When I said that I wanted to see a certain South Dakotan senator locked in a small room with Damnit Janet and MilitaryTracy I had no idea the beast I would unleash. But, we’ve had some of the best writing ever in response. SallyCat and scribe and all the comments…I’m proud of the community we’ve become.
About The Author
BooMan
Martin Longman a contributing editor at the Washington Monthly. He is also the founder of Booman Tribune and Progress Pond. He has a degree in philosophy from Western Michigan University.
Yes Booman, we are all proud of the people that dwell here and of you for putting up with us. This is a true community and so much love and talent to spread the love around. We all have that inherently good in us. May we share our stories, our journeys with each other to the betterment of the world.
I can only say Amen!!! and also thanks to Booman for allowing us the place to share and find other kindred spirits.
a community and a family…when a crisis hits, we come together to share, to commiserate, and to fight…
[Now does anyone have a pillow for a sore butt??? 🙁 ]
When I was sore from childbirth they sent home a “doughnut” thing to sit on. I think they have them at drug stores or med. supply places. Makes sitting easier.
You said it, Booman. I came home after a difficult morning, and wow! What a tremendous outpouring!
And thank you, for generating the atmosphere here.
I know the last few weeks can’t have been easy for you Booman. And we all see that you are now doing double the work to hold this place together. But I hope its all worth it on days like yesterday and today. And while preparing for elections and dealing with the Democratic party are important – it is our lives we are talking about and not just some narrow view of politics. That comes clear at moments like this.
So thanks Boo for putting up with us all. And for all you do to make this place work. You are changing the world in more ways than you can even imagine.
And on another note – in a little while I’m off to our precinct caucus. Our big statewide elections coming up are for Governor and the Senate seat of Mark Dayton. On the latter, looks like Hennepin County Attorney Amy Klobuchar will eventually get the endorsement. For Governor – its a wide open race. I had an email exchange today with a group of friends who are all trying to make up their minds about who to support. We’ll see how it goes.
9/25/05 – Washington, DC.
BrotherFeldspar, MilitaryTracy, DamnitRyan & SuperSoling
And next time you talk to DamnitRyan, give him virtual hugs from all the FrogPond… 🙂
I miss Brother Feldspar too, but I have a sense that he’s here from time to time. Same with the Infidelpig.
http://www.swingstateproject.com/
Yes, it’s been phenomenal. It does make me feel privileged to be here.
Those two will kick some ass and we could fund all of this years DNC budget by selling tickets…
I get to referree kind of they get hugs and chocolate from me for whacking the SD asshole around…if he whines I get to kick him….
It is a privilege to be here with this amazing group. We may disagree on how to get to the final results – but the goal is definite.
Now it’s time for an after work scotch…
get some turkee from the Orange Empire if we made them use pies… 😉
I’m still amazed that I’ve been at the top of the rec list for like 12+ hours….totally overwhelmed….
Yet – it means that more people see the story – and more eyes are opened. So the big orange is another place to visit with lots of friends there and visitors from other places.
I’m in favor of the pies for the SD asshat….little girl made mud pies!
Mentholatum creme pies…that stuff stings! (Especially if you put it on some very sensitive male anatomy… 😉 )
Yes, the writing is tremendous. It always amazes me how some people can take the atrocities that happen to them and put them into inspiring, powerful language. And, I suppose I shouldn’t question the impetus for that kind of writing, I should just appreciate it. But . . ..
The question in my mind, at the time and now, is this: what exactly DID you expect? I know, you told Janet you expected she would express your outrage better than you. But to me there was a certain level of “use” going on there that I can’t quite get past; a certain level of “set up” that happened by naming them and making sure they were drawn in. Especially since anyone who has been around for a while knows their experiences.
I don’t mean to accuse you of rising (or falling) to the level of the other men in their lives who have used them. To think that would be to demean their experiences. But it certainly troubles me. Enough that I’d rather express the concern than pretend I don’t have it.
I understand your question Maryb. And it’s right of you to ask it.
For myself, I think Booman’s intentions are nothing more than admiration for those he mentioned. I’ve never seen anything that would lead me to question his motives. But then again, I’m a man and maybe we do these things out of our own ignorance of how what we say, and what we do when we interact with and speak of women, unintentionally leads to a question like yours.
Actually, I wasn’t thinking of their experiences with abusive men at all. I was thinking of their feisty style of writing. In fact, I either didn’t know or had forgotten that they had had such experiences. I did know that they both have children that have special needs, but I don’t recall them telling me about abuse.
I basically just relished the idea of this guy having to have a face to face encounter with two woman that know how to tell it like it is.
I think this is just a continuation of our previous agreement to disagree. I hold the front page to a higher standard than comments or diaries; you don’t.
I didn’t attribute evil intent to you. It just bothered me.
And if you had written the exact same words but had instead put them in as the first comment, I doubt I would have had a negative impression.
I hope you feel better 🙂
thank you. I hope I feel better too.
I appreciate your willingness to disagree with me without holding it against me. However, in this case I am not sure what the issue is.
Maybe you can explain how you expect me to change my style between front-page and comments. I know there is a difference but I am not clear about what exactly it is.
It would probably be better to have this conversation on another day when you aren’t sick and I’m not tired.
I do see a difference between the text of what is on the front page and what is in a comment. Comments are, by their nature, conversational. Text on the front page is designed for a variety of purposes: to inform, to challenge; to entertain. But one of the prime purposes of what goes above the fold is to get people to look below the fold and to get people to comment.
It’s been one of your questions: what do you need to write that will get people to comment. Why do so many people at Orange comment while fewer at Green comment?
I saw your mention of their names as a direct challenge to them to comment. And to comment in the way that you expected – a long rant that would grab people’s attention and lead to more comments. Perhaps that was unfair of me. I probably wouldn’t have said anything about it except that, given the subject matter and their histories, I was bothered by it. You say you didn’t know their histories. I believe you.
Why wouldn’t it have bothered me as much in the comments? Because it would have seemed more conversational rather than throwing down the gauntlet to them.
if its any comfort, you think about these things much harder than I do. Without Susan, I’m just treading water here. I find it somewhat odd when I have motives attributed to me that might make a modicum of sense but never entered my mind.
I’m not sure I thought it out until you asked. My original comment was more of an emotional response; the only thought I put into it was to wait until it was off most people’s radar before I made the comment. Since having a conversation on a blog is a little like having a conversation in the middle of the colosseum while the crowd yells for blood.
what? is there an echo in here?
I know what you’re saying. I don’t mind tough questions. Especially if people are willing to give me the benefit of the doubt.
Whatever I do, people are going to analyze it. I kind of have to put that aside. My mother reads this blog, my uncles, my (ex)-wife and her family, ex-girlfriends, people that have lifelong grudges, former employers, potential future employers, former employees, my friends, and colleagues of all stripes.
I have to be able to put all of that out of my mind and pretend they aren’t in the colosseum. Otherwise, it is paralyzing.
Most people here are anonymous. I’m not.
So, in a way, it makes me behave myself. But, I also can’t operate if I worry too much about how I am being perceived.