is created in such a way that it will degrade to the point of non-functionality altogether and die of it's own accord."
I gave him this site's url.
Good. I butt heads with him now and then, but he should be with us.
DeleteYeah, we've always been a herd of wild cats who disagree among ourselves. There's just been a baseline of common sense and values. It'd even be fine -- probably a good idea -- to have those who don't necessarily share our core principles if they aren't trollish in behavior.
DeleteOff to play techie for a while. In the meantime, for your listening and viewing pleasure:
ReplyDelete"Teach Your Children"
https://playingforchange.com/videos/teach-your-children-live-in-australia/
I don't want people to feel left out because we didn't think of them and/or know how to reach them. For example, Cocktailhag just showed up in my Twitter mentions. There was the issue, as Doug raised, of not having "too many cooks" as we do the basic, foundational organizing.
ReplyDeleteShould we take a brief stop of adding more people until we are ready at the new site, which Doug is starting on now? Just tell folks it's coming any hour or day now?
It is hard to remember everyone. Think taking a pause makes sense. Let Doug do his thing, then let's get inclusive.
DeleteDOUG: This just went out from me as a group email. Not everyone here is on the group email we used at the begining. So far, Bill Owen is on board with this:
ReplyDelete"Don't want this to be lost in the mass of posts at the blog. Doug, can you make sure I also have Admin privileges from the outset and that everyone seeking to join has to be approved? We did this at Bill's place. Later, we might want to require only sign-up with real email, but if we are going to promote at the Intercept I think we totally need to see who's asking in, at the beginning, anyway.
In the meantime, I'll draft a proposal for rules, a very minimal sort of the type Glenn informally used at Salon. We can put them up for discussion and hopefully a few others will volunteer to also do approval/mod duties. That never entailed much at Bill's place, but then, that situation inherently was not that risky for attracting trolls or Trumpers."
Hey, don't miss this! https://twitter.com/nowthisnews/status/799271570900328449
ReplyDeleteThat is outstanding. Don't usually speak in terms of ethnic pride, but right now I'm proud to be Irish.
DeleteWow. The Irish have such a way with words.
DeleteGo n-ithe an tochas Trump!
(May Trump be eaten by an awful itch!)
I emailed that to GG and asked him to RT -- which he did, to Chris Hayes. Hayes replied that Trump is not a fascist. Just dangerous. Others, um, disagreed.
DeleteDOUG: Since when do you speak Gaelic? Aren't you a Hebrew?
Jews on my father's side of the family (some of them opportunistic New Yorkers who became what are known as "Episcopal Jews"), Irish on my mother's side.
DeleteI am, also, a genuine "red-haired, left-handed stepchild." Well, until the hair fell out or turned white.
You were bound to be a carrot-top. Irish and Jews are the ones with almost the entire universe of red hair. Glenn's mother is flaming red, and so is he when he lets it grow any length.
DeleteBTW, my mom has some Czech, and while doing genealogy for the family reunion in '98, she was literally horrified to find a great-great-great grandmother nee Solomon. I don't identify as Jewish based on that -- tho it delights me cuz my folks are classic Catholic antisemites -- and I was absolutely raised as Irish Catholic.
But total brunette. Very dark brown.
Terry sent me this. I sent the earlier one to Justin and askd him to "grow a set". Oddly, he never replied! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GF5PChW5WDY
DeleteClare Daly! I've been in love with her since the day she delivered those remarks.
DeleteProgress report: abandonedterritory.org has been registered, activated, propagated through most of the DNS system I've been able to check and is hosted. Currently, the site is merely a placeholder page/image, cuz the installation script for phpBB hasn't caught up with the latest version of the software itself. Of course. So, I'll have to create the database and install the bits and pieces on the server manually. No big deal, but. . . mañana.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, Obama and McCain have be warning Trump, in no uncertain terms, that he'd damned well better not make peace with Russia. I want a dedicated War & Peace category for the forum (hoping we can find some peace), please.
Now, I need wine.
Oh my. I DON"T want kissing up to Putin along with Marine LePen and other European fascists; that has shades of the 1930s. But I certainly do not want a war with Russia. Indeed, I pretty much ranted about nothing else at the Intercept where HRC was concerned.
DeleteThere's strong speculation that -- seeing as Trump wants his family all to have the highest security clearance so he can consult all of them -- it's his family, including his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who will be calling a lot of the shots.
Kushner's political history is tons of contributions to establishment Democrats, with the exception of Guiliani. He was instrumental in getting Cory Booker into the Senate.
The possible good news here is that he and Ivanka are unlikely to be social conservatives. Booker might also have some pull as far as black people's issues go. The bad news is, Kushner is an ardent Zionist and neoliberal in foreign policy. And a Wall St. piece of slime.
Doug, I don't have an objection to a category for "War and Peace," altho it would seem sensible to combine it in Foreign Policy. Perhaps: "War, Peace & Foreign Policy."
Finally, thank you so much for all of this. I can't tell you how grateful I am.
A gracious good morning to all. Thanks for everything everyone is doing to get this going. In light of some apparently confirmed Trump nominees, check out Corey Lewandowski at the Oxford Union https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXN3ZS_fuj8 and Q & A https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7m5vLFMstM . A little over an hour for both parts, and not recommended for anyone without a strong stomach.
ReplyDeleteProgress report: The forum system is installed and passes initial operational checks. Now, I have to run through the initial configuration and human testing. For the moment, this is a one-person job.
ReplyDeleteI'm putting this at a dedicated IP, installing a security certificate and running it in secure server mode (https addresses, cute little lock icons on your browsers, hard to snoop on traffic between browser and server).
I have a particular dislike for running sites without distinctive identities, so, if anyone has graphic skills and an inclination to use them, I (for one) would appreciate some drafts for an AT logo, favicon, etc.
Back to you when it's time to register the core group, apportions jobs and responsibilities and tweak the appearance, functional details, etc.
~Doug
I will ask PI if this would be in her wheelhouse at all. I am useless.
DeleteDoug, PI wants to get in touch. How best to do that with you directly? Are you on the Twitter? Or is email the best? Think I have you in that insane email chain.
DeletePI is ABSOLUTELY the artiste we need on this one. She's teh awesome. Glad to hear she's willing. And Doug, you are too wonderful by half. Thank you.
DeleteJust for the core group, please: doug@calmobility.com.
DeleteI try to avoid corporate-controlled social media as much as possible.
Please tell the Presumptuous One that I may be slow to respond (or maybe not), depending upon how long it takes to complete my drudgery for the day.
This interview with Steve Bannon should be forcibly read out loud to every DNC member and Hillary hack. It explains why Democrats have lost so badly at the federal, state and municipal level, and why Hillary Clinton lost in spite of her "inevitability."
ReplyDeleteIt made me think, that while I am completely supportive of trans rights, when those promoting them are perceived as a bunch of cocktail circuit liberals raking in cash by sending jobs overseas, in-between lavish parties their rich political donors, and tending to their hedge funds, when all that is what regular people see it's going to make it harder to generate sympathy for what CAN sound like a frivolous concern, e.g., who uses which bathroom. And, both human nature and history tell us that scapegoating them raises its ugly head.
Damn, here;s the link to the Bannon interview: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/steve-bannon-trump-tower-interview-trumps-strategist-plots-new-political-movement-948747?utm_source=twitter
DeleteIt seems rather odd to say it, but Bannon clearly gets it.
DeleteAs many of us have been saying, for a long time and to mostly deaf ears, the elites and the comfy upper-middle-class liberals on the coasts and in the protected pockets have no bloody idea at all what life is like for so many in the heartland, the southeast, the inter-mountain west, the rural areas of the bluest states -- most of the nation, geographically, and about half of the population.
That ignorance, and the smug contempt with which they consider and treat the "deplorables" just bit them, and all of us, in the ass, big time.
As Ron keeps trying to tell us, if we can't get past the tribalist tendencies and build bridges of commonality, we are seriously fucked. Well, we're already seriously fucked.
Been watching Jimmy Dore all day!!!! Hi all! ---PI
ReplyDeleteMaisie's response to my invitation to get in touch:
ReplyDelete= = = = =
Maisie ↪ Doug Salzmann
November 18 2016, 5:14 p.m.
I’m very, very, very fond of you, Doug, but I’m not going to do that – I’m presuming it’s about the setting up of a new forum of sorts, and while I wish that project much luck I’m not really into pursuing such a thing. The activist exodus here (especially of late) has made it at times like an unwelcoming ghost town, and my imminent absence even here is pretty much a done deal, but be assured I’ve enjoyed our interactions even though I’m inclined nowadays to dramatically reduce rather than expand my online presence.
That's too bad, but she's not wrong about the exodus there. For myself, I need a place online where I can find both solidarity and, for those who choose, to organize resistance. That place, unfortunately, was never going to be The Intercept.
DeleteMaisie, I'll bet, is an activist though, through and through. She will continue that even if not among us.
Completely out of left field: I had to mute Michael Curry. I am not a prude but I am sick of the butt shots which have now graduated to crotch shots. Jeebus.
ReplyDeleteSomehow I think this might be the most appropriately ironic image for this site, heh heh
ReplyDeletehttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v433/diannaruggles/glennsquirrel_zpshbawhhid.jpg
I have always liked that one ;-) And glad you also like Jimmy Dore. He really doesn't sugar-coat reality, especially about the DIMs.
DeleteYeah, Michael is way overboard with his nude fetish. More I could say about that, but this is possibly public, so I won't.
DeleteIn sum: It's his age.
OK, then!
ReplyDeleteMeine Damen und Herren, Mesdames et Messieurs,
Ladies and Gentlemen! Guden Abend, bon soir,
Wie geht's? Comment ca va? Do you feel good?
I bet you do!
Ich bin euer Confrecier; je suis votre compere...
I am your host!
Leave your troubles outside!
So, life is disappointing? Forget it!
We have no troubles here, at the Abandoned Territory Cafe! Here life is beautiful...
So, those who want to participate in administering, organizing, moderating, etc. (but only those, for the moment, please), head on over to abandonedterritory.org and register.
Further instructions will be issued via new official channels. Resistance is futile.
~Doug
Ok, some Man Behind the Curtain has to send me email telling me I'm in. I sure hope he likes me!
Delete