Somewhat OT: But does anyone else find odd how Atrios and other left bloggers shape language out short-hand comments like "preznit" or the whole pony thing or references to Calvinball (wow that's actually two Calvin and Hobbes references, that could be a cultural studies disertation in itself).
I've noticed it before among my circle of friends, how a language meme and/or joke gets adopted by enveryone. But with the internet it goes far beyond geographic things. But on the other hand correspondence has a rich history and it wouldn't surprise me if this has happened before.
But but but but: why ask for advice if you do not intend to listen to it? Why ask for advice if that asking comes at a political cost? Why suffer the embarassment of having the dominant story in the country be that your "daddy is bailing you out"? Why sponsor the Baker-Hamilton if you are going to reject its findings? Why embarass yourself politically by disavowing the same bipartisan commission you were talking up for weeks? Why embarass that same bipartisan commission? Why even go through the process unless you more-or-less-know-and-accept what the commission will come up with beforehand?
re: ingroup language, I believe that the reason why the Eschaton crowd has such a strong in-group language is three fold. First, having everything 'frozen' in comments so that they can be re-examined increases the rate of use and retention. Second, because the channel is restricted, more effort goes into this (if you had a group of friends, there would probably be non-verbal communication that would do this, but online, that's not an option) Finally, the group is 'under seige', in that there are a lot of non-sympathetic types going in there to start something, thus giving a sense of comradeship (I add that this would happen were regardless of the political affiliation.)
Off topic - so, right now (8:55 eastern) Pennsylvania ave is shut down between 17th and 18th streets, 17th street is shut down between H and at least two blocks south (if not more). Although you can't walk down 17th street to Penn, you can walk down 18th street to Penn and then walk over to 17th street (which makes no sense). Traffic is a mess and anyone who parks in the buildings along that stretch of Penn and 17th cannot get their car in, forcing them either to circle or park somewhere else.
And what caused this complete mess? A "homeless person's threat of a bomb to the White House."
There were other incidents in Nasiriya, minor at the time, that foreshadowed events that would become an international embarrassment. At one point, a Marine commander came across a gruesome scene: young marines, standing over a pile of Iraqi corpses, taking photos of each other, thumbs up and grinning inanely to camera. It took only a year for the first photos of American soldiers grinning over the bodies of abused Iraqi prisoners to appear.
To pick up on double-plus-ungood's post, this from Anne Lamott:
The opposite of faith is not doubt: It is certainty. It is madness. You can tell you have created God in your own image when it turns out that he or she hates all the same people you do.
Folks used to wonder why he didn't push into Baghdad. Baker doesn't hear that question much anymore.
I wonder to what extent the urge for war in 2003 among the Cheney types, etc. was having to answer that question several thousands times from 1991 to 2003, especially at all of those fancy think tank meet and greets for which they got appearance fees.
AFAIK Atrios coined the "Friedman" as being equal to six months, but it's possible that it was an Eschaton commenter buried amidst the myriad open threads.
Why should he listen to advice? Everything is going fine.
Posted by: Ugh | December 04, 2006 at 06:27 PM
The problem with believing that you get your directions from God is that to admit error or to take advice becomes blasphemous.
Posted by: double-plus-ungood | December 04, 2006 at 06:55 PM
Please don't channel Atrios. I beg you.
Posted by: Slartibartfast | December 04, 2006 at 11:17 PM
Somewhat OT: But does anyone else find odd how Atrios and other left bloggers shape language out short-hand comments like "preznit" or the whole pony thing or references to Calvinball (wow that's actually two Calvin and Hobbes references, that could be a cultural studies disertation in itself).
I've noticed it before among my circle of friends, how a language meme and/or joke gets adopted by enveryone. But with the internet it goes far beyond geographic things. But on the other hand correspondence has a rich history and it wouldn't surprise me if this has happened before.
Posted by: Fledermaus | December 04, 2006 at 11:30 PM
But but but but: why ask for advice if you do not intend to listen to it? Why ask for advice if that asking comes at a political cost? Why suffer the embarassment of having the dominant story in the country be that your "daddy is bailing you out"? Why sponsor the Baker-Hamilton if you are going to reject its findings? Why embarass yourself politically by disavowing the same bipartisan commission you were talking up for weeks? Why embarass that same bipartisan commission? Why even go through the process unless you more-or-less-know-and-accept what the commission will come up with beforehand?
Posted by: Ara | December 05, 2006 at 12:07 AM
re: ingroup language, I believe that the reason why the Eschaton crowd has such a strong in-group language is three fold. First, having everything 'frozen' in comments so that they can be re-examined increases the rate of use and retention. Second, because the channel is restricted, more effort goes into this (if you had a group of friends, there would probably be non-verbal communication that would do this, but online, that's not an option) Finally, the group is 'under seige', in that there are a lot of non-sympathetic types going in there to start something, thus giving a sense of comradeship (I add that this would happen were regardless of the political affiliation.)
Posted by: liberal japonicus | December 05, 2006 at 01:02 AM
Off topic - so, right now (8:55 eastern) Pennsylvania ave is shut down between 17th and 18th streets, 17th street is shut down between H and at least two blocks south (if not more). Although you can't walk down 17th street to Penn, you can walk down 18th street to Penn and then walk over to 17th street (which makes no sense). Traffic is a mess and anyone who parks in the buildings along that stretch of Penn and 17th cannot get their car in, forcing them either to circle or park somewhere else.
And what caused this complete mess? A "homeless person's threat of a bomb to the White House."
Posted by: Ugh | December 05, 2006 at 09:03 AM
Update to my above: Apparently, a package was thrown on the White House lawn.
Posted by: Ugh | December 05, 2006 at 09:13 AM
This is just depressing.
There were other incidents in Nasiriya, minor at the time, that foreshadowed events that would become an international embarrassment. At one point, a Marine commander came across a gruesome scene: young marines, standing over a pile of Iraqi corpses, taking photos of each other, thumbs up and grinning inanely to camera. It took only a year for the first photos of American soldiers grinning over the bodies of abused Iraqi prisoners to appear.
Posted by: Ugh | December 05, 2006 at 09:26 AM
Apparently, a package was thrown on the White House lawn.
Candygram?
Posted by: Slartibartfast | December 05, 2006 at 09:51 AM
Candygram?
Land-shark.
Posted by: Ugh | December 05, 2006 at 10:06 AM
I'm with Slarti. One Atrios is enough. The Hilzoy must be preserved.
Posted by: KCinDC | December 05, 2006 at 11:11 AM
does anyone know if the term "Freidman Unit" was coined by Atrios or on Escaton
Posted by: ed_finnerty | December 05, 2006 at 12:08 PM
sorry eschaton
Posted by: ed_finnerty | December 05, 2006 at 12:10 PM
To pick up on double-plus-ungood's post, this from Anne Lamott:
The opposite of faith is not doubt: It is certainty. It is madness. You can tell you have created God in your own image when it turns out that he or she hates all the same people you do.
Posted by: javelina | December 05, 2006 at 12:11 PM
Apparently Bush has chosen a loser-defeatist (perhaps even a Defeatocrat) to be defense secretary. How will the faithful react?
Posted by: KCinDC | December 05, 2006 at 01:11 PM
Love this from the Newsweek link:
Folks used to wonder why he didn't push into Baghdad. Baker doesn't hear that question much anymore.
I wonder to what extent the urge for war in 2003 among the Cheney types, etc. was having to answer that question several thousands times from 1991 to 2003, especially at all of those fancy think tank meet and greets for which they got appearance fees.
Posted by: dmbeaster | December 05, 2006 at 01:26 PM
AFAIK Atrios coined the "Friedman" as being equal to six months, but it's possible that it was an Eschaton commenter buried amidst the myriad open threads.
Posted by: Anarch | December 05, 2006 at 05:46 PM
"The Hilzoy must be preserved."
Save the hilzoy. Save the world.
Posted by: rilkefan | December 05, 2006 at 05:54 PM
Hilzoy as a blonde cheerleader?
Um. The mind boggles.
Posted by: gwangung | December 05, 2006 at 06:08 PM
Are you on the list?
Posted by: Anarch | December 05, 2006 at 07:14 PM
You are, Number Six.
Posted by: Prodigal | December 05, 2006 at 07:27 PM
Please don't channel Atrios. I beg you.
I get no respect.
Posted by: The Editors | December 06, 2006 at 12:54 PM
Okay, I suppose the hilzoy can channel The Editors occasionally.
Posted by: KCinDC | December 06, 2006 at 04:33 PM