Best commenter results
October 31st, 2009 - 10:19 am
Here is the final poll for the Best Commenter on the Belmont Club. I’ve tabulated the data from the nominations in a table shown below the Read More. Some of the nominations were ambiguously stated, but I did my best to decipher them.
I’d like to congratulate Leo on his well deserved victory in the commenter poll. He is a teacher in the best sense and hose are rare. Our schooldays, which may have gone on for decades probably contains only a few of them. We pick can pick them out in our memories from among the hundreds. They have the ability to make what was dumb in us speak. It is when we marvel at what has been awoken in ourselves that we recognize what great teaching is, and I suppose what a great comment is.
| Commenters | Nominations |
| Alexis | 3 |
| Annoy Mouse | 1 |
| Baron | 1 |
| Batman | 3 |
| blert | 1 |
| Bogie wheel | 1 |
| Buddy Larsen | 8 |
| Cannoneer | 3 |
| Cedarford | 1 |
| Dan | 1 |
| Delia | 1 |
| Desert Rat | 1 |
| Doug | 2 |
| Dymphna | 1 |
| Exhelodriver | 1 |
| Fedya | 1 |
| Fred | 3 |
| Habu | 2 |
| JMH | 1 |
| Karen Yvonne | 3 |
| Konyok | 1 |
| L3 | 24 |
| LOTM | 6 |
| Marcus Aurelius | 1 |
| Marymcl | 1 |
| Mongoose | 6 |
| Nahncee | 2 |
| Old Salt | 1 |
| Pork Rinds | 1 |
| programmer | 1 |
| rook king | 1 |
| RWE | 3 |
| Sara (Pal2Pal) | 2 |
| Starling | 3 |
| Steveaz | 2 |
| Steven Den Beste | 1 |
| Storm-Rider | 1 |
| Subotai | 8 |
| Teresita | 1 |
| Walt | 4 |
| Whiskey | 6 |
| Whitehall | 1 |
Congrats to L3 on his well deserved win. I’m proud to have even been nominated. I am prouder still to be compared favorably with so many and such thoughtful contributors. Long live the Belmont Club!
Well deserved L3 and others.
Full diclosure notice; I am wearing a tie and pants while I type this.
I’m not the man who called the tuba player a ————.
I’m not the man sitting next to the man who called the tuba player a ————.
I’m not the man sitting next to the man sitting next to the man who called the tuba player a ————.
But what I want to know, Mr. Preacher, is who called that ———– a tuba player?
I’m glad to see that Fred got three votes. I think he would have blushed in pleasure, bless his little Jesuit soul.
(Whiskey got 6 votes? I’m wondering if a disapproving mention might have counted as a vote — “there’s no such thing as bad publicity as long as your name is spelled right.”
Recount!
uh, When I thought that Buddy was the top, of course L3, but I hadn’t attended this site enough for evidence !
I’m enjoying “Pastis”, the best medicament against swine flu, and also good for digestion !
Wretchard – not to split hairs but I believe Marie Claude had 2 or 3 votes also.
@4 NahnCee
(Whiskey got 6 votes? I’m wondering if a disapproving mention might have counted as a vote — “there’s no such thing as bad publicity as long as your name is spelled right.”
Keeping up the good fight I see
Actually, I could be the guilty party on that score, having mentioned his name in passing (though it wasn’t intended to be a *vote* – but then wretchard surely knew that!)
BTW that’s a nice sentiment about fred – I like to think he’s still with us, sort of a guardian angel to keep the trolls away.
Anyway congratulations to LLIII on a well-deserved win. And three cheers to Cannoneer No. 4 for his fine description of Belmont Club ~
“this international, multi-racial, politically incorrect band of freedom-loving on-line Subject Matter Experts, Been There Done Thats, Out House Lawyers, Bar Stool Philosophers and Disputatious Hard Heads [who] refuse to submit.”
Congratulations to all and especially to L3 for a much deserved win. Olde Fogey, in comment #109 on the Best Comments Nomination thread, remarked that he was curious about the lives of the major contributors to the Belmont Club. I too wish I knew a little bit about the people I daily read with pleasure, and in that spirit will lift the veil of anonymity a bit and admit that today, October 31st, Hallowe’en, is my 80th birthday, born two days after the stock market crash of 1929. I have seen the Great Depression, WWII, jet travel, spaceflight, the taming of the atom, the conquering of major diseases, computers, the Internet, two Phillies World Series Championships, Fox News and other wonders too numerous to mention. I entered this unforgiving world not expecting much, and received more than I hoped for or deserved. My time on this planet has been put to good use, raising a family and a trio of handsome, smart and beautiful grandchildren. The love of my life is still by my side. Life, as they say, is good.
We think of goblins, ghosts and such
On October day the last
But I don’t think of them so much
‘Cause years go by so fast
You see ‘twas on the 31st
That I came on the scene
With naught to eat and raging thirst
Not knowing where I’d been
I did recall a soft warm place
Quite dark but comfy too
I seemed to feel upon my face
A wetness but who knew
And then a spasm pushed me down
Headfirst I slid the way
Emerging then I think downtown
In middle of the day
Rough hands then held me by the heels
And smacked me on the butt
I gasped for air, how good it feels
To know I’d made the cut
And then they put me next to mom
She hugged and kissed me then
As I relaxed and grew quite calm
I realized some men
With stethoscopes were eyeing me
As I groped for a teat
I didn’t like their prying, see
So I refused to eat
So that was my first Hallowe’en
In all it went quite well
Succeeding days were not so keen
Sometimes were bloody hell
But I survived as most folks do
And grew up in my time
And found that I was of the few
Who found that life’s a rhyme
I read Belmont Club long before I started commenting here. When I finally started commenting, it was an experiment in deliberately being provocative, or at least as provocative as I could, a troll so to speak. Why a troll, well why not? It is the internet and entertainment, after all.
BUT…something happened along the way. The responses were courteous, humorous, well thought out and there was so much intelligent sharing of real, sincere, and downright useful information that I wanted to become a contributor instead of a provocateur (I still have a ways to go, I know). In my opinion, this blog is far different than many others I have perused and I know that you all understand what I mean. Wretchard CREATES a place to come for knowledge, spiritual strenghening, and warm camaraderie. With his absolutely luminous writing and the frequently brilliant commentariat, there is no other blog like it anywhere.
Congratulations to L3, Buddy, Subotai and others, but we all profit just by being members and dare I say, friends.
I second every last byte, nibble, and bit of #1 Starling’s comment.
Happy birthday, Walt! Born on Halloween, eh? Enjoy the double blessings of the day. As far as lifting the veil, since I comment with my real name, it’s probably not that hard to find out about me, but here are a few links:
Aquinas Companies, LLC (my day job)
Stanford Graduate School of Business (where I teach in the winter)
Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University (where I teach in the fall)
Cannoneer: I realize now that I forgot to put myself in the orchestra – I’d be delighted to grab a tuba if you’ll have me in the section. It’s probably the right instrument for my 6’5″ frame.
Finally, it’s kinda funny that I’m associated with formal dress attire. I’m a notorious down-dresser, and rarely wear a tie (weddings and funerals), although when I do it’s a bow tie.
Thanks to all, but special thanks to Mr. Richard Fernandez, the proprietor of The Belmont Club. It has been a great blessing to have found his virtual pub, and all of you who frequent it.
Cheers,
L3
I have been reading for a while but never posted. I just want to wish Walt a Happy Birthday and compliment him on his poems.
Newcomer: “Is this heaven”?
Greeter: “No, this is the Belmont Club”
[per presbypoet] I recall watching Programmer #9 begin his awakening. Many others, too. Congrats to LLIII but in truth we are all winners here.
First, a very Happy Halloween Birthday to Walt.
I’ve been fighting a bad cold for two weeks and have barely read any blogs, struggling instead to get my own work out, so I was blown away this morning to see my name on “the list” and even a couple of votes. Thank you all.
Congratulations to L3.
And again to Walt, who says:
So for you, I’m a seasoned citizen, single since 2002 after 32 years of marriage and 2 kids, both adults now. I blog, I comment, do computer graphics for relaxation, hang out on Twitter when I feel like being social, cheer on my favorite NASCAR driver on Sundays and my beloved Chargers too. I’m recovering from a broken back, and occasionally I look for a new love unsuccessfully, so my little 5 lb. Mini-Pin “Princess” is presently the love of my life.
I’ve almost never commented, and in those rare moments it’s been mostly inane chatter, but I’ve been a fervent Belmont Addict for nigh unto 5 years now. I have learned so much from so many commenters. (commentistas?)
I don’t know if it’s possible to actually tabulate, but I too would love to get a better sense of where Belmont Clubbers come from, both geographically and in terms of life progression. (People have mentioned their backgrounds more often these past few days.) Is there an app for that?
Geographically, we’re probably all over the place, which is a disappointing thought, because for a long time I’ve had this pipe dream of a Belmont convention. L3 had one in his backyard a few months ago, but I had laundry to do here in NY.
East Coast Belmont Convention in NYC in 2010?
Apparently all that money I donated to Acorn was wasted.
Wretchard, you sure know how to start an argumentation.
BTW I see that Scozzafava person quit in NY 23. I think thats progress. Maybe there will be attention paid to what the pols believe rather than the popularity contest issues.
At the moment I’m watching: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Other_People%27s_Money (of course translated into french http://tinyurl.com/ydm88pn
)a theater piece written by an american businessman, it’s all about what we were living in the late decades, and still today : actionnaires have the power to destroy one’s enterprise
Glad you liked that description, marymcl.
What wretchard has captured with his gravitational pull is a vocal commentariat that serves most of the intents and purposes of Michael Tanji’s Think Tank 2.0.
The Maestro works by, with, and through the commenters and ends up persuading, changing and influencing a lot of lurkers, like a 21st-Century Committee of Correspondence for the anti-Statist Resistance.
Congratulations L3, and well deserved.
ADE
Happy Birthday, Walt!
I’m very happy for you and the love of your life! Your post brings a smile and even a tiny tear of happiness. Way to go! And Go Phillies!
I’ve always thought of the BC as an exotic club, with a cast of characters like those I met when stranded at the Star Hotel in Jo-burg for a month or two one time. Or, as LoTM would have it, the Star Wars bar scene. Only some of the guests were dangerous, many were outrageous, and they all talked funny. Everybody carried guns, including the guy who tried to pick me up in bar and the two Rhodesian truck drivers who were mad at Jimmy Carter for pulling the plug on them in their war against 50,000 Cuban troops in Angola and asked me to “go outside” to talk things over, and the Vela Incident went off over the South Atlantic sometime in there. Oh wait, the Belmont Club is nothing like that, much friendlier, there’s no waitress to bring me beer and chili with a radish, and even if my fellow Clubbers do have guns on them, they can’t shoot me from here.
Congratulations Leo! And, L3, I’d much rather be a Stratocaster, if you don’t mind, dirtied up with lots of fuzz and reverb.
Happy Birthday, Walt.
Thanks to BC’s leading commenters for sharing their insights and poetry.
I come here for reasons similar to those of the paratrooper whom the general asked, “Son, do you like jumping out of planes?” “No, sir. But I like to hang out with men who do.”
So Walt was born on Halloween!
What event that must’ve been,
his poor mom trying oh so hard
to let him be a Novem bard,
which might have kept his birthday free
of goofy jokes and ribaldry!
anton/2; Full diclosure notice; I am wearing…pants…. Yep, pants DO provide that service!
is it still breakfast time ?
Nice one, Buddy.
Happy birthday, Walt.
Congratulations Leo and your reward is well deserved.
I still have that old Star Trek T-shirt, “Beam me up Scotty, there is no intelligent life here” but I am keeping it in reserve while BC exists. Thanks, y’all.
As for knowing more about our commenters, I’m ambivalent. I really like the freedom of focusing entirely on the merits of what a commenter says in the context of a thread. That was particularly true of “Wretchard”.
And I really like the way people here only reveal things about themselves that are relevant to what they are saying, kind of establishing their first hand experience or competence for a specific issue, not big noting themselves.
On the other hand I thought Walt’s story/poem about himself was charming if I might use such a word with another bloke.
L3, congratulations. Well earned.
Given that there is a section of TWANLOC who believes that you are actually pulling the strings of BC from an Arch-Conservative Lair deep in Texas; perhaps you can use the gift certificate to get something to brighten the lives of our horde of minions. *smile*
For those who said kind things about me, thank you. But it is I who should be thanking everybody for being allowed to be in this company of “international, multi-racial, politically incorrect band of freedom-loving on-line Subject Matter Experts, Been There Done Thats, Out House Lawyers, Bar Stool Philosophers and Disputatious Hard Heads [who] refuse to submit.”. This is one of the best places to be in these times. I have heard it referred to as the “Think Tank for the Revolution” and I especially like Cannoneer #4′s formulation of us as “a 21st-Century Committee of Correspondence for the anti-Statist Resistance”. That is perhaps the highest calling possible in these perilous times.
I really like the company gathered by our gracious host. It seems akin to the classic Greek Symposium [Συμπόσιον]where learned souls would discuss the nature of the world. Mind you, I will pass on the watered wine, preferring undiluted single malt, and also on the other more earthly Συμπόσιον entertainments. The intellectual entertainment more than suffices.
I lift my glass to you, Leo, to Walt on the occasion of your birthday, and to all who make this place what it is.
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers [and sisters]; may our numbers grow.
Subotai Bahadur
Halloween Horror Show
A blog of L3′s latest accomplishments would be inspirational.
…or just posting them here with Wretch’s permission.
—
Democrap
– ht, Sara
In all seriousness, congratulations to L3, and Happy Birthday, Walt.
At the moment I’m just waiting for the rain to die down and the game to start. Go Phils!
Trick or Treat, y’all.
Yes, Trick or Treat. I’m sitting here awaiting the onslaught. I think I hear the distant war cries of the Huns as they go galloping up the street.
And congratulations, L3.
So where ya been, Buddy? Back to being Buddy now?
rickl and Tony:
Be sure to give an extra cheer for Maui Boy Shane Victorino.
Congratulations L3 and happy birthday Walt. Nice to be in such august company. Oh wait, it’s October company already. Hmmmmm. F
I haven’t posted in quite a while…
Congrats L3, Canoneer, Buddy Larson, and Whiskey from my era (from the very early days till about six months ago). I will enjoy reading commentary from the new illuminati!
The financial mess grabbed my attention this past year. I think President Obama and his administration are conflicted on foreign affairs. No important moves will come forthwith. However, no important move is an important move. Dither…
Especially interested in Bogie Wheel :-]
It is Walt’s birthday? I missed that somehow. Damned reading comprehension.
Happy birthday.
subotai/28; nice –poetic –BC is lucky to have the only Chinese frontier lawman outside the best western spoof title ever, Shanghai Noon starring 陳港生 (Jackie Chan, for you poor beknighted non-Mandarin readers). Yuk yuk –loik me f’rinstance. Skook –yes –turens out it’s my gmail addy that BC won’t ‘take’. So i use Snerd@climate dot org –bogus of course –somehow Mortimer Snerd came to mind. I guess that’s an oxy moron, actually, as whatever it is that Mortimer Snerd comes to, it ain’t no mind –
Yessiree –Trick or Treat time. Kinda miss all those years of walking the younguns through their t or t paces. It went on so many years it got to be a chore toward the last one of ‘em. Now a decade plus has flashed past since that last Halloween daddy walk –what i thought would never end is now a misty water-colored memory. Oh Lost! And by the wind mourned, ghost, come back to me! (Thomas Wolfe: “hey buddy, shut up” –me: “yessir”)
boghie –gthanks –and thanks to whoall voted for me –it really is an honor –i guess there’s a market yet for half-assed thinking. L3 of course won with fully-assed thinking –
Hey,
Bogie Wheel ain’t bad. I like his commentary.
And, I see Marcus Aurelius still posts.
Finally, Sara(Pal2Pal) lives in my part of the world. She is sweating out the Mighty Chargers (vs. Kansas City and Oakland et. al.) just like me…
Congratulations to LIII — and to everyone else, even those not nominated.
Now for the hard part — who is going to tell Obama that the BC selection committee (apparently Norwegian-free) passed him over for this prestigious award?
doug/29; i saw that scene in live action on tv –the first Couple actually looked like a plain old ordinary American First Couple –it was warm and charming. you know, if he would pull a Carter and run off half his cabinet (and all his czars) and make his own Malaise speech but –crucially –speak a truth that if only would come –that by golly being president has dropped the socialist shingles from his eyes and ‘now i see i must be the president of ALL the people’ –he could turn the world around, stand it on its head, and fix the whole damn shooting match. what power. what tragedy!
Thanks Doug,
The Flyin’ Hawaiian just drove in the third run with a deep sac fly. 3-0 – yeah, baby. He was my favorite player last year. But after St. Chase Utley gave that astounding five word speech at last year’s celebration, well, that is the way to win a Philly boy’s heart, live on TV, “World Champions. World F(grinning) Champions!”
Oh, didn’t get a chance to respond to your note about Crazy Al Gore consulting with Google on Search Ranking, little creeps bowing to super creep. Nice, thank God for BING.
I knew my poor liberal friends had completely lost their minds when they agreed like Eloi-to-the-air-raid-sirens that the “science is settled” on Global Warming. Science doesn’t get settled, science is unending search for truth. Ooops, there’s that dirty word again. Truth.
As I understand it, my liberal friends are no longer allowed to discuss the economy, the war, current events, recent history, Fox News, hospitals, health insurance and who knows what they won’t be able to talk about after the talk shows tomorrow morning. And it all started with Fascist Al’s “settled science.”
A great idea and a great result. Never mind the score, everybody wins with the discourse here. Next time, Wretrchard, consider categories: because nobody rhymes like Walt. Cheers…
Well, I have a comment caught up in moderation, so in the mean time I’ll offer up a bit o’ doggerel in honor of the 80th birthday of The Belmont Club’s poet laureate, Walt:
—
There once was a poet named Walt
Who would offer his verse without fault
Though he now is retired
At the Club he’s inspired
Those who emulate Keats, Donne, and Galt
—
Cheers,
L3
That other “F” word.
PHILADELPHIA — Warning: Don’t mention the “F” word to Philadelphia center fielder Shane Victorino.
Thank you L3 for the fine limerick, and thanks to all for best wishes on my birthday. We are family here at Belmont Club, and I thank you all for being here, for the wonderful and often colorful commentary on the day’s events, for your passionate defense of liberty and honor, both of which are in danger of being lost. I will not single out any one commenter for I enjoy all of you, and often read with pleasure far into the night. I would be remiss, of course, if I failed to acknowledge the genius of Wretchard the Cat, Richard Fernandez, the man who brings us together every day, the man who makes the wonder of the Belmont Club possible.
The flame of life and liberty burns brightly
We stand athwart the creeping liberal tide
The Belmont Club still beckons to us nightly
Like Paul Revere we take our midnight ride
Upon the day’s events as Wretchard sees them
And every now and then a thought occurs
And words and thoughts flow by and so we seize them
And put them down as smoothly as liqueurs
We hope we give some pleasure to our readers
We hope they share a smile or think That’s right!
Together we’ll elect much better leaders
And with that thought it’s time to say good night
Walt Erickson
Fun stuff guys. Shall we try it again next year?
Thank you, Wretchard, L3, Walt, Subotai, and everyone here. This is THE place on the web. And Happy Birthday, Walt. Your poems today remind me of the hobbits’ birthday custom.
Congratulations to L3. I am awed and humbled to be so well thought of by such esteemed company. Thank you all very very much. The last two days when the threads were just what I am itching to get into I have been tied up with life. The good news is that my furry friend does not appear to have cancer. On the other hand tonight I almost witnessed a shooting and did I hope aid the PD in a small capacity.
LotM/49; don’t you mean you witnessed an almost-shooting?
if i say, “i almost read your comment” that means you did make a comment. If i say “i read your almost-commment” that means you were about to make one but didn’t.
yes i know –if you didn’t make a comment, what was it that i read, in that case, right? All i can say is, if you remember when Col. Nick Nolte was chewing out the company CO in “The Thin Red Line”, he said “And another thing. Don’t keep telling me I’m right. We’ll just assume it, okay?” So anyhoo, you don’t have to tell me my analogy fell apart, let’s just assume i know it, okay?
What, no post with the best of L3′s posts?
Be so kind as to guide us to learn from our T.A.
Happy Birthday Walt
LotM- Glad to hear you and your four-footed friend are OK
Happy Halloween everybody!
Greetings from Greece – home of Συμπόσιον – to all you fellow BCers.
Thanks to all the regualar posters – I enjoy reading your comments almost as much as reading Wretchard’s essays. I agree with the choice of L3. Thank you Leo for explaining the recent financial chaos in an intelligent way and with good humor!
For Walt:
χρόνια πολλά! Many happy returns
Congrats, Leo!
Happy birthday, Walt!
Sorry for concise mode, despite that time does not exist and it is only a method of organizing things in our minds, I must be disorganized because I don’t seem to have a handle on it (time that is).
Got an idea… pulling off BC threads as far as possible and organizing them in some fashion. Searches and indexing that would make looking up things easier. It will be also a backup of sorts.
Just a bit fuzzy at the moment, but I am sure it will clear out soon. Once I scope it, may need some help–will provide the details what help is needed.
Don’t let the defense attorneys get hold of that statement, LOTM. Best take it down now, bury it.
I will add my feeble voice to the chorus of congratulation for LL3.
Leo, you have the added satisfaction of knowing that your prize was not the gift of a committee of dimwitted Norwegians.
L3, congratulations. It was fairly obvious early on that you were going to walk away with it and a well-deserved outcome it is. I think Wretchard nailed it when he said you are “a teacher in the best sense and those are rare.” To be able to explain something – especially something like finance and economics, which is a pretty dry subject for many of us – and make it not only understandable but also interesting… well that takes a rare talent indeed.
Walt – a day late with my felicitations but happy birthday yesterday. If I should attain an age of 80 years, I would hope to possess a mind even half as nimble as yours.
Belmonters, I thank God for each one of you. May He protect and preserve you every one in the days ahead and may we be free to carry on with our piece of the great conversation at Wretchard’s oasis of sanity.
It is a great honor just to be mentioned among all the outstanding commentators on Belmont Club. Congratulations to L3 for his much deserved recognition.
BTW, though I actually played French Horn in High School I would be delighted to join the rest of the oboe section in your orchestra.
The joy of reading everyone’s posts and having a place to articulate my own views in writing adds to the pleasure of being a small part of this community.
And thanks most of all to our host, Wretchard. I certainly agree with presbypoet’s characterization — the kind of community I hope to match in heaven.
For Walt
Happy Birthday!
…and many more!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CkV4KJc-QE
All the best to the club, on my way to Granada soon
and happy bithday to Walt
Thank you Doug. That was wonderful.
Walt
I am more than honored to even be mentioned..
Much congrats to ALL of those who have helped clear my much muddled mind over the last few years…
So much has been covered, usually weeks or months BEFORE the MSM even gets a clue about topics that the BC discuss, tear apart and chew on…
I thank the BC for all the posters who bring to the table their life long accumulation of knowledge and insight, but lest we forget our host…
A sincere thanks for the BC…
An oasis of thoughtful thought in a desert of sound bites and McDonald’s POVs…
Congratultaions to all BC-ers. And special thanks to our host, Wretchard, for this whim. Made us all think back a bit and appreciate even more what a treasure trove we’ve had.
Congrats to all. L3 would’ve been my choice, too, but my vote was unnecessary. Living in California, I’m used to that.
Happy Birthday (one day late), Walt.
Congratulations, Leo, and bravo zulu. You are a great example of what elite can and should be. And I mean that as a compliment. You use your gifts for the enrichment of others, with a generosity of mind and spirit that is sorely needed in our nation today. God bless.
First let me say that L3 is most deserving of his illumination. The Man ( and he is a Man with a capital M. And I am secure enough in my masculinity to say so out loud.) works on a scale rarely seen in modern day society. He should be recognized for such herculean effort. I know his reward truly lies in Heaven, but that doesn’t mean we can’t give him something to tide him over until that day arrives. May it come at a time of his choosing. All of the posters who were nominated are good people and have contributed immensely to the landscape that is BC. I meant it when I said that this place is a worthy substitute for a college course or three. It should be mandatory reading for those of 15 and older.
Walt, HAPPY BIRTHDAY! That is a milestone if I do say so. May I be so blessed to reach that day with the lucidness of your mind.
exhelodrvr, THAT was a coffee spitter. Nicely placed and smooth with just the right amount of drollness. Hahahaha
herb, It is good to see Dede step aside. But it is the systemic actions that bother me more than the person herself. When you have the machine spitting out candidates that are the antithesis of Republicanism/Conservatism. There must surely be a virus/worm in the software. I suspect we will have to nuke the harddrive and reinstall a more robust OS without such exploitable holes.
It is good to be here among the illuminated.
There is a software application out there that I’ve seen used in other places that will show graphically where everyone who wants to be shown is on a map of the world. It’s been several years but as I remember, you enter your nickname and city (if you choose to), and it appears on a map as a star or a dot along with everyone else’s dots. The viewer can then slide around the scren, clicking on the various dots, to see who is where.
Although then the terrorists (and the Obama White House) would know exactly which cities to aim for.
NahnCee,
Wretchard’s portal home.
L3, at the time I sent your two bits (explaining the finance involved in the crash that caused the bubble to pop) to friends of mine and to my own kids. People on whom I would not wish harm to descend because I sure couldn’t explain it and have it make sense. The recognition of your contribution is deserved and we are all richer for the sharing.
Congratulations, and thank you.
He who reacheth age of 80
ought clarify birth year as “A.D.”
(sorry Walt, but you had it coming!)
doug’s #59 send to the birthday boy had a side link to a recent Canada Day performance by Gordon Lightfoot –much older and wiser looking than back in the Big Time Folkie days –of what i’d call his signature song –some wonderful bittersweet lyrics –and a lump-in-your-throat performance –of “If You Could Read My Mind”.
Buddy — “A.D.”? I thought we were all “B.C.” Liked your 24, always whisical stuff. Thanks.
Walt
Eighty?
Walt’s poetry emulates
emotions of youth,
and winks with deep wisdom.
As a “Lurker”, I must say that no day is complete without a visit to the Belmont Club. I am constantly amazed by Wretchard’s posts as well as those of the “Posteriat”. To paraphrase: A day without the Belmont Club is like a day without sunshine. Thanks to all of you (especially Wretchard) for making my life more complete. I can never compensate you adequately.
Thanks to the clear and insightful bout of reality I receive on each and every visit to these hallowed halls, I have gone from 209 pounds at the end of tax season to 172 today…inbound to 160. You all scared me straight with your incredible offerings and the picture painted was that I needed to be “ready” in more ways than one for our impending uncertain future.
Congratulations to L3 for the recognition he so deserves for his consistent achievement and thanks to everyone who brings incisive analysis allowing all of us to better see the “truth” Wretchard writes in “Bows and Flows.” That message and the ones that occur here routinely may actually save lives in our perilous future. The “light” at the end of the tunnel must be seen for what it is, before it too quickly arrives sporting the rictus of the abyss.
Whew…! I’m just glad there wasn’t a pop quiz. I spent all this time scrolling and scouring, since that first day when the nominations were announced, and I went down threads I read through once upon a time and thought I remembered, found a recent comment by whiskey, that was actually congruent with another comment on a different thread on a different day, different week or even month maybe, by wretchard (believe it or not), didn’t pay attention to it, lost it, then couldn’t find it again, dithered, I confess I dithered and never got around nominating anyone’s specific comment, much less the two that were a revelation (esp. together) to me on a pet theological/philosophical political point. Dithered some more, wrote something. went elsewhere, etc etc etc.
I’ve been lürking, so don’t count me out. Just call me Lerkle.
I actually considered starting the Peggy Noonan post with- “Sonnava!…no wait, I don’t know where to begin, so I’ll be back soon….”….
I’ve been elsewhere,
spreading my manure around, spreading the manure around (nobody was sure exactly whose manure it was).I don’t expect a lawsuit or nothing, just punitive taxation, but we’ve been through that a million times, and besides, it might could probably be off-topic.
I didn’t get to say or link to what I wanted to, but I’ll work it in at a later date.
I do concede to the winner though; congratulations to LL3, you set a high standard we can all aspire to, and you’ve done the work, so it is well deserved and earned.
# 3 Cannoneer No.4,
I commented at ___ website and all I got was this tuba Prep H
I certainly got what I needed.
GP/77; good thing you followed their rectumindation
@69 Wadeusaf
Actually that map doesn’t show BC’s commenters, just some other blogs that he links with. A map showing the commenters would have lots more balloons – possibly too many to make sense of in some places!
I’ve seen maps that show the density of commenters in a given area with red circles of varying size but they don’t identify anyone
Yeah, that’s right buddy, it gives me an idea: now I’m tempted to pay my taxes in ‘carbon credits’, if you know what I mean.
GP, i asked an expert if carbon credits were fungible –he said nogible.
GP & bl,
I’ve watched my kids trading Pokiman cards before and that sir is No “Gible”.
Of course on HMS, would that be nog-able or grog-able.
Either way gible is no fun, and just mean when drunk.
LOL –and ALWAYs glad not to be the only witless punster on the thread
I am surprised that I got no votes, even though this is my first post in five years of reading BC. Some of my posts might have been great!! Kidding.
You all have me out classed by, as some say here, “an order of magnitude”. (Is that like lots and lots of gratitude or attitude, I am not sure.)
Its always a good read. Thanks to all.
Congrats, Leo!
Happy birthday, Walt
I have been reading the Belmont Club for about two years. It has been like being in a graduate seminar on a multitude of subjects. The erudition, wisdom, humor and wit I’m privileged to read each day makes me feel enlighted, edified. Some day I may have the wisdom and experience to contribute more. In the meantime I will absorb and learn from all of you.
From a Cuban American criminal defense investigator in San Jose California, thank you all.
Tuduri
marymcl,
“density of commenters in a given area ”
Just curious, which area has the densest commenters?
86 exhelodriver
I guess that was too good to pass up
T/85; about an hour ago your mayor was interviewed on Fox BizNews (coulda been taped earlier but not much earlier) and nearly knocked me off my chair. Speaking quietly and very intensely, on the proximate topic of the state of California having just levied another 75 (or 175) million out of the city’s coffers on some ad hoc emergency measure, he said the state was ‘no longer repairable’, that the entire political situation was ‘not capable of resolution’ and that what is coming is ‘a reboot of the entire California structure’. he said more but you get the gist. this was no pol talking his book –everything about it was different. His mien, i think is the word, was totally flat and very very grim.