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Misc: Flame War (Awesome!)
Before you read this, start here.
Okay, good to have you back. First off, let us all thank Mr. Odom for sensing that I was really in a rut and needed some help. I needed inspiration, and Odom has delivered. Next, he must be recognized for sending me the single most fired up comment in the history of this site. Now I know how Ed must have felt. Only I’ve gotten just one. Third, forgive him if he is a bit misguided and misunderstanding of what I was talking about.
I guess I’ll explain again what this post is about. I was calling out the group, of which coincidentally Mr. Odom is a member, for feeling like they need to belong to said group to reaffirm their local political importance. I was hardly criticizing anyone for their political views, merely their hackery. And by hackery, I mean feigned relevance.
Mr Odom, your site, despite “600 unique hits per day” is just as relevant as mine. By that I mean, not.
While I don’t see my link on the Inside Nevada Politics site, I think there’s a perfectly good reason for it. Despite Anjeanette Damon’s great work, she simply forgot about me. Or maybe it’s because I don’t talk politics here. That might have something to do with it.
But while we’re comparing Technorati scores, I’ll ask if you’ve ever been linked by the inimitable Dave2 of the amazing Kevin. My guess is that you have not. Why? Because you do talk politics, and you live in Nevada, and they don’t give a shit.
So, let’s get to some more serious stuff. You seem pretty proud of the fact that you were featured in an RGJ article about blogging and websites. Right on! I’ve totally been there too! Check it. And if you get bored reading my writing (remember, I don’t get a lot of hits, so boring could be an issue), feel free to go right to the source.
And if you still need to whip it out and compare articles, let me say that podcasting is so much cooler than blogging, even political blogging. Hell, a ton of people would say especially political blogging. So maybe do a bit of research yourself before you come in here with your pants down claiming superiority. You might not win.
As for your being 26 years old, props. I wish I was still there. When I was 26, I was a lot thinner, and I could have kicked serious ass in triathlons. Okay, I wouldn’t have kicked serious ass, per se, but I would have been faster. At least I think I would have been faster. But seriously, 26 is young to give a shit. I was 26 when I left my real job and became a political science toad to finish my degree.
Did you catch that? I studied political science. I know that of which you speak. I’m no political moron. I know both the inner workings, and I can attest to politics as a parent, outsider, malcontent, and interested observer, and I know the outer workings, as a cynical asshole who dislikes politicians on principle. I’m cynical as hell, and I’m sick of many things, just like you profess to be.
The difference between the two of us is that I simply have friends who are lobbyists in both D.C. and Carson City and am acquainted with powerful dudes in Carson. Hell, he’s not in Carson yet, but I’ve been totally loaded with Mike Dillon (not that he’d know, but trust me, anyone who knows Dillon, knows I’m probably right). I’m not running any campaigns of people who want to become lobbyists’ tools. The thing is, the guys I know really do it because they give a shit about the state and country. Except the guy in D.C. He’s all about the money. But the Carson guys care. And they’ll be telling your guy what to do soon enough, if he (and you!) can convince the district to send him to the Capitol. I guess I should applaud that. My guys will be your guys’ bosses. Sounds like I’m the one whipping it out now, huh? Well, if it’s a game you can play. . .
So, you have dinner with “top state officials,” eh? I surely hope you take a shower afterwards. How cliche was that? I know, I’ll work on that, everyone.
But seriously, you ask me what I’m doing? Seriously? Well, currently, I’m listening to what might be my favorite Fiona Apple song, Get Gone. It’s really good (really damn good). You may have heard it before. As usual, she is intense, passionate, and damn swell on the piano as she says things like, “He don’t give a shit about me” (additionally, The Girl, 6, is reading the lyrics to Since U Been Gone while The Boy, 10, is reading the lyrics to It’s the End of the World by REM – damn that’s fitting – and each has it playing on their respective boombox). If only you could take a cue from Fiona, we wouldn’t be here today. As well as listening to music, I’m also taking some of your advice. Damn, cheap beer is tasty, and easy to drink!
Eric, the bottom line is this: You screwed up. You came into here and ran your smack. You had no idea I can smack back as hard as I want, and I really have nothing to lose. I have no worries about what anyone thinks about me. I don’t run political campaigns. And if I did, you’d have really screwed up, don’t you think? It’s Internet 101. Don’t roll into people’s houses and try to run it with them. Let them come to you. I did, and you’re now on the table, being dissected. But whatever. The ironic thing is if you hadn’t called me out, I would have been happy to meet up, talk, and possibly front for you. What you missed is I agree with way too much of what you’re saying than is healthy. But whatever. To quote the Beastie Boys, “It’s on.”
Comments
What’s so sad here is that it looks as if the guy started out trying to honestly address your criticism of the “blogging network” he belongs to… then took a wacky left-turn into “mine is bigger than yours” before turning back again to make a peace-offering of “finding common ground” (which reads to me like: “it’s common, just so long as you realize that I’m superior to you”).
Ironically, this is one of the biggest problems with politicians and political activists today: they don’t seem to understand that once you whip it out for a contest, nobody is going to pay attention to much else you have to say… unless you can back-up your talk.
So I went to both sites (Blogging Man and Battle Born News) expecting a massive community for Nevada politics and found… not a lot. They may be receiving 600 unique visitors per day, but their readership isn’t very involved in what they’re doing. One comment here, another comment there… no comments, no comments, no comments. The biggest response on the front page of BBN had 7 comments, 4 by that same guy (maybe most of these 600 visitors are accidental Google hits?).
Which meant that I pretty much discounted everything he had to say after he whipped it out in his third sentence.
If only he’d have stuck to defining his position regarding your entry before seeking that “common ground”... I would have been far more sympathetic (and perhaps you would have too). But poking somebody with a little twig is kind of lame after making a point of how big a stick you have.
Yeah, I’m just not getting the whole beat around the bush “flame” of his. Make your point, man, and move on.
Oh, and thanks for the props! That has to be one of the nicest things someone has said. Me and “amazing” within a few keystrokes of each other and not being used to say “amazingly idiotic”? I’m honored. I mean that.
myrnatheminx, Mar 2, 02:39 AM #:
Saying you have dinner with top state officials is like saying you have friends that are black.
Lovely that Mr. Odom will feel free to comment on your site, but withhold your membership and commenting abilities on his own site. Any reason for that one, Eric?
Commenting is closed for this article.
