From Stark
It’s official. Gov. Chris Gregoire won’t seek a third term. The AP reports.
Gov. Chris Gregoire will be holding a press conference in the next few minutes to announce her future plans, and numerous mainstream media sites and bloggers agree: She’ll announce she won’t seek a third term.
Here’s the word from Politico, reporting that bad poll numbers played a big role in Gregoire’s decision.
She’s really planning to run for Maria Cantwell seat.
AFY!!theheelotsheepdog!!!
Musical chairs…..but at least she can write the language, unlike some..here…just look up..and of course darlings of the tea banger and mutt crowd….
http://weirdnews.aol.com/2011/06/13/sarah-palin-writing-level_n_874790.html
So how about a post on the Republican debates tonight so my link on the foolish statements by Herman Cain, whom AFY has stated his support for several times on this blog, can remain as well as my question of whether or not he has given money to him (as he has also admitted he gave money to his friend Michelle Bachmann on this blog) can remain without angering the guru of censorship….
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/13/herman-cain-obama-was-rai_n_875896.html
Too old…too opinionated…too independent…too angry…too many skeletons….like the cheap seats too much…just like you…
then again… Maybe you have a good idea there….here’s my platform….for blowhard in chief executive councilman mayor of Whathamville…..
I promise to eradicate the world of all conservative-ationists and put them in re-education camps out in Custer.
I promise to cure erectile dysfunction, toe fungus, herpes simplex, shingles, short term memory loss, the common cold, gout, baldness, boredom, hangnails and all smoking related diseases caused by candy cigarettes.
I promise full employment for all, sweeping up coal dust, uninstalling red light cameras, tearing out
parking meters, valet parking supertankers, ferrying Lummi islanders from Bellingham on inflatable air mattresses, installing speed bumps every block, handing out paper towels in public rest rooms, selling popcorn at all public government meetings and passing out Kleenex tissues at chick flicks, to name a few.
I will lower all taxes to zero, raise all eyebrows, make post natal abortion an option until age 21, install corks in all dogs arses, eradicate all rodents under crawl spaces, ban weeds, develop self mowing grass strains, teach all middle aged white guys to dance rhythmically, eliminate all rings in bathtubs and toilets, teach boys to put the lid down, teach girls how to change oil, teach old guys how to turn off their turn signals, raise the seats and lower the steering wheels in all Buicks, widen parking spaces to 15 feet, develop self returning shopping carts, mandate all hot dogs be sold by the dozen only or limit all
hot dog bun packs to 8, require Costco to sell milk in containers that don’t spill a cup each time they are poured…and that will be only in the first three days of my administration.
Why doesn’t someone start an AFY vs. Shaun blog? Do you two have any idea how tiresome this gets? I keep pruning away at your endless blathering at each other, but you don’t get the message. Find something else to do.
John, I believe Shaun has a right to his opinion (as long as it is not slander) and if you are noticing I have not questioned that right.
If you prefer me not to express my opinion here than that I can accommodate.
Maybe what you should do is ban both Shaun and I from your blog.
I am sure there are many from both sides who would support that decision.
AFY!!theheelotsheepdog!!!
Here’s another solution, better guidelines, as you know I have questioned your guidelines, so as to better comment within them, and I think we both can agree those guidelines have been rather a moving target lately.
Some possibilities of guidelines that could help:
Comments must be directed towards your postings, or at least related in some way.
All personal attacks will be deleted whether they are towards a fellow commentator or politician, etc.
One thing I have found in life, when playing a game (this is a game of politics isn’t it?) if rules are being enforced people are more likely to play within the rules than if the rules are more of a moving target.
I have no problem in being banned if I don’t play within the rules but it does help to know what the rules are.
I am sure there are others with suggestions too, why not open it up to everyone with you and Jared than deciding exactly what the rules will be and the penalties for not playing by the rules.
AFY!!theheelotsheepdog!!!
My problem is not anyone’s opinion, AFY. My problem–this blog’s problem–is the endless back-and-forth sniping between individual commenters. I would be grateful if all of you would make an effort to confine your comments to the topics at hand, and limit the comments you direct back and forth at one another. I don’t have the time to ponder the merits of each individual comment. I will continue to swoop in from time to time to pull weeds.
This blog gets thousands of unique visitors. I wonder how many more of them would share their opinions and ideas with the rest of us, if the silly bickering could be stopped.
“To ensure everybody is comfortable participating and commenting on posts, we ask that readers refrain from posting personal attacks, …”
John,
It is my opinion that you consistently fail to enforce that rule with respect to certain posters, whose names you well know.
I wish I had a lot of time to draft rules and enforce them. I have more pressing demands on my time. That said, I think you are on target. But it gets complicated quickly. Where do you draw the line between “personal” and “political” attacks? What about comments that make valid political arguments, and then close with a stupid personal insult at another commenter?
In the wider world, our community depends on the ability of people to behave well even when a cop is not watching. “Behaving well” includes avoiding behaviors that may not be illegal but are obnoxious. Most all of you are capable of observing these social norms when you are out in public and nobody provides you with a shield of anonymity.
Before you hit the reply button, stop and ask yourself if you would post that reply under your real name, address and phone number.
John, I still feel there should be rules (I support government but a limited one) with penalties otherwise we will find our selves right back at where we are; sooner or later.
Rules and judges are not always fair, but neither is life.
Topics at hand (or at least related) most likely will give the results requested the best, methinks.
I’m in.
AFY!!theheelotsheepdog!!!
Okay. Here’s the rule:
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
Violators will be persecuted.
Good rule, sounds kinda golden!
AFY!!theheelotsheepdog!!!
Where in the world does political discussion not include back and forth sniping? Politics is all about emotion. We say we are talking facts, but facts in politics are always subjective, as so many candidates show us everyday. We chose facts to support our political notions. Politics is a human endeavor and when it involves our pocket books, our sense of fairness, our belief systems and our egos it is, was and always has been emotional. Flowery language aside, one need only read the accounts of how the draftees of the Constitution sniped at each other for proof of this. Or watch any political news show since the invention of the TV. Is a calm statement promoting disgusting beliefs like racism more desirable than calling someone out as an a hole for expressing such thoughts? Hardly. Is a reasoned approach to the lack of reason more desireable? Maybe. Is an angry, less than intellectual response also a valid response? Sure. Can adults chose for themselves if someone is making a fool of themselves in their response or not? Of course. Is a less than intellectual response more effective?
Maybe. But adults can chose to be foolish and all of us are at times…
If you banned all commenters who engage in back and forth exchanges using silly logic at times, a scan of comments on the first two pages would eliminate me, Onkels, AFY, Entertaining, Reallyseriously, Bellinghamster, Kirsch, Any, Four Q, Walter, Artisan, County Voter, Phranc68, Liberty Bell, Apex at times, Anybody but Pike, Grace Kelley, Lydolph, and a host of infrequent commenters….and you certainly wouldn’t have felt the need to devote an entire entry to Oplingers absurd attack on Pike recently….
But your habit of removing personal snipes at me, while leaving my, sometimes admittedly inadequate attempts at sarcastic humor in response,(rather than eliminating my responses as well,) so that my riffs
appear as silly rants without context is enough of a slap I think. What seems to rile is the lack of a sense of shame and maybe you find that disconcerting, but still adults can decide these questions for themselves without self righteous intervention…especially given you are so over worked…
But as for AFY, If I chose to comment here again, I will refrain from responding to his incessant redunditry, meant mostly to elicit in kind responses. For the record though, someone called County Voter asked why I didn’t run for office as I was so “knowledgeable” and that was the reason for my bogus position paper, and I kept re-submitting the Herman Cain link as Herman Cain was discussed here on a few past occasions.
As for anonymity, were I face to face with you or anyone else, I would feel perfectly comfortable telling you what I thought of you or they. You may not like it, you may use an epithet or take a swing, but I would have just as much or as little respect for anyone as I have here. You may find that disconcerting, but you could then chose your moral high ground, or not, and both of us would learn to live with it…..
sorry for the redundancy and double post which I just noticed when I thought I had submitted the only draft….kerfuffle, but then isn’t that the way…
“Before you hit the reply button, stop and ask yourself if you would post that reply under your real name,”
There you go, John. What a simple solution.
So, why not require commenters post under the real names?
I agree. I want to know who these ” sheep herders ” are.
In my opinion, shaun is the worst offender.
He rails against AFY in personal terms incessantly.
He might sound reasonable today, but usually he is not.
Sam Taylor banned him for a period of time for the same behavior, and he moderated his posts upon return.
That’s in the past.
He’s up to his old tricks.
I complained to Jared by email about Shaun’s attacks on AFY, but no action was taken.
Do you know what’s sad?
Shaun is smart enough not to resort to ad hominem, but chooses to, for whatever reason.
Mods: If this is a personal attack, feel free to delete it.
Dave, just couldn’t resist a kick,eh…well in honor of the Delta city where I am spending my night…..and since it is the last time I will address you or this blog (applause and sighs from les lecturer reaching to delete).. with apologies for my pigeon French…..And with full awareness as I hit the send, les hypocrite….read between the lines oiseau de merde