Flibbertigibbet

Here, Bite Down On This

Are you looking to pull some more traffic to your site?

One good way to do that is to share some link love. You link to someone and they link to you and it's a great, big link love-in.

Well, Venomous Kate of Electric Venom does some link sharing every Tuesday. TODAY! And she gives two links just for one.

So, if you're looking to improve your Google stats, Technorati links, or whatever... try sharing the love!

Getting Ready to Move

Pixy Misa, the mastermind behind Munuviana, has been working on migrating my site to the new blogging system. I am SO excited about it. There are lots of really nifty new tools that I will be able to use.

One day, you guys are going to drop by and it will look WAY different and then slowly I will be tweaking it to get it into the look and layout that I like. It'll be a fun process. You'll love it.

I Banned You Because You're Stupid

I am far less patient with commenters on my site than most people. I will delete comments and ban people quite readily. Recently, a commenter came to my site and decided to try my patience with this style of argumentation:

Me: Even though Y is the most popular solution, sometimes X is the correct approach.

Them: So, you think you should never Y?

Me: No, don't be stupid. You should do Y when that's the right thing to do, but Y isn't always the right thing to do, so you should do X when appropriate.

Them: I can't believe you called me names! AND you think you should never Y. This is the opposite of everything anyone has ever said about this topic ever. Y is better than X. I can give numerous examples of cases when you should do Y and I am just going to pretend like you haven't given reasons or explanation about why you might X because OBVIOUSLY the topic of your post was about the fact that you should never do Y.

Me: I'm deleting your last comment and banning you from this site, you idiotic, obtuse asshat.

See, I don't respond well to people with very poor reading comprehension skills and even weaker powers of reasoning. I've been known to skim over an important qualifying phrase before, so I cut people a little bit of slack, but there is a limit to even my vast oceans of generosity and patience.

So, gentle readers, please be warned. This ain't the Old Testament. I don't always give you directions for avoiding the smite, but I am god on my little blog. Tremble ye before my mighty IP banning powers!

Final Bow!?!?!

Cox & Forkum is stopping regular creation/publication of their editorial cartoons!

The fact that they've been able to create and publish such high-quality cartoons on a daily basis for so long is impressive to say the least. Of course, it is the fact that they did publish them on a daily basis that got me hooked on the site. It was often through them that I became aware of many issues on the political news scene and so I am very sad to see them go.

?.",(;!]:'

In the frenzy of activity that has been my work lately, I missed that National Punctuation Day was two days ago!!!

OBloggers Carnival: Bizzy Day in which I Saw Martha Edition!

Rational Jenn is hosting this week's Oblogger's carnival!

Nelson Khan presents Five Myths About Selfish People posted at The Clear Path.

Stella presents Cancer Treatment Pricing Awareness Month posted at ReasonPharm, saying, "In which I respond to the usual charges leveled during cancer awareness months that pharmaceutical companies must be forced to provide less expensive cancer treatments through price controls." This one is well-worth reading.

Flibbert presents Movie Review: Helvetica posted at Flibbertigibbet, saying, "I spent most of the week fussing with that weasel McGinn, and while some of the points are interesting, they're kind of a buzzkill. Instead, I'm posting a link to my review of the movie Helvetica. It's actually an interesting presentation about the history of the typeface, Helvetica. Those with an interest in design will likely enjoy this film." I never thought a movie about a font would interest me, but Flibbert has me very intrigued.

Monica presents Sexual Conflict and Deception posted at Spark A Synapse, saying, "Gender bender warfare!" I'll say!

CORGIGUY presents THE AUTHORITARIAN PERSONALITY posted at CORGIGUY, saying, "This post takes a look at a study done in 1998 and the recent book Conservatives Without Conscience by John Dean from Watergate fame, it highlights the traits of authoritarian followers."

Darren Cauthon presents The essence of the webcaster's argument posted at Darren Cauthon, saying, "This post includes fancy computer graphics." Indeed, it does!

Rational Jenn presents Probably WAY More Than You Ever Wanted To Know About The NEA posted at Rational Jenn, saying, "The National Education Association has published its 2007-08 Resolutions! I reviewed the homeschooling resolution and the first 30 or so pages of the document. There's something in there for everyone, the color-blind, southpaws, and more! If you have ever wondered what the NEA's stance on genocide is, don't miss this post!" I've been feeling snarky this week.

Click! Go! Read!

(I saw Martha!! Eeeee!)

My New Stalker: Colin McGinn

Just at the moment when I am ready to be done with Colin McGinn, he begins wooing me in earnest. I got an email just this morning that said:

Sometimes people have to be called by their proper name and put in their place. You never know, you might even benefit from it. Stupidity is never harmless.

You'll note that this not a response in the traditional sense to the last note that I sent him. It's like he's just sitting there trying to think of degrading things to say to me. It's kind of sad, really.

So, of course, I responded to him.

I've named you a liar and a coward publicly. I've given the reasons why I came to my conclusions.

You, again, are asserting a position without any supporting argumentation. You hide by deleting comments from your blog and sending private emails. And now you're simply spews insulting emails over the internet. This isn't even a proper conversation. I'm asking you questions and providing you with arguments and you're just hitting reply and banging out insulting non sequiturs.

Not only are you dishonest, cowardly, irrational, and churlish, you're behaving now like a juvenile with a bruised ego

You should note that I have been publishing our exchanges to my own blog so that others might also benefit.

I'd like to discontinue this exchange, so please do not email me again.

His insults are so boring, too!

They're utterly devoid of any content that can be addressed. If he said, "I think you're a pompous fool because yadda yadda yadda," then I could say, "As usual, you seem to have misplaced your dictionary because blah blah blah. Further, you're a liar because you said X when you know that Y is the case." And, of course, we could lace these notes with all sorts of colorful invectives.

That might be entertaining for a little bit. But nooooo... His emails are the email equivalent of "LA! LA! LA! LA! LA! I CAN'T HEAR YOU! YOU ARE STUPID! LA! LA! LA! LA!"

I guess I have an unreasonable expectation that even exchanges of insults will progress as with any other conversation. I've spent a little too much time reading British literature, too, I think, because my expectations of their insults is quite a bit higher than anything he's managed to deliver so far. Like I said, boring.

Maybe he's in love with me and he's been driven insane with jealousy because I have a boyfriend already.

Update 1: McGinn responded to my last email. He wrote, "Excellent!"

I won't reply to this one because I am taking that to mean that he is going to stop emailing me, although if he hadn't responded I would have understood the same thing.

Given how petty he has behaved over the duration, I take this email to be one of those I-have-to-have-the-last-word things.

Update 2: In rapid succession, McGinn wrote again to say:

And perhaps you would be so kind as not to contribute further to my blog.

I responded with this:

Sorry. I can't commit to that.

You're more than welcome to comment on my blog for as long as I don't block you, though.

I've been debating whether or not I should post links to my blog with our exchanges on his site. I'm not sure if it's worthwhile since it might invite his trolls over here. Of course, I do love getting lots of comments and traffic, so I'm kind of conflicted over that.

Update 3: If I were to post links to my posts on his blog, it would look something like this:

Hey, McGinn!

I've been publishing our email exchanges on my blog. Perhaps your other readers might be interested in how you conduct yourself when no one is looking.

This is about you deleting comments: It's Like Picking a Scab

And here are some that include our email exchanges in which you bombard me with insults as apparent retribution for your bruise ego.

I'm Through

My New Stalker: Colin McGinn

I really doubt I will, though, because at this point I doubt anyone really cares. McGinn's conduct speaks for itself and his toady commenters lack an ability to be objective.

But I'll keep that handy just in case I see some sudden inspiration to expose McGinn on his own blog for the rotten little weasel he is.

Update 4: McGinn declined my invitation to comment on my blog saying, "No thanks" and I explained to him:

Well, it's a forum that is open to a majority of the public including you (for the moment), should you feel the need to unburden your conscience or engage me in someway. I don't invite the sort of foolishness you've demonstrated here or on your blog, but it is presently at your disposal. Otherwise, you have your own blog which may be used to issue statements to or about me.

I don't want to engage you in private discussions, however, because you've demonstrated that you are too cowardly and dishonest to be trusted to maintain any sort of rational standard of discourse even casually and at least in public others can see you for what you are and judge for themselves.

So, those are the only two channels through which I care to engage you or be engaged by you -- if at all.

Update 5: McGinn replied, "I, for my part, simply want you to go away."

So I said, "Then go away. What's stopping you?"

So silly.

Update 6: McGinn answered my rhetorical question saying, "The fact that you insist on contributing to my blog, obviously."

That isn't really all that obvious to me, but I responded:

Ah. So, you're emailing me because I commented on your website? That comment really didn't require a response, but you did speak your mind on that, I think. I haven't commented on your website since yesterday, so why do you keep emailing me now?

What's to stop you from just ignoring me anyway?

Also, may I suggest a change in your blogging software? Many packages do offer IP banning which allows you to block people from commenting on your site if they really annoy you or something. Word Press and Movable Type both offer this. I use MT and I would ban you if you started being "obnoxious junk" on my website.

Now, do stop harassing me by email. Be a propper blogger and write snotty things about me on your blog or something.

Update 7: McGinn's webmater has posted a new policy about posting comments on McGinn's blog.

I have to laugh because much of this new policy is inspired by McGinn's frustrations in dealing with me. But the part that really tickles me is the introduction which describes him as "an eminent philosopher [...], who has generously agreed to write and participate in this public forum."

What a pompous jackass he is!

The new rules for his blog are:

1) Comments are welcome but will be deleted if they are disrespectful or intentionally antagonistic towards either Professor McGinn or other participants. And just like in baseball, an IP address will be blocked after the deletion of three comments.

Again, nothing is mentioned about the standard they will use to make this determination. I submit that McGinn's own standards are inconsistent and capricious. He and those arguing on his behalf both engaged in antagonistic, disrespectful commentary toward the opposition, but their comments remained.

Also, although I'm not a sports buff, the last time I heard no one was punished in baseball by having their IP address blocked.

2) E-mail inquiries sent through the Contact Me window are also welcome but if the e-mail is a personal attack or deemed inappropriate by Professor McGinn or myself, the IP address will be automatically blocked.

I'm not sure if this is an accurate statement. If you use Yahoo! or Google mail, will they blog Yahoo! and Google's IP addresses? Strange. But again we're confronted with McGinn's double standards here.

3) One instance of defamatory, injurious, or slanderous comments posted on another site will automatically result in a blocked IP address.

This I know is directed toward me because I've documented every exchange (minus one comment that he deleted before I could save it) he and I have had.

I should state for the record that all of these rules are perfectly within his rights. McGinn's blog is McGinn's blog and in spite of what he says, it is not my property to manage.

I can, however, criticize the way he does manage his property. But I am pleased to see that he is taking my advice and making use of IP blocking instead of harassing people via email. I think his poor little ego will avoid much bruising with this policy in place.

Well, I think this whole silly thing is winding down. I hope not to hear from McGinn again and I dare say he hopes not to hear from me.

Update 8: One last thing! I was poking around on McGinn's blog to see what else he was saying on other topics really quick before I let him go completely and I spotted another instance of him being sneaky.

In his post on Utilitarianism, he comments on his own post saying:

The texts I'm using in my class are: Ethics: The Fundamentals, by Julia Driver; The Dimensions of Ethics, by Wilfrid Waluchow; Ethical Theory: A Concise Anthology, eds. Geirsson and Holmgren. You will find everything I've said about relativism, divine command theory, egoism and utilitarianism amply and perspicuously discussed in these books. Nothing I have said here has been original. My usage of key terms is entirely in conformity with the usage in these texts, e.g. "altruism". I invite you to have a look and see. Generally speaking, I find it boring to repeat arguments and points that can be found in any undergraduate text on the subject in question. On the question of altruism, in particular, be very careful about distinguishing the obligatory from the supererogatory, and bear in mind that altruism comes in degrees.

NOW he presents his sources. And that doesn't change the fact that his formulations in the discussion do not agree with other sources relevant to the topic.

Further, his focus on altruism in this comment seem to be clearly directed to much of the fuss made in the egoism discussion about his use of the term, which makes us wonder why he hid the remark under a post about Utilitarianism instead of just coming right out with it.

Further, he's moving the goalposts again. In his post on egoism, he acts as if he has thoroughly debunked the philosophy. Here he says that he don't care to address certain arguments that he deems beneath him.

The man is a weasel.

QA Hates You

Brian Noggle has started a new blog! It's QA Hates You!

It's kind of true. Our QA department hates me. They're always so helpful, but I know they hate me because I am always asking them to hurry up and I never give them everything they need to do their job. I'm kind of their worst nightmare.

9 of the Most Repulsive Buildings on Earth

9 of the Most Repulsive Buildings on Earth from Deputy Dog.

He's not kidding. The Westin is near my work in New York and it's really strange looking in an eye-sore sort of way. It even looks out of place in Times Square if you ask me.

Thanks to Johndavid for this link!

OBloggers Carnival

Ergo of Ergo Sum is the host of this week's Objectivist Bloggers Carnival.

I've been super busy this week and neglected to submit a post myself, but there are other entries for you to enjoy!

CORGIGUY presents LOSING MY RELIGION - R.E.M posted at CORGIGUY, saying, “Here’s a post i did about existential crisis and the song Loosing my religion”

Myrhaf presents Ironic Provincialism posted at Myrhaf.

Darren Cauthon presents A Net in Neutral? posted at Darren Cauthon, saying, “I don’t know if this subject matter is what this round-up is about, but if you’re looking for posts by Objectivists I guess this counts. :)”

Kendall Justiniano presents EU to Microsoft: “You’re too good” posted at The Crucible & Column, saying, “Post on the injustice of the recent upholding of anti-trust judgments against Microsoft.”

John Drake presents Popular misconceptions posted at Try Reason!, saying, “A comment on an interview with Founder’s College CEO Fuller”

Rational Jenn presents Some NCLB Info posted at Rational Jenn, saying, “There is new language in the draft of NCLB that suggests, among other things, that schools help parents monitor television viewing in their homes. Naturally that means schools (and the government) would then be monitoring the parents.”

Diana Hsieh presents Colin McGinn on Egoism posted at NoodleFood, saying, “Philosopher Colin McGinn claims to refute egoism with a quick argument. I strenuously disagree.”

Marc and Angel presents Abortion: There are Two Sides to Every Story posted at Marc and Angel, saying, “Abortion is one of the touchiest subjects of our time primarily due to widely varying beliefs concerning the exact moment at which “life” actually begins. My best friend once told me, “There are two sides to every story.”

Ergo presents Moral Dilemmas posted at Leitmotif, saying, “How does Objectivism approach hypothetical moral dilemmas?”

To link to these posts, visit Ergo's blog, Leitmotif!

Widgets

I've been tinkering with my blog a lot lately and things have been stacking up on the left side.

Per some reader feedback (Inspector) I've increased the 'recent comments' box to show the last 20 comments. But now that column is REAAALLY long. You have to scroll a ways to get to the other archives.

Our wonderful administrator, Pixy, has been saying that we're going to migrate to new blogging software in a while. At that time our templates are going to break, I think.

That said, I think I might do a whole new redesign. While I like the general idea of this one a lot, it's a little too low contrast for my tastes. I want things to be snappier and easier to read and scan. (The transparency bit on the blog posts is particularly irritating to me.)

I want to add advertising and some of those widgets like digg and all that.

PLUS, my old posts have yet to be imported. I hate that they aren't available to you or me for reference. (Can you believe I've actually been blogging since 2003?)

Anyway, I'm prattling on for no good reason. Just some thoughts I had about the direction of my blog. I just wanted to warn you about coming changes.

If there is something in particular you'd like to see on the site, let me know. I will try to look into it when I get some time. (Rachel, I haven't forgotten the RSS feed for comments. I just haven't thought of a way to do that easily.)

Fiddle Fiddle Fiddle...

I'm tinkering with my templates at the moment. Things might act weird for you. Just chill. Thanks!

Update: OK. I hope nothing is broken. The site is still rebuilding, but what I've seen so far looks fine.

I basically added another site traffic thingie and made my archive entries look more like the front page.

I can't wait for it to stop running because Mister Bookworm is right downstairs waiting on me, so I am going to stop what I'm doing and go see him.

Y'all have a great weekend!

Bloggy Goodness

Hey, Readers!

I was just looking at my stats and noticed that my average visits per day is over 150! GOOD JOB!

And I was looking at the trend over the past 30 days and it looks like visits are on the rise. You guys rock!

Ok. Our next goal is to get that average up over 200.

Thanks!

Objectivist Carnival

Rational Jenn presents Indentured Servitude posted at Rational Jenn. She says, "This is pretty much why I hate TIME Magazine."

Monica presents Human Collages posted at Spark A Synapse.

Ergo presents Richard Dawkins is not an Atheist posted at Leitmotif. He says, "By his own admission, Richard Dawkins is not an atheist--at least not a "strong" one. I point out how this philosophic shortcoming is a logical outcome of his empiricism. Only Objectivism offers the most robust framework for rejecting the supernatural and upholding the primacy of existence."

And finally, I (Flibbert) submitted Cities: Capitalist Paradise or Socialist Hives? posted at Flibbertigibbet. My comment: "A lively discussion about the economic advantages of suburbs versus cities ensued from this post. One thing we can all agree on is this: Collectivism sucks!!"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Objectivists! The carnival is a weekly event of link love and traffic sharing! (Or is it link sharing and traffic love? I can't remember.)

Anyway, you should submit your links weekly and volunteer to host. By submitting links, you have a weekly opportunity to catch the eye of new readers via other people's blogs. And when you host, your blog becomes the go-to site for new, interesting posts from the world of Objectivism.

Feed your mind and spirit by reading the carnival! Feed your blog by participating!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

We also had one posting from a Libertarian. I want to point out that I do not endorse the Libertarian Party or their loosey-goosey ideas about "freedom." I've said as much multiple times and I would also point out that Ayn Rand herself denounced the LP. Suffice it to say that the Libertarian Party and its associated political philosophy however poorly defined is not consistent with Objectivism. Therefore, Libertarian posts are not welcome in the carnival.

I am pointing this out to make it clear that Libertarians are not invited to join our carnival.

However, Stephen Littau, submitted something and he seems to be a Libertarian who has spent a little time reading about Objectivism. I don't think he submitted his link out of any malicious or subversive motivation whatsoever. It's more likely to me that he isn't aware of Objectivism's objections to the LP. I want to encourage him in pursuing Objectivism, so I've decided to link to his blog of my own accord and not as part of the carnival, nor do I endorse this as being reflective of Objectivism.

Stephen Littau presents Tradition—The Most Dangerous Fallacy of All posted at Fearless Philosophy For Free Minds.

Hosts of the carnival, myself included, reserve the right not to include any links submitted to the carnival for any reasons they care to apply.

Objectivist Bloggers Carnival

I'm hosting the Objectivist Bloggers Carnival this week! The deadline for submissions is 9/12, so get your posts in!

Also, there were some concerns about the name and description, so for those, the name and description has been updated to now read:

Name: objectivist round up
Filed under: religion & philosophy
Keywords: Objectivism, Objectivist, Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged, Leonard Peikoff
Carnival Description: This carnival accepts original posts from Objectivist bloggers on any topic. Posts are not accepted from non-Objectivist authors. It is published every Thursday (the deadline is Wednesday).

Cities: Capitalist Paradise or Socialist Hives?

I've been reading through Inspector's posts on cars and urban sprawl and what not. He makes a lot of really good observations about the underlying Marxist ideology in those who argue against suburbs. Here's a favorite of mine:

And why should anyone want walking and other methods of transportation to be practical? “Other methods,” of course, is code for public (*cough*socialist*cough*) transportation. One may as well complain that suburbs don’t facilitate well the use of rickshaws or horses. No, they don’t… but what’s your point, commie? People move to the suburbs because they hate walking or riding on filthy, communist, public transport.

There is absolutely no doubt that the major cities in the US today are -- at least with regard to their political milieu -- bastions of collectivism. They have the most pervasive and expensive welfare programs, the most numerous, bothersome, and invasive rules and regulations. They typically have higher property and income taxes than those found elsewhere. Examples are insanely easy to find.

- Government subsidies for public transportation systems
- Government funding for free HIV testing in minority-dominant neighborhoods like Chinatown and Harlem
- Buildings over 6 stories must have a water tower atop to help fight fires
- Public street sweeping and garbage collection
- Government intervention in the provision of utilities like gas, electric, cable, and telephone
- Buildings in some areas of the LA metropolitan area may not exceed a certain height.
- Buildings in some areas of the Atlanta metropolitan area must conform to city "aesthetic" regulations which govern the height placement and sizes of signs, color of buildings, and even types of vegetation that can be planted.
- Liquor licenses
- Cabaret licenses

The list goes on and on. Internationally we see similar things. Sao Paolo Brazil basically outlawed outdoor advertising earlier this year.

So, I started reading that stuff because Inspector and I were discussing the virtue or vice of big cities. He had remarked:

For all their bluster, the big cities are basically outdated socialist money-holes that use coercive government to prop up their overcrowded nonsense. They are the NASA of landscapes: full of big, impressive-looking things but rotten with statism to the core.

He also said that cities should come with an asterisk denoting "brought to you by Statism!"

I am still not very clear on what he means by all that since we both agree that cities in themselves are not the product of socialism.

We did briefly discuss what it would mean if suddenly a proper political ideology were adopted and enforced.

a sudden shift in political ideology toward one of freedom would result in a great population shift away from deep urban environments? Even still, I don't see that as being necessarily the case. I am sure a lot of people would leave, at first. But I am also sure that a lot of people would stay and others would probably move in. There are huge economic advantages to living in such close quarters.

If I project the course of events of such a sudden turn around, the biggest problem I see would be law enforcement. For some reason, as we saw at the turn of the century, some folks have problems distinguishing crime and business. We still see that today when people can't figure out that fraud is a crime whereas paying low wages is not.

Anyway, a sudden shift to capitalism would probably result in a short-term bout of chaos, which would drive many people out of the cities. Once businesses get things in hand -- like the subway for which I believe many people WOULD pay good money for reliable, comfortable service -- I think we'd see a lot of people coming back to the city to live and work.

But I'm not saying this as a contradiction to Inspector's projection of a boom in suburban life. It seems very probable that we would see an explosion of people moving away from the city and establishing commerce and industry away from the "deep urban" environments, eg. Manhattan.

I think some people would probably drive up to a point and then they would get on trains to come into the city and train service would likely expand to allow for that.

Cities like Atlanta which are already very car-centric would probably not change their basic character, but I think you would see areas of increasing population density as people move to take advantage of the economic benefits of living, working, shopping all in close proximity.

I'm biased, though. In spite of my recent observations about how much fun it is to drive, these stupid government-permitted multi-use facilities like the one in Atlanta whose name escapes me at the moment are a dream come true for me. In fact, I'm one of these people up supports the notion of a metropolitan superstructure deal where the city becomes one, sort of, mega-building.

Naturally, I think there is a large portion of the population who wouldn't like that and for them there would be suburbs and areas where tracts of property are larger.

My point is simply that I don't see why big cities and socialism are necessarily linked. Cannot capitalism give rise to what I'm calling deep urban environments?

Inspector, please do pitch in here. I'm fairly sure I've missed the point of your remarks, but I'm not sure where.

Objectivist Carnival

The latest installation of the Objectivist Carnival is up at Rational Jenn's place!

This installation includes:

- My review of The Secret History of the Pink Carnation
- Martin Lindeskog offers a post about some hoopla over cartoons of Muhammad in a Swedish newspaper.
- Stephen Sliviniski, economist, author of Buck Wild, Director of Budget Analysis for the Cato Institute, and DWSUWF favorite, comments on recently released CBO budget estimates.
- Rational Jenn herself comments on the National Education Association.

This week also includes a non-Objectivist post:

- Eric Michael Johnson discusses some physiological explanations for religious visions or revelations.

Enjoy!

"Violently Masochistic"

Mister Bookworm pointed me to this website this evening: Veiled Conceit. Self-described as "a glimpse into that haven of superficial, pretentious, pseudo-aristocratic vanity: The NY Times' Wedding & Celebration Announcements," this does not even begin to describe what really goes on in this blog. Here's an all too brief sample:

I could come up with a dictionary's worth of words to describe how intros like that make me feel. Here's a sneak peek at a few of the words: violently misanthropic.

But go read it for yourself. It's wickedly funny.

Selling Out

Sooooo... I'm probably going to put some ads on my site. I might also do some sponsored postings, which means I would subject you to posts about things for which I'm paid to write about.

I'm still looking into it, but of course I will let you all know. Also, I will post a disclosure policy regarding advertising. I will let you all know that as well.

I realize my Objectivist readership will have few issues with this practice, but I'm interested in dissenting or non-Objectivist thoughts on the matter. Anyone?

Widgets

Since I'm pouting and playing the role of the disgruntled employee right now, I decided to take a few minutes and tinker with my blog.

The results are two new widgets in the column to the left: Recent Comments and Good Reads.

Recent Comments was requested by reader Rachel who likes to keep track of discussions, but often loses old posts. She actually asked for some kind of RSS feed for comments, but I don't have that right now, so I just got the code to show recent comments. The last ten comments are shown with the most recent comment first. I can increase the number if you'd like. Just let me know.

Good reads is a website that Buddhista recently recommended for me. Basically, you go in and rate books that you've read and write reviews, etc. I've only rated a few books so far, but now you can keep track there, too.

Enjoy!

I'm going back to pouting about how I was denied a free trip to London but given all of the work that resulted from someone else going on that trip.

Spam

I got a little bit of comment spam over the past couple of days and had to close comments on some posts.

If you wanted to comment on those, sorry.

OBloggers Carnival #6

Rational Jenn is hosting the OBloggers Carnival this week!

First, we have Flibbert presents You Sold It, You're To Blame posted at Flibbertigibbet, which is a brief discussion of how China's shoddy businessmen are giving the powermongers in our own government an excuse to poach more freedom.

joetab24 presents A Defense of Abortion posted at My Thoughts. His defense of abortion identifies the core reason the right to choose ought to exist.

Jason presents What Causes Sexual Desire? posted at Erosophia. This is the first part of a two part essay analyzing the nature of sexual attraction and the role philosophy plays in this process.

Dan Edge presents The Psycho-Epistemology of Sexuality, Part VI posted at The Edge of Reason. This is part 6 of a 6-part essay on The Psycho-Epistemology of Sexuality.

Myrhaf presents The Defining Premise posted at Myrhaf. I really enjoyed reading this novel approach to understanding the difference between liberals and conservatives.

To wrap up the great posts this week, Kim presents Are You Ready for Some Sex? posted at Kim's Play Place. This is a humorous look at understanding when it was OK to have sex in the Middle Ages. Kim writes, "It is much more complicated than you might think--the link includes a flow chart. Going to the link will allow you to see an enlarged version of the chart!"

It looks like the theme was SEX! No one told me, though.

Click over to Jenn's place and check it all out!

Not an Improvement

You guys are terrible. I gave you book, movie, and television reviews and you just had to call up some foreigners and get them to look at my website. Well, I went and looked at the map today and look at what I found:

First of all, South America is still not representing. I am, of course, still blaming Hugo Chavez for this.

Second, you managed to chase off my Australians.

AND you chased away that guy in Egypt who likes shemales. Maybe he just got tired or dehydrated or something.

Strangely, you did manage to get a South African, a Malaysian, and someone in Singapore who all want to look at my belly.

I gotta say that even though our Western Yerpeen friends are making a solid show of things, overall this is not an improvement. Look at your traffic over the last seven days:

Not really all that impressive, I must say, but you're still learning. I mean, I didn't put this traffic thingie on my site until sometime in June, so you're still getting used to being measured on this.

120 visits per day is totally within your reach. Over the last 30 days, you've done it 10 times and for 20 of the last 30 days you had 100 visits per day.

One of the web pages that I made for one of my customers that allows people to sign up to receive spam emails gets about 130 people a day. That's 130 people signing up to get more spam. Every day!

I'd like to think that you like my blog better than spam, so know you can do it. You just have to try.

Update: I have rushed to judgment. I just looked at my overall stats and you guys have an average of 122 visits every day. Good job! Now, you need to aim for an average of 150 visits. It's a stretch, but I believe in you!

I will even try to post more pictures of shemales for that guy in Egypt.

Update 2: Some person in the Australian government just stopped by to look at what I thought about Moon Dog Acre Shiraz. (Hated it at first. Tried it again but wasn't really impressed.)

Update 3: I just got a visitor from the Netherlands and I realized that my Yerpeens are all interested in song lyrics or shemales. *sigh*

Update 4: Scotty, is that you in Kalamazoo?

The Terrorists Are Winning

As you can see from this map, the Terrorists or Hugo Chaves -- but I repeat myself -- are winning.

No one in my last 100 visitors is from South America. The rest of you did a fair job of calling your friends in Asia and Australia and Europe although I must admit that I thought you were more popular than that. And that one guy in Egypt is still here looking for shemales. It's nice to know I can count on someone.

So, either Hugo Chavez has succeeded in cutting down all the electrical wires or those people you call friends in South America hate you. I suggest you get on the phone now and work this out.

Think of the children!

Where my Yerpeens at?

If I can get a visitor from Europe soon, I will have had a visitor from all 6 inhabited continents in my last 100 visitors.

Wouldn't that be cool?

Also, people in Egypt, I know it's you coming here looking for shemales. Stop it. There is only one shemale picture on my website and it's not really all that juicy.

Update: I was thrown off by the distortion in the map, but the northernmost dot on that map comes from Finland! That means I had a visitor from every inhabited continent in my last 100 visitors! WOOHOO!

OBloggers' Posts of the Week

Running a little late on this, but here are the posts of the week from last week:

Rational Jenn is on a tear about excess security in public schools in Georgia.

Monica is giving the giggles with Denver-themed Barbies.

Ergo is analyzing one of the contradictions found in India's constitution.

Kyle Haight at Haight Speech (I love the name of his blog!) is discussing whether or not Objectivists are libertarians (small L).

And I submitted my post about shoddy Chinese products and the responsibility of American businesses to ensure the quality of the products they sell.

Enjoy!

It's Late

I can't really get into it right now because it's late and I should be sleeping, but I had a really great weekend.

I met some really cool people including this guy who knows Don Watkins and Alex Epstein, which means he's kind of a celebrity. Don't be jealous.

I also met Dan Edge. 'Nuff said.

My best friend from Georgia is also in town this week and we had a BBQ this evening that was really fun.

And, you know, Mister Bookworm is Mister Bookworm.

I need to go to bed. G'nite!

Like Whack-A-Mole

The Primacy of Awesome is closing, but Mike promises to open a new blog soon. It'll be an anonyblog, so he won't tell us what it is.

Sounds a lot like my blogs.

Well, keep your eyes peeled!

Don Watkins Excommunicated!!

Diana Hsieh has announced that Don Watkins has left Noodlefood. The official story is that Don Watkins -- whose commentary I've enjoyed for several years -- is becoming quite accomplished at ARI and as a result he can't blog any more.

For the naive, this is sad because Don won't be on Noodlefood, but really great because it means that he is getting to be very accomplished and successful in supporting Objectivism.

But obviously something is afoot at ARI because this can't possibly be the case. Someone MUST have been excommunicated. I would be surprised if there were contracts on lives out there for someone who talked to a Libertarian one time.

What's your crackpot theory about what Don Watkin's departure from Noodlefood means to Objectivists?

Lest anyone misunderstand, this post is jest. I am sad that I won't hear from Don any more via Noodlefood, but I look forward to his writing for ARI. I am also pleased that he has been successful and wish him only the best.

OBloggers Carnival

The Obloggers carnival is up!

Featuring posts from:
- Ergo
- Nicholas Provenzo
- joetab24
- Rational Jenn
- Flibbert
- Myrhaf
- Kim

Click over and enjoy!

Obloggers Posts of the Week

Here's this week's OBloggers Post of the Week round up:

Rational Jenn talks about Baby Einstein and then she talks about the possibility of a bloggers union. I don't know why people need a union. My salary as a blogger TRIPLED last year and is sure to increase even more this year since I merged two of my blogs into this one.

Gus van Horn is talking about leftists and Iraq.

Nick Provenzo submitted two links. Each are posts by Ed Cline. In this first one, he confronts the irritatingly common claim by conservatives that America was founded on Christian principles. To do so, he presents us with evidence that secular principles were behind this grand experiment in freedom that we call home. The second link is a discussion of parallels between our real life Hilary Clinton and one of the characters from The Fountainhead.

Enjoy!

OBloggers Blogroll

Thanks to Darren Cauthon, I've added an Obloggers Blogroll to the left.

If you are left off of my list and wish to be added, please let me know.

Carnival of Objectivist Bloggers

Kim has posted it!

Here are the links:

Bill Brown: An Inconvenient Uncertainty

Stella: Lybrel: A study in wasted resources

Craig Ceely: The politics -- and economics -- of Prohibition

Aaron: The Tie

Flibbert: Doggess, Please

Kim: Another Article Attacking a Neo-Atheist and Promoting Religion

OBloggers Carnival

Just a reminder that it's time to submit your entries for the Objectivist Bloggers Carnival hosted by Kim's Play Place!

Kim also reminds us that the Persieds are this weekend. NYC may be too bright to see this very well, but I might venture up to my rooftop just to see what I can see.

Cool Cooking Blog

101 Recipes

Late O-Bloggers

Three more OBlogger Posts of the Week came in on Saturday after I posted my round-up and I'm feeling kind (and don't want to work yet) so here they are:

Diana sent two links out: One about Shakespeare in Colorado and the other about a turtle that attacks cats. I don't know why.

Kim has a funny post about smack-talking philosophizers. Dig Ayn Rand's comment "Man - all of mankind - is an end in himself, not the means to the ends of others. But your mama is so fat, this means she never ends." Daaaaaaaaaaaaayum!

John Drake highlights another instance where money becomes undervalued when markets abandon the gold standard. (For those who think the gold standard is silly, I submit that alternatives are available: diamond standard, platinum standard, silver standard... The point is to stabilize the monetary market by linking it to a commodity of objective value and limited availability so that money can't undergo horrible fluxes like inflation and devaluation such as is seen today.) I would also remind readers that the US penny was in the same boat not so long ago. (I'm not sure if that's still the case.)

OBloggers' Posts of the Week

Before we get to the post of the week, let me first announce the Objectivist Bloggers Carnival over at Kim's Play Place. I keep neglecting to participate, but it's a good thing. Check it out.

Now, the posts of the week:

Ari Armstrong had three posts he submitted to the round-up this week. GREEDY! And I'm a sucker, so here's all three:

208 Commission Rejects Free-Market Proposal: Looks like Colorado has decided to ignore economics, history, and good sense and instead adopt some sort of crazy government-intervention-in-trade plan for health care. Don't worry, Colorado, it probably won't suck as bad as Canada.

Not enough people took him up on his original food challenge, so he's changed it up. I'd like to see him do it, so all you haters, please pledge some dollars.

And the last post is a review of a Rush album. I don't know Rush and I haven't read the review apart from a quick skim to gather the gist: he likes it. I might have to check them out some time.

Rational Jenn isn't nearly as greedy as Ari, but she still submitted two links. This week, she's talking about Peabody, Amelia Peabody. Aaaaactually, she's talking about Elizabeth Peters' The Amelia Peabody Series of books.

Let's see....how to describe Amelia Peabody...she's a proper churchgoing Victorian gentlewoman who wears trousers on archaeological digs, wields a parasol like a saber, cheerfully excavates Egyptian sites despite the heat and other inconveniences (she especially loves pyramids) alongside her husband "the greatest Egyptologist of this or any other age, Radcliffe Emerson," and courageously solves murder-mysteries on the side. You know, just for something to do.

OBVIOUSLY I will have to add this to my list of "things to read one day."

Jenn offers her second post as a supplement to the first with a link to the official Amelia Peabody website.

Eran ALSO submitted two links. (I'm starting to think I was stupid for sending in just the link to my Banksy post below.)

First, he's on a tear about the pompous wordiness that seems to have afflicted writing at this point in time.

Then, to get his mind off of it, he posts some stuff about the Mars rover. Pretty cool!.

That's all that came in yesterday. Enjoy!

OBloggers' Posts of the Week

On Fridays, the OBloggers send out their posts of the week. We're not very good about the habit, yet, but in order to build an incentive for others and for me, I'm going to try sharing some link love to these posts.

Rational Jenn talks about Parenting with Objectivist Principles and taught me the word "peopleguy" which you may expect to turn up here now and then.

Craig Biddle ran off to the god forsaken land of California, the land of fruits and nuts, and unearthed some decent philosophical detective work by a journalist. From Slate no less! It's a crazy world.

And I sent a link to my post about nuking flies.

That's all the OBloggers who sent their best posts in today. More may come in over the weekend, but they will be TOO late!

So, OBloggers, if you're reading, be sure to send your links out early on Friday to make it into my round up!

Update: Ergo sent his in just before I started shutting my machine down. I haven't had a chance to read it yet, but it's called A Philosopher’s Attempt to Justify Mediocrity. Sounds like that obnoxiously catchy Jimmy Eat World song...

I Live in Terror

Because I'm afraid that I'm going to do the math wrong on Diana's comment spam stopper thingie.

This keeps me awake at night.

I Can See You From Here

A little while ago, I installed sitemeter on my site. As a result, I can see the traffic patterns on my site.

First of all, you all set a record yesterday. 179 visits yesterday. Props to you guys! Thank you so much.

Second, why all this curiosity about shemales? A whole helluva lot of you people come here looking for pictures of shemales. I know it's because of this post, but still.

Am I baiting you for more hits?

Yes. That's why I keep saying "shemale." It's also why I'm mentioning naked pictures of Britney Spears, naked pictures of Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan's vagina, naked pictures of Brad Pitt, and the rumor that Angelina Jolie is a shemale herself.

Now that you're here, why don't you put up your feet and hang out a while.

Oh, don't sit there. Try the chair with the plastic cover. Try not to touch anything. Thanks!

Comment Spam

I've been bombarded with comment spam over the past few days. As a result, I've had to close comments on several of my posts. Most of them are older, but a couple are very recent.

If you'd like to comment on a post, but find comments blocked, feel free to email me and I will find a way to get your comment posted.

My email: flibbert AT THIS DOMAIN

Apologies for the inconvenience.

On the Verge

When I opened up Lappy and keyed over to my blog here, I really thought I was going to have something to say. And I feel the little itchy feeling inside my skull like I do when I have something that needs to be said, but for the life of me I can't think what it is I was going to say. I can't even think of anything to say instead of what I was going to say.

I guess I'll go clean my room.

You Rock

I am SO impressed with my readers.

You guys know a whole lot about a whole lot of things!

Cell phones, weight training, global warming, airplanes, Thomas Robert's naked torso... the list is staggering.

I love you guys.

Speaking of Blog Problems...

On my last blog some of you complained that you were seeing horizontal scrolling. I tried not to do anything too crazy with the layout on this one, so I'm wondering if that is still a problem.

Also, how does it look on lower resolutions? Anyone running something less than 1024x768?

Oops!

At some point during the tweaking of my blog, I accidentally turned off comments on new posts and didn't realize it.

If you tried to comment on something I posted in the last couple of days, you probably noticed. Well, I fixed it. Sorry 'bout that.

Please resume showering me with praise and fawning agreement with all of my opinions.

Thanks!
-MGMT

Doncha...

.. just love this?

I love this having just one blog thing. Now -- provided I have the time to post -- you get exposed to the wide-ranging thoughts that cross my mind throughout a given day and I don't have to worry about sorting through them to figure out which goes where.

It's like blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah...

Woohoo!

News on the Merge

Those of you coming here from my other blog probably have a few questions. Here are answers to the big ones I thought of. If you have others, feel free to leave a comment and I'll try to answer as best as I can.

Why Did You Merge?
Several reasons.

First, I got tired of maintaining two blogs. This one was supposed to be personal and the other was supposed to be political/philosophical/whatever, but because all of these things are linked, it was hard to separate them. It made this blog trite and it made my other blog boring.

Second, related to the first, the reason I started a blog was to paint for you the life of a real hero. This includes my ups and downs. My experiences and what I learn from them. My thoughts on ideas personal and impersonal. Maintaining separate blogs places that objective out of my reach, so now I can get back to that.

Third, that other blog is relatively easy to find via Google and all that and it's sort of near to my real life name. You'd think that's a good thing, but I need to at least temporarily destroy the "brand" associated with that other blog and that other name while I build a brand for my real-life identity. So, I need some distance.

I'm sure there are some other reasons, but those are the big ones.

What About Your Name?
Here, I'll ask you to refer to me as "Flibby" or "Flibbertigibbet."

When I bring my posts over from my other blog, most of the references to that other pseudonym will be removed, edited, or erased.

If this is an anonymous blog, why are there pictures of you all over the place?
Because I'm pretty and I know it. Clap your hands!

The pictures in the design are so grainy that if you don't know me, you're not likely to recognize me from those.

I will probably post pictures of myself that show my face, but I think the risk of eroding the brand I'm trying to build out of my real-life identity is relatively low.

Won't You Lose Readership?
Yes, I expect that I will. I was on that other blog for a long time and lots of people were linking to me there and now all those links are gone. I'll be starting from scratch in many ways.

This was a tough decision and those are acknowledged consequences.

And let's face it: worse things have happened. This is a blog, not a business.

I Don't Like the Design
Tough. I'm open to suggestions, but don't expect me to change anything. If you're having display problems, by all means, let me know, but I may or may not address those either.

But do let me know soon since I'm in the mood to tweak things. If you wait, I will definitely not feel like digging back in.

Oh. And this will look best in Firefox. If you're in IE, I just don't know if I can bear to try to fix it for you.

One more thing about the design, those of you coming from the other blog will recognize many of the design elements. This is basically a "deconstructed" version of that other design. I wanted to go in a different direction with my design this time around and achieve a looser, more casual feel. I think I've compromised readability in some ways, but this isn't the news, so I think I have a little wiggle room on that item.

Anyway, hope you like it. Hope you come back. Hope you stay.

What's going on with that background?
If you'd like to see the entire background image, click here. It's a super large image to accommodate larger monitors/resolutions, but you aren't really intended to see the bottom or far right parts of the image.

Skillz

Ok. I was faster than I thought.

Now, I have some other things to do...

Remember when I warned you about changes a while back?

Here it comes!

What's Going On?!?!

I'm messing around with my site design.

Construction is likely to continue for several days since I'm slow and lazy.

Sorry for the inconvenience!

-MGMT

Blog-Celebrity Sighting!

I think Michael Hartney was working out at my gym with me last night!

Michael Hartney is the proprietor of So I Like Superman, a blog about comic books, comics, life in New York, and big, gay men. I like it because Hartney is quite a wit and cuz he's a red-head. I like red heads.

Last night, I was working out with my trainer and we walked past the subject several times. I gawked a little because I am absolutely TERRIBLE at recognizing faces. His being a red head with a beard is what made me think of Michael Hartney.

I wanted to say hello but I was in the middle of a work out and so was he. I did see him in the locker room, but by the time I was heading to the showers, he was already getting dressed to leave and that was the last I saw of him.

So, anyway, that was my brush with that one particular red-headed bear blogger from Astoria. Woo!

Banned!

Comment Spammers:

59.94.247.55
200.45.187.67
60.217.193.200
201.252.76.241
203.229.235.141
68.61.174.29

Banned!

Comment spammers:

125.248.144.122
58.145.6.57
211.191.79.140

Comments Closed Due to Spam

I got a bunch of spam over the last couple of days, so after deleting those comments, I closed the comments on those posts to prevent the spammers from returning.

Sorry!

It Was Bound To Happen

Y'all know I love quizzes and surveys, right? Unfortunately for all y'all, my new job actually keeps me fairly busy and I don't have time to sit on the global intarwebs all day doing quizzes and filling you in on how much more rad I am than you are.

But the funny and delightfully fuzzy (I only know from pictures, not personal experience.) Michael Hartney posted one of those "You Ask Too Many Questions" things and so I'm copying him just to give some link love and to... well, do something before I go to bed tonight that doesn't involve trading quips with Matt Chancellor or Britton in my comments.

1. When you looked at yourself in the mirror today, what was the first thing you thought?

"Shave? Well, I should look good for those parties. But can't I look good with light scruffage? No, I really can't because it doesn't cover my entire face like most adult human males. So, shave, right? That means I have to get back into the shower. How is it that I'm late this morning when I've been up for two hours already? So, no shave? If I want that new job, I should do a little better to make a good impression, like, I dunno, showing up on time. Shave? No shave? Answer me here. You know what, though? I have my doubts that they'll pay me what I want and if they question the time I roll into the office, we should perhaps have a conversation about the time I roll out of the office. Ok. I'm not shaving. The rest of you can do what you want, but I need to get this show on the road. I wonder if I should get my new pants hemmed..."

It actually went downhill from there.

2. How much cash do you have on you?

No cash.

3. What's a word that rhymes with "DOOR?"

Christiana Amanpour. I don't know why.

4. Favorite planet?

Whichever one is currently falling under my control. I think it's a blue one this time.

5. Who is the 4th person on your missed call list on your cell phone?

Karla. It was about dancing.

6. What is your favorite ring tone on your phone?

The one that sounds like a buncha clicks. It makes people go, "What the eff was that?"

7. What shirt are you wearing?

Shirt? Naw, baby, I ain't wearin' no shirt. This is all man.

8. Do you "label" yourself?

I really don't like getting glue on my skin.

9. Name the brand of the shoes you're currently wearing?

Shoes? Naw, baby, I ain't wearin' no shoes. This is all Britney.

10. Bright or dark room?

Where? When? I haven't been to school in a while, but I don't think this qualifies as a real question. What if the room isn't bright or dark, but kind of in the middle.

11. What do you think about the person who took this survey before you?

I believe I mentioned the funniness and the fuzziness. What more do you want?

12. What does your watch look like?

There's one with a black leather band.

13. What were you doing at midnight last night?

Asleep.

14. What did your last text message you received on your cell say?

"Hey, thanks for coming with me to my party. You are a sweetheart. Party hard!!!"

15. Where is your nearest 7-11?

I have no idea.

16. What's a word that you say a lot?

certainly

17. Who told you he/she loved you last?

My mom.

18. Last furry thing you touched?

A furry vest in Anne Taylor Loft. It was also partly shiny and gold. How could I not touch it?

19. How many drugs have you done in the last three days?

No drugs that aren't in the food I've eaten.

20. How many rolls of film do you need developed?

I'll tell you as soon as you make twelve copies of this survey, mail it to 11 friends and send one copy back to me.

21. Favorite age you have been so far?

24 rocked. 29 is rocking MUCH HARDER.

22. Your worst enemy?

The person who made this lotto commercial of children screaming at the top of their lungs.

23. What is your current desktop picture?

A Jim Lee drawing of Superman is on at work. Here at home it's a picture of a city by Mike Belin.

24. What was the last thing you said to someone?

Bye!

25. If you had to choose between a million bucks or to be able to fly what would it be?

Fly.

26. Do you like someone?

Like like or just like?

27. The last song you listened to?

"Baby, it's cold outside" sung by Johnny Mercer and Margaret Whiting. What? I like that song.

28. What time of day were you born?

10:11am

29. What's your favorite number?

In order from favorite to least of the single digit numbers: 3, 7, 9, 2, 5, 0, 1, 8, 4, 6

30. Where did you live in 1987?

Gumbranch, Georgia (It's a real place.) The exact place where I lived, however, is not.

31. Are you jealous of anyone?

Yeah, there's this hot guy at work who also has a job I want. I think wanting to sleep with him and take his job kind of qualifies as jealousy, right?

32. Is anyone jealous of you?

I'm not sure. I hadn't thought about it, but you know I'm pretty sure I did mention how rad I am.

33. Where were you when 9/11 happened?

I was sitting in the corner desk in my office in Athens, GA.

34. What do you do when vending machines steal your money?

The last time I did that, I tipped it back and forth until it dropped my snack.

35. Do you consider yourself kind?

No. I don't think about it much.

36. If you had to get a tattoo, where would it be?

On my shoulder.

37. If you could be fluent in any other language, what would it be?

In order: Spanish, German, French, Italian, Russian, Hebrew, Greek, Latin

38. Would you move for the person you loved?

Sure. I'd even wave my arms around frantically and make a sound like "whacka-whacka-whacka-whacka" if they wanted me to.

39. Are you touchy-feely?

In certain contexts.

40. What's your life motto?

"The only thing I did wrong is I stayed in Mississippi a day too long." Actually that's a Dylan song. My mom always told me, "you can do anything you set your mind to." I tend to say, "If you aren't having fun, you're doing it wrong," but I also say, "If you can't find something to complain about, you're doing it wrong."

41. Name three things that you have on you at all times?

Some means of telling time, credit/ATM card, keys.

42. What's your favorite town/city?

New York City.

43. What was the last thing you paid for with cash?

I gave my friend the $2 I had in my wallet because he had to buy my sour patch kids at the movies because their credit card machine was broken. Bastards!

44. When was the last time you wrote a letter to someone on paper and mailed it?

1999, I think.

45. Can you change the oil on a car?

Yes, but I make it a point to be the sort of person who appears as if they can't. I can also change a tire, drive a dump truck, drive a fork lift, drive a back hoe, use power tools, solder, rewire a lamp, and kick ass.

46. Your first love: what is the last thing you heard about him/her?

Her husband has joined the Army.

47. How far back do you know about your ancestry?

To the point that they came to the US from Ireland in the 1860's. Prior to that, they lived in Ireland for a hundred years and before that they lived in Scotland where our family was a sept of the clain McDonald in Aiyershire. So, roughly five hundred years or so.

48. The last time you dressed fancy, what did you wear and why did you dress fancy?

"Fancy?" I wore a black suit to work today, actually. Under that I wore a grey sweater and under that I wore a light blue shirt.

49. Does anything hurt on your body right now?

My abs are kind of sore.

50. Have you been burned by love?

Yes and, upon reflection, I really was more trouble than I was worth.

That Guy Can't Get Enough of Himself

Now, Trey Givens has started a photoblog with pictures of his apartment and family and stuff.

This Blog Sucks

Someone told me today that I need to put more links on my blog.

And just now I realized that my blog(s) suck.

I don't write much new stuff these days. This blog is pretty much just a journal and a forum for me to fly into verbal histrionics in a place where people who know me can be embarrassed to know me.

Like when I misspell stuff.

Hrm.

I need to fish or get off the toilet. Or something. (I am a horrified as you are by the mixture of those two cliches. Don't worry.)

So, I'll be giving that some thought.

Traffic

I don't keep track of the traffic to this blog. For all I know I have a billion visitors a day and could make my living from putting the Googley ads on my site. Or there might be just three or four of you out there. Who knows?

Well, I have received a little more traffic recently, if only by two people. All because I transcribed the words to a song.

What confuses me about this is that the song isn't hard to understand at all. Listen to it a few times and you'll know the words.

Don't get me wrong: I'm happy for the traffic and to have been of assistance to folks out there. I'm just curious about the difficulty with those lyrics.

Comments are Back on!

Let the commenting resume!

(Until the stupid comment spammers start up again.)

Word *

* To your mother

The Exorcism of Your Mom

Trey Givens thinks he's so cool.

Well, I can make a clicking sound kind of like Emily Rose.

Overheard in... WRONG!

I'm sorry, but I can't go along with this one.

Queer: Stop calling your arms "guns"!

Step right up and get your tickets! Get your tickets to the gun show, baby!

WOOO!

Sheeps are Fast

Whoa.

Props to Ice Scribe for the tip off.

I got "Bobbing Bobcat" the first time. That's not so great. It told me to get some coffee. Although, I did get one of them in .016 of a second. Cheeky sheeps.

Update: I just managed to earn a "Rocketing Rabbit" rating. I think I need to find something else to do before I waste my whole evening.

Crazy Commenter Strikes

I just got this in a comment:

From: warren
E-mail: superwarren7@hotmail.com

Message:
hi jamie my friend terrell really likes you alot he told me he wants to go on a date with u and i like u too anyway e-mail me bak love warren and terrell

I do not understand this, really. I feel like I missed something.

First of all, how does a person without punctuation even know who I am?
Second, am I expected to choose between warren and terrell or do I get both or what?
Third, what reason do I have to even want to choose either or both of them?
Fourth, why are the parents of this person who doesn't know that 'a lot' is two words letting him write love notes to strangers on the internet?
Fifth, I could go on all day.
Sixth, my name isn't Jaime. It's Flibbertigibbet or Flibby, if you prefer.
Seventh, "bak?" Really? Seriously?

I'll leave off there. I just wanted to share this moment of insane comments with you.

Click for (Curing) Cancer

Chris Muir has posted a banner on his site and has requested clicks to support this cancer ablation clinic.

So, what are you waiting for?

CLICK IT!

How to Get Cussed Out

If this applies to you and you roll up to my house, get ready to get cussed out.

No, we cannot date. No, we cannot be friends. Just leave.

Update: Apparently, my readers have not considered exactly how problematic gigantic penises are. I will conceed that I haven't really mentioned my opinion on "size."

Yes, it matters, and suffice it to say that if you have a cock ring the size of a basketball hoop, you are off the list. I don't care what kind of car you drive.

Gibberish Spam

I just got hit with a bunch of comment spam that looked like gibberish.

What's up with that?

Save the Boobies!

Trey Givens is right for once!

Click to save the boobies.

And much like real boobies, if you touch them once, you want to touch them again, so return to the site day after day and click until your heart is content.

Not a Ho

For the record, this blog is written by a dude. Ok?

I know I have a high-pitched voice and sometimes people think I'm a little fey, but I really am a guy.

Just for the record.

Who's keeping these records anyway?

I Object!

I found this quiz on the SC Thinker blog.

I really have to go on the record as questioning the scientific nature of this quiz. Just because I can recognize pictures of scientists and mathematicians and name lots of elements on the periodic table and have a cursory knowledge of physics and computer science and programming and have a favorite brand of calculator and ...

Ok. I'm a little bit nerdy. Admitting I have a problem is the first step to recovery.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I Present to You...

A sure-fire way to get your ass beat.

Courtesy of Trey Givens who doesn't deserve the link-love I give him.

I Know Where God Came From

Trey Givens, take note:

God came from Teman, and the Holy One from mount Paran. Selah. His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise.

-Habakkuk Chapter 3 Verse 3

Duh. I'm going to Home Depot now.

The Kids Are Not Alright

So, Jim's kids have started making a new sound. They've also taken to swearing, but you'll have to hear him tell it.

I just wanted to say that I used to make a similar sound to "dar dar dar dar dar" when I was a kid. From talking to Lovely Wife and Jim, my version was much faster and not formed in the same way that Bear Burger does it. But it's close.

For me it's one of those 'thinking sounds' that I would make when I was completely immersed in my own thoughts or activities. And I'm inclined to think I'm perfectly normal in doing this.

Normal...

hmmmm.... Reflecting now back on my childhood, I don't know if I was ever described as 'normal.' Maybe Bear's Burger's problem is worse than I thought.

Then again, I didn't start spewing obscenities after making that sound either, so maybe everything is ok after all.

Update: One of these days I'm going to pay attention and figure out which one of Jim's kids are which. They're all super cute, but they're definitely distinct individuals. One of them brings me lots of candy. One makes me hold him over the fire. And the big one sits in awe of my ability to master the arcane wisdom behind Yu-Gi-Oh.

GAH!

IT'S BLANK! AAAAAHHHHH!!!!

Update: Ok. It's not blank. I just didn't wait for the page to load. *Whew*

I am still infected with beal, though, so no good posting right now.

I Live in Fear

So, I have just three class sessions left. The next two will involve my last two presentations. The day of December 13th will involve a lot of me convincing myself that I really should not skip my last class even though it will have no impact on my grade.

Wait. I think that debate has already begun.

Nevertheless, whilst I try to get all the loose ends tied up from this hellish semester I live in fear that one day this blog will be blank from me having not posted any new content for several days.

Sure, I could fix it, but why lose the adrenaline buzz of unfounded paranoia?

Wait. Damn it! Foiled again by my own precociousness!

I Have Beal

It's a critical case, too.

I have three weeks left of class and I'm wondering how I will survive.

My house is an absolute disaster area. There's no food in here. I've practiced significant restraint and kept the thermostat on 68, which means it's a meat locker, too.

My flowerbeds are halfway done. My fence is still falling down. I have to grade for a small concrete slab. I need a new kitchen table.

And I need to write a review of The Incredibles, which is INCREDIBLE.

But *yawn* I just don't seem to be moving at the moment.

Crikey!

Trey Givens is back, it seems.

Won't that boy ever make up his mind? Oh and he has some sob story about almost being fired or something.

blah blah blah...

Anyway, I have work to do. I've already planted forsythia, crepe myrtle, a hydrangia, and something my mom calls a tallo tree.

Now, I'm off to finish up some school projects.

Update: I also planted a pyracanthia earlier and I just got in from amending the soil in one of my beds and putting bulbs down.

AND I finished up one of my school projects and finished a draft on the other. It's Productivity Weekend!

Strange Comment Spam

IP Address: 67.173.130.77
Name: asian girl personals
Email Address: vexiqovizek@hotmail.com
URL:

Comments:

I respect faith, but doubt is what gets you an education. Wilson Mizner (1876 - 1933)

Notice the empty URL field? Also, there were no links in the body. The comment itself has nothing to do with the post and the name sounds awfully spam-like.

But it doesn't meet all the criteria for spam. How odd!

Maybe they're just casing the joint.

Popular Me!

I now have a couple fans of Chris Tucker and a socialist who calls himself 'Mo mo' both trolling around on my site calling me names now!

The fans of Chris Tucker are getting boring though. It's the same string of obscenities that bear the shape, but not the actual structure, of coherent sentences. I won't take the time to describe my lack of surprise about that, though. We're talking about people who are fans of Chris Tucker at WUOG. If you were expecting more, you were just asking for disappointment on that one. It's a college radio station that plays local and not-mainstream noise, some of which passes for music.

This Mo mo person hasn't bored me completely, yet, but he's so off-base that I don't know if I will even bother schooling him. Maybe he'll sit back and learn something on his own.

But, Instapundit, look out! I'm moving up!

No, I'm Still Not Studying

Instead, I'm trying to puzzle out Th'Inkwell's new header. I think very highly of Mrs. White and so I have assumed that each element of the banner has significance unto itself.

First, her tagline: Veritas : Venustas : Sententia

Veritas = Truth
Venustas = Loveliness, charm (feminine)
Sententia = a way of thinking

That was the easy part.

Then we have the Pre-9/11, Manhattan cityscape.

Now the hard part: What is that Latin text that is skewed across there?

At first, I was thinking that it came from a text by an Italian in the high Renaissance named Girolamo Borro. The title of the text is “De motu gravium et levium� and according to the source I found it was written in 1575. It appears to be a text about buoyancy. “About the motion of weight and lightness� or some-such is what the title means.

Given Mrs. White’s thoughtful nature a text on engineering made perfect sense, but I could not match the fragments in her header to any single reference in the text. The closest I got was on page 8 but that’s not it. The look of it matches but the actual text does not.

Here are the fragments I can make out:

deſcribenda
eſt aurea mala
aureis in ea
-errant ſup.illic
-virgineus

So, then I thought it might have come from a text called “De Astronomia� by someone named Hygini. Again, a dead-end. Obviously our girl isn’t giving up her secrets easily.

And there's one more element that I will just go ahead and concede is outside of what I can do with what I have here: the gold and brown stripes are composed of another image. What that image is, exactly, is what I can't figure. Given the color and texture and the citation of other Latin/Renaissance sources best guess is that it’s an image of a manuscript like the other.

So, I spent a couple of hours Googling and carrying on, but I couldn’t find it. I think the Borro text was my best lead, but, alas, it fell through.

Maybe I’ll work on this some more later or just ask her about it.

Holy Cow!

Chris Davis is back!

Buy Stuff NOW.

I made a new Cafe Press Banner for myself:

So, buy stuff already.

Get Flibby-ware!

I set up a Cafe Press Store for Flibbertigibbet Branded products!

Buy today!

Fiddle, Fiddle, Fiddle

Updated my stylesheets tonight and added a few graphics.

Be sure to scroll all the way to the bottom to see the new Flibbertigibbet logo!

Comment Spam

When Jim asked me if I was getting much comment spam, I said, "No, not really."

This morning, I checked my email and found out that a comment spammer hit my other blog with over 200 spam comments.

So, Jim, I lied.

Update: I just got my first comment spam on this blog! So, I've banned IP 64.141.68.16 for putting an online poker link in my comments.

Take that, you dastardly comment spammers!

I'm Sorry, What Did He Mean By the Hair Comment?

I haven't told y'all this, but I'm in love.

Yeah, there's this hottie-Ruskie-Aussie-Brit-something girl just over the pond gettin' me headsprung. Not with me?

Here she is:

See that luxurious hair? Those lucious lips? Those eyes with a defiant look that just dares you to say something? How can anyone resist?

Apparently, someone named 'Todd.'

Todd says of the lovely Monica White at Th'Inkwell, "I should have guessed from the hair-do that you’d turn out to be a right-wing bean counting nut-job."

Monica is an entrepreneur, as I understand it, and her business skills are not aimed in anyway, directly, at beans, but I still have to ask: What the hell are beautiful women doing to their hair where Todd lives?

Oh. Todd lives in La-la land. I see. Never mind. Forget I asked.

Let's talk some more about how much I love Monica for reasons in addition to her being both stunning and exotic.

She's a businesswoman. Pardon while I squeal like a school-girl about greedy ladies. Ooooo!! I LOVE some greedy ladies.

And she's smart. Please go read this post. It has DIAGRAMS!! A woman who makes diagrams. Have you ever in your whole life ever heard of anything more sexy?

Where you thinking maybe something like this:

I do absolutely nothing to hide my ideas. As the old saying goes – I wear my heart on my sleeve. One better, actually, as I wear an American dollar sign around my neck...I wore it when I worked in government, I wore it when I worked in a factory, I wear it when I walk into parties of people I know are openly hostile against Americans.

There's so much more. But perhaps you wanted more provocative photos. Me, too.

Dear, Monica:

1) I would like to see pictures of you in your suit. I remember the old picture -- the one with the glasses -- I would like to see more of that.

2) I would like to see you turning someone into a pretzel. I know you can do it, Monica. Stop holding out on us.

3) I would like to see you turning someone into a pretzel whilst wearing a leather skirt, boots, and a not-TOO-clingy shirt. You know. Just for kicks.

So. If there is anything I can do to help make this happen (Sorry, I don't do hair) please let me know.

I Even Asked At the Front Desk

But I went looking for the "anal intrusion" that was promised in the advertisement and I didn't see any.

I did, however, happen across a black, fetid, old cunt. Pardon. But I did.

It's Raining Men

Somehow the word "men" got entered into Munuviana's blacklist the other day, but it has now been removed.

LW, you may now continue writing pornographic comments.

I'm Takin' This Mug Over

I just got this email from Trey Givens:

O Flibbertigibbet! What I would not give to be half as talented and funny and handsome as you! I have read your blog and must concede that I have absolutely no business blogging any more. I have brought shame upon the Internets.

Please, take all the titles that I have inappropriately claimed as my own along with their privledges and praise.

As I trudge off into the sunset, I will be contemplating by what method I can right the wrongs I have committed in my woeful ignorance of your talent and superiority.

That's right, bee-otch.

So, look out, y'all. In the eternal words of Wyclef Jean, "You sucka MCs you got no flow."

Fun with Conservative Wing-nuts

Sometimes I find it difficult to distinguish between liberals and conservatives. Both have their own brand of mysticism. Both tend toward philosophical subjectivism. Both want the government to do things they ought not do.

So, it doesn't come as a surprise to me when I encounter conservative bloggers acting a lot like what I expect out of liberal bloggers: name-calling, misleading statements, and even outright lying. I recently had occassion to observe a conservative resorting to these tactics and more.

I won't name him and I won't give him a link because he is so intellectually dishonest and malicious that he has relegated his commentary to the depths of absurdity; he's not worth the attention.

BUT, I do want to show you one of his tactics so that you can be prepared to address it when it happens to you.

He posed this to his audience:

What are the defects in Rand's character, her novels, and her philosophy? Your evasion of this question is starting to make a lot of you appear like pod people. It's not like I'm asking you to condemn Rand. I'm just asking for one thing in three categories--her character, her novels, and her philosophy--that you find flawed. Do you have minds of your own, or have you leased them out to Objectivism? Answer the question.

Now, if the question was as simple as it is put in the first line, many Objectivists and students of Objectivism might pause give it some consideration. They probably would respond by saying they lack sufficient insight to comment on her character as a private individual but what they do know indicates that she was a living hero. The topic of her novels is broad and would likely require analysis on an individual basis. There are likely some technical issues in each that are worthy of comment, but the themes of each are sound. And her philosophy is wholly consistent.

The nefarious individual in question, however, isn't apparently deft enough to hide his motivation because his next sentence threatens his audience with his condemnation. You don't want to look like a pod person, do you?

(I don't want to get started on how ineffective it is to threaten Objectivists with appearances.)

Then we get the classic trick: "It's not like I'm asking you to condemn Rand." If you haven't gathered just from what I've said so far about the context of the discussion, you should know that he is actually trying to condemn Ayn Rand. What started the discussion was a post that called Ayn Rand an "intellectual moron" and he attempted, but failed, to offer effective criticism of his own. Now, he wants to enlist her supporters to do his job.

What a maroon!

But one of the logical fallacies he demonstrates and the one I want to discuss is bifurcation.

The presentation of only two alternative where others exist is called the fallacy of bifurcation.

In this case, either you think that Ayn Rand had a flawed character, wrote flawed novels, and offered a flawed philosophy and you have a mind of your own...

~OR~

You're an intellectual moron, a brainwashed pawn of Objectivism, and a pod person.

There are all sorts of ways to illustrate this insulting error of rhetoric.

Either you like okra or you're the devil.
A vote for Kerry is a vote for the terrorists.
A vote for Bush is a vote for Jesus.
Either you're completely insane or you've lost your mind.

It really is that ridiculous, but what tops it all off is that a refusal to answer the ridiculous question is then called an evasion and a sign that you're all the bad things the speaker has said about those who oppose him.

The writer who remains here nameless actually published a whole book pushing the notion that anyone who believes in anything is a moron. Actually, he would probably say that his position is that "ideology--not Left ideology or Right ideology, but all ideology--makes smart people fall for stupid ideas."

I'll stop now but only after highlighting another logical fallacy:

Argumentum Ad Temperantiam

If fallacies were assigned to the nations of the world, the argumentum ad temperantiam would be allocated to England. It is the Englishman's fallacy. The argumentum ad temperantiam suggests that the moderate view is the correct one, regardless of its other merits, it takes moderation to be a mark of the soundness of a position.

Just Damn

Well, Trey Givens is back - kind of. But he's throwing in the towel.

This was the straw has broken the camel’s back, kicked it in the gut, and pushed him down the stairs. Then, dragged him out into the street, beat him with a crowbar, and talked bad about his mama the whole time.

That sucks. It's kind of like Superman died. Or is he Clark Kent?

I was starting to think he was the real deal, but I can't ken to this quitter talk. It's just a little server problem, dude, and your site is back up now, right? In spite of that pretty face looks like Trey Givens doesn't have what it takes.

Pansy.

What's Up with Trey Givens?

His blog seems to be down. Has anyone heard from him?

Update: Trey wrote me and said:

I don't know what's going on with my site. I've contacted my hosting company, Fat Cow, whom I do not endorse since Chip Gibbon's bad experience, and I haven't heard anything yet. Of course, I can't check email or FTP or anything right now, so I don't know how I would hear from them if they tried.

Thanks for getting the word out, though. Rumors of my death are greatly exaggerated.

A Reader Question

A verbose reader recently queried obliquely:

WTH is a Flibbertigibbet?

Now, I'm going to give all of my readers the benefit of the doubt and assume that this is not a question about how Google works or why Noah Webster got to be so clever.

I might, however, suggest that the reader who posed this question reflect back on his own life for a second. Specifically, I would ask our beloved barkeep to think back to May 19, 2004 at 7:51 PM when he posted a comment to the first post on my blog.

The post in which his masterfulness wrote this quotation:

This is the foul fiend Flibbertigibbet: he begins at curfew, and walks till the first cock; he gives the web and the pin, squints the eye, and makes the hare-lip; mildews the white wheat, and hurts the poor creature of earth. St. Withold footed thrice the old; He met the night-mare, and her nine-fold; Bid her alight, And her troth plight, And, aroint thee, witch, aroint thee!

King Lear, Act III Scene IV

Um. Barkeep? I just said to reflect. My glass isn't gettin' any fuller with you standin' there lookin' off into space.

Merriam-Webster defines a Flibbertigibbet thus:

flib·ber·ti·gib·bet

Pronunciation: "fli-b&r-tE-'ji-b&t

Function: noun

Etymology: Middle English flepergebet

: a silly flighty person

Other dictionaries say:

A silly, flighty, or scatterbrained person, especially a pert young woman with such qualities.

Barkeep? My drink? Hellloooooo....

Speaking to the origins and meanings of the word Wierd Words writes:

A frivolous, flighty, or excessively talkative person.

This is a fine word to throw out, in the appropriate circumstances, though there’s a risk of tripping over all those syllables. That’s no doubt why it has had so many spellings. The original seems to have been recorded about 1450 as fleper-gebet, which may have been just an imitation of the sound of meaningless speech (babble and yadda-yadda-yadda have similar origins). It started out to mean a gossip or chattering person, but quickly seems to have taken on the idea of a flighty or frivolous woman. A century later it had become respectable enough for Bishop Latimer to use it in a sermon before King Edward VI, though he wrote it as flybbergybe. The modern spelling is due to Shakespeare, who borrowed it from one of the 40 fiends listed in a book by Samuel Harsnet in 1603. In King Lear Edgar uses it for a demon or imp: “This is the foul fiend Flibbertigibbet. .. He gives the web and the pin, squints the eye, and makes the harelip; mildews the white wheat, and hurts the poor creature of earth�. There has been yet a third sense, taken from a character of Sir Walter Scott’s in Kenilworth, for a mischievous and flighty small child. But despite Shakespeare and Scott, the most usual sense is still the original one.

Personally, this is a word I first heard from my maternal grandmother. The memory of its usage was rekindled in my while reading Slaughterhouse Five. I don't think very highly of the book, really, but the line in which Barbara, Billy Pilgrim's daughter, was described as a flibbertigibbet really made me laugh.

"All this responsibility at such an early age made her a bitchy flibbertigibbet." Chapter 2, pg. 29

So, there you go. Flibbertigibbet.

Barkeep? Beer? Anyone? Please? Getting... so... thirsty...

My First Link Love!

Madfish Willie was my first commentor but now I've got my first trackback! I'm so proud!

So, I want to thank everyone who helped me get this far. Pixy, High Overlord of Munuvia. Emma for being my second comment. Gir for the third. Me for being the fourth AND the sixth.

But right now, the biggest thanks goes to Chip at the Binary Circumstance. He is both my fifth commentor and my first link-lover.

Um. dirrty.

Running three blogs is hard

As mentioned, you may know me from somewhere else. But I actually run this blog and that other blog AND a journal for one of my classes.

In fact, just as I typed that last sentence I realized that I was writing on the wrong one!

hmmm... this is something of a problem.

Ah well, I'll work it out somehow.

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

I promise this blog is not going to be one continual rant-fest about my job.

I just have a lot of pent-up anger about it and I feel like I need to share.

Lucky you!

What's This About?

I've had this blog set up for a while, but I really haven't done much with it because I wanted to make sure I had a cool design and theme established for it. Alas, things simply aren't progressing as I had hoped.

I suppose I could attribute the lack of progress to being busy with classes or work or my love life or my house, but the truth is really simply that I've been lazy about it.

So, like I've done so many other things, I've decided that it's best to just get started and see how things turn out.

You may be asking, "What's going on? Do I know you?" And the answer isn't a simple one.

Last things first: You might just know me from somewhere else on the internet. If you do, I would ask you to please restrain yourself to a knowing wink. This is an anonymous blog because I intend to talk about things about which I prefer to keep some privacy.

It's not that I'm not proud of these things like I am the rest of my life it's just that specificity plus publicity is not always a good thing. Specifically: I intend to talk about my job. I may talk about other topics, but the job thing is an area where publicity could have severe consequences and I'm not talking about "Fired then getting a book deal." I'm talking about "just fired."

And that kind of gets to the first question above. This blog is about my personal life. Sure, I have lots of thoughts on lots of things that go on in the world, but this blog is more about things personal and particular to me.

Don't worry, those who know me will attest, this won't be an adult blog or a place where lurid details and curse words are splashed about like so much personal lubricant.

So, anyway, Hello!

And Introducing -

This is the foul fiend Flibbertigibbet: he begins
at curfew, and walks till the first cock; he gives
the web and the pin, squints the eye, and makes the
hare-lip; mildews the white wheat, and hurts the
poor creature of earth.
St. Withold footed thrice the old;
He met the night-mare, and her nine-fold;
Bid her alight,
And her troth plight,
And, aroint thee, witch, aroint thee!

King Lear, Act III Scene IV