Pab Sungenis
Pab Sungenis's JournalWhat was that I was saying about self-delete?
Poster losing argument (badly), ends up locked out of thread for a personal attack. Boom, nukes it.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/124087093
I once again suggest we need time limits on self-deletion.
Who's on the MIRT?
I've got someone I THINK is a RW troll but only one post which doesn't really violate ToS or community standards. Just want to get them on your radar. Who should I PM?
"Watergate: A Novel"
I just finished Thomas Mallon's "Watergate: A Novel," and it's certainly worth a read if you have space on your pile this summer.
It's called "Watergate: A Novel" because that's exactly what it is. It's not the typical minute-by-minute breakdown of the break-in, the ensuing cover-up, and ouster of Nixon. It's a fictionalized version of the story, a historical novel, based on the infamous scandal. And while he admittedly takes some literary license with certain aspects (we have no way of knowing how some conversations he quotes from, especially among minor characters, actually happened -- if they happened at all) the details of the scandal are as factual as can be.
In Mallon's version of the story E. Howard Hunt's wife Dorothy is cut from the same cloth as Lady Macbeth, viciously threatening everyone involved if enough hush money isn't paid to her husband and the other conspirators, right up until her last seconds before going down in a plane crash. Bagman Fred LaRue is a classic tragic figure, haunted by his "accidental" shooting of his father years before. James Alsop and Alice Roosevelt Longworth form a classic comic-relief duo right out Shakespeare. Pat Nixon is a sad, frustrated woman whose disgust at what is going on drives her back into the arms of one-time lover Tom Garahan. Elliot Richardson is a scheming megalomaniac conspiring to get himself named as Ford's eventual Vice-President and to then replace him on the ticket in 1976. And then there's Rose Marie Woods. You won't believe why she really erased those 18-1/2 minutes.
Most interesting of all is Nixon himself. Surprisingly, this portrayal of "the Old Man" is one of the most sympathetic out there. Far from the bitter, paranoid fool we've come to know the 37th President to be Mallon portrays him as a too-clever-by-half victim of his own plotting, unwittingly trapped in his own web of lies and deceit. Mallon doesn't argue for Nixon's innocence, but makes you feel sorry for the guy even though he was guilty as sin. It's an interesting portrayal of an admittedly complex character.
Best of all, for a generation raised on the more salacious "scandals" of Bill Clinton, this version of the story shows you what a real political scandal with real criminal activity is. It makes what is now seen as dry, dusty history thrilling.
Well recommended, and worth a read.
Not every jury vote requires excessive thought.
At Thu May 3, 2012, 10:06 PM an alert was sent on the following post:
Fuck You
REASON FOR ALERT:
This post is disruptive, hurtful, rude, insensitive, over-the-top, or otherwise inappropriate. (See <a href="http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=aboutus#communitystandards" target="_blank">Community Standards</a>.)
ALERTER'S COMMENTS:
Not really a phrase that furthers the discussion, is it?
JURY RESULTS
You served on a randomly-selected Jury of DU members which reviewed this post. The review was completed at Thu May 3, 2012, 10:15 PM, and the Jury voted 6-0 to HIDE IT.
Juror #1 voted to HIDE IT and said: I'm sure the alertee understands why this was necessary. My sympathies.
Juror #2 voted to HIDE IT and said: Violation of community standards.
Juror #3 voted to HIDE IT and said: No explanation given
Juror #4 voted to HIDE IT and said: A bit much.
Juror #5 voted to HIDE IT and said: No explanation given
Juror #6 voted to HIDE IT and said: Ummm...yeah. Do I have room to post my recipe for Beef Stroganoff, since there's no need to justify hiding this one?
Thank you very much for participating in our Jury system, and we hope you will be able to participate again in the future.
Fifty less offensive ways to compliment LynneSin, part one.
#1. You smell wonderfully unlike mashed potatoes.
#2. Nice intellect!
#3. In the immortal words of Albert Schweitzer, "I fancy you."
#4. You make me want to vote.
#5. You make my red states blue.
#6. Electoral landslide or GTFO.
#7. You remind me of a hot chick I saw on "Cops" once.
#8. Is that a sledgehammer aimed at my head, or are you just happy to see me?
Suggestion: Time limits on self-deletion or don't lock comments.
I suggest that there be a time limit for self-deletion and for edits, just like there was on DU2. You have 24 hours to change your mind and edit or delete a post. After that, it's part of the permanent record and fair game.
Alternately, don't close "self deleted" threads to comments. Deletion should only be for that purpose: deleting something. It should not be used to shut down a discussion when you are losing the argument. In the case of an overly-abusive series of responses a host can still lock the thread.
Might go a long way toward solving a lot of abuse of the functionality that we've seen on multiple sides of arguments lately.
Poking my head in
You guys okay in here?
Just had to come to someone's defense elsewhere and thought I'd see how things were in this group while logged in.
What's the real reason this thread was hidden?
I know I promised I was going to stay away, but then this was brought to my attention:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/124084324
What's the real reason this thread was hidden? Because it was anti-MineralMan? Or because it was anti-Homophobe?
Posts calling out MineralMan on his history of anti-black statements (the "stereotypes" voting reference)? Okay. Calling him out on his anti-gay posts? Not okay.
Something to think about. There is a large anti-gay contingency acting openly in the Democratic Party, and just barely under the surface here on DU. More than a few people on this site need to look into the deep dark truthful mirror.
Taking my hat and bidding farewell.
The time has come for me to head off, at least for a while and perhaps in perpetuity.
I had hopes that under the new system we LGBT posters would actually enjoy some protection. For a while it looked like the randomness of the "jury" process would give us a fair shot.
But I'm starting to realize that's not the case. When one of the homophobes who actively (and gleefully) participated in the Great Purge of 2009, and made life for those of us who remained hell for the next two years is allowed to attack me with impunity and protected by "juries" on a regular basis, there is no room for someone like me.
I probably should have done this long ago. I'm in the process of preparing for the convention circuit, have a deadline coming up for revisions on my next novel and the need to start the one after that, and also have other concerns to take care of. I can't let the causal hatred of certain people on this board distract me. And I refuse to let them make my life on DU3 as hellish as it was on DU2.
So I'm logging out, moving on, and getting on with my life for the forseeable future.
Just a song before I go....
Decorah Eaglet trying to crawl out from under mom!
http://www.ustream.tv/decoraheaglesI guess it got too hot under there with its siblings. It's poked its head out and is looking around.
Profile Information
Member since: 2003 before July 6thNumber of posts: 9,612
