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Birthday and Open Thread

By Jeralyn, Section Blog Related
Posted on Thu Sep 28, 2006 at 06:01:46 AM EST
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It's my birthday and I'm taking the day off from both my day job and blogging. Not because I have something special to do, but because I can and I want to.

I don't particularly feel like saying how old I am, I'd just note that Susan Sarandon, Diane Keaton, Goldie Hawn, Tuesday Weld, Bruce Springsteen and Bill and Hillary Clinton are older than me. But not by much.

If you have no reason to take the day off, here's some space for you to vent.

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    Birthday and Open Thread | 34 comments (34 topical)
    Re: Birthday and Open Thread (none / 0) (#1)
    by bad Jim on Thu Sep 28, 2006 at 01:42:51 AM EST
    Happy Birthday, and thanks for all the blogging. "Porcupine birthday cakes belabor the point", said Leo Kottke, many years ago. For most of us, 21 was the last fun birthday. There may be exceptions for precocious congressional, senatorial and presidential candidates, but they can be ignored for most practical purposes.

    Re: Birthday and Open Thread (none / 0) (#2)
    by roger on Thu Sep 28, 2006 at 04:10:15 AM EST
    Happy Birthday! Try to get a massage, if you have the time. Perfect way to relax

    Re: Birthday and Open Thread (none / 0) (#4)
    by brian on Thu Sep 28, 2006 at 06:13:53 AM EST
    Happy Birthday. It is mine, and my girlfriend's birthday! Have a happy one!

    Re: Birthday and Open Thread (none / 0) (#5)
    by jimakaPPJ on Thu Sep 28, 2006 at 06:18:06 AM EST
    I give you the best poem on aging ever written.
    Grow old along with me! The best is yet to be, The last of life, for which the first was made: Our times are in His hand Who saith 'A whole I planned, Youth shows but half; trust God: see all, nor be afraid!'
    "Rabbi Ben Ezra" - Robert Browning Happy birthday!

    Re: Birthday and Open Thread (none / 0) (#6)
    by Sailor on Thu Sep 28, 2006 at 06:31:45 AM EST
    Happy birthday TL ... and my favorite birthday was 27 ... but the story is not SFW;-)

    Re: Birthday and Open Thread (none / 0) (#7)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Sep 28, 2006 at 06:59:04 AM EST
    Not about birthdays, but an interesting commentary Wiretapping

    Re: Birthday and Open Thread (none / 0) (#10)
    by scribe on Thu Sep 28, 2006 at 07:51:11 AM EST
    Don't mean to be a wet blanket, but there's a report on an ABC News website that an AQ-linked figure has made a call to them (out of the blue) and advised Osama's alive and well and a tape is on the way.

    Re: Birthday and Open Thread (none / 0) (#13)
    by jimakaPPJ on Thu Sep 28, 2006 at 08:18:50 AM EST
    et al - A question. Probably 99.9999999% of blogs are free. Now, if they were not free, what would be the number of hits? Would Atrois and Powerline and Kos and FreeRepublic, etc. actually exist? And if they did, wouldn't the number of reduced visits greatly reduce their influence? Are we now seeing a small number of people.... unelected and basically unaccountable... and using very cheap technology...attempting to control the political discussion....attempting to control the political parties?? Something, btw, not to hard to do given the timidity of both parties. And is this good? And if so, why? Given the actual small numbers of people involved versus the population size aren't we seeing an attempt at a dictatorship of the "elite??" Think. Aren't we now seeing people famous for being famous on the Net, who have actually never had their beliefs and positions really argued and or debated in the white heat of public discourse? TalkLeft is one of the few sites that actually allows disagreements, and even here we see people screaming "liar" and demanding that the site be turned into am echo chamber. So is the Internet really good for society? Or has it turned into a device for two sides to yell at each other??

    Re: Birthday and Open Thread (none / 0) (#15)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Sep 28, 2006 at 09:11:49 AM EST
    HAPPY BIRTHDAY and THANK YOU for your time and wisdom

    Re: Birthday and Open Thread (none / 0) (#16)
    by scribe on Thu Sep 28, 2006 at 09:19:32 AM EST
    And here's a beautiful photo of home, taken from Saturn by Cassini. The Carl Sagan quote will, if you let it, break your heart.

    Re: Birthday and Open Thread (none / 0) (#17)
    by squeaky on Thu Sep 28, 2006 at 09:29:36 AM EST
    A very Happy b'day to you. May you live forever. You are the best.

    Re: Birthday and Open Thread (none / 0) (#8)
    by scribe on Thu Sep 28, 2006 at 09:49:42 AM EST
    Happy birthday, and enjoy the day off!

    Re: Birthday and Open Thread (none / 0) (#9)
    by avahome on Thu Sep 28, 2006 at 09:49:42 AM EST
    Happy Birthday!!!!!! There's a good 5 part story up over at ePluribusMedia journal on FDR and the New Deal. Now you may say.....old stuff..but my friend, we can learn a boatload from FDR and his advisers. NO FEAR! Journal

    Re: Birthday and Open Thread (none / 0) (#11)
    by Edger on Thu Sep 28, 2006 at 09:49:42 AM EST
    Happy Birthday, Jeralyn!

    Re: Birthday and Open Thread (none / 0) (#12)
    by JHFarr on Thu Sep 28, 2006 at 09:49:42 AM EST
    Happy Birthday! I recently turned 61. Can't believe it. Enjoy life while you can. This country is toast.

    Re: Birthday and Open Thread (none / 0) (#14)
    by Sumner on Thu Sep 28, 2006 at 09:49:42 AM EST
    Be sure to eat plenty of cake and ice-cream, TL.

    Re: Birthday and Open Thread (none / 0) (#19)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Thu Sep 28, 2006 at 10:23:57 AM EST
    Happy B-day TL! I don't know how you manage to find the time to run a business, feed the TL monster 24-7-365 and have a life but you do it and do it well. Enjoy your day off!

    Re: Birthday and Open Thread (none / 0) (#20)
    by roy on Thu Sep 28, 2006 at 10:28:03 AM EST
    Happy birthday. Though if you're taking the day off from blogging, I guess you won't read these 'til tomorrow. So, happy belated birthday.

    Re: Birthday and Open Thread (none / 0) (#22)
    by Che's Lounge on Thu Sep 28, 2006 at 11:38:12 AM EST
    Wow today is also my mother's and my only sister's B-day. I have som calls to make! Happy Birthday JM. And thank you for your site. So is the Internet really good for society? Or has it turned into a device for two sides to yell at each other?? Someone's feeling picked on.

    Re: Birthday and Open Thread (none / 0) (#23)
    by Sailor on Thu Sep 28, 2006 at 12:11:41 PM EST
    .attempting to control the political discussion
    If you don't like it, start your own blog and see how many people listen to you! For the firt time in history anyone can have as loud a voice as the gov't or a large corporation, if they can attract an audience, and it's interactive, not delivered content. TV is free too, but your only choice is to change the channel (including the dead screen channel) from info piped into you by large corporations. Trust ppj to be against free speech in all its forms.

    Re: Birthday and Open Thread (none / 0) (#24)
    by jimakaPPJ on Thu Sep 28, 2006 at 01:27:39 PM EST
    Sailor - I noted the problems of both sides, asked a couple of questions, and all you do is make a snarky comment... Start my own blog? How will that answer any of the questions? Freedom of speech? Where did I say they should be shut down? Do you deny that some of the blogs are are attempting to control the discussion? And isn't that attacking free speech? Sailor, try reading sometimes.

    Re: Birthday and Open Thread (none / 0) (#28)
    by Che's Lounge on Thu Sep 28, 2006 at 02:57:41 PM EST
    Do you deny that some of the blogs are are attempting to control the discussion? And isn't that attacking free speech? As the late Bob Marley sang: "Don't jump in the water if you can't swim." Toughen up, Jimbo. The world is an unfair place. Go whine to the snotballs - if they will let you.

    Re: Birthday and Open Thread (none / 0) (#18)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Sep 28, 2006 at 03:40:49 PM EST
    The Carl Sagan quote will, if you let it, break your heart.
    Indeed it did.

    Re: Birthday and Open Thread (none / 0) (#21)
    by HK on Thu Sep 28, 2006 at 03:40:49 PM EST
    Happy Birthday, Jeralyn! I have to say I love my birthdays, not so much for the presents but for the sense of accomplishment. I like to look back at what I've done in the past year - even if it's only to marvel at how I've survived it! I also used to like going to work on my birthday. Because I love my birthdays, working on those days didn't seem as bad asworking on other days. Now that I work from home, however, there are just too many new things to distract me... Hope you have a great day.

    Re: Birthday and Open Thread (none / 0) (#25)
    by jondee on Thu Sep 28, 2006 at 03:40:49 PM EST
    Anyone, or any organization, that manipulates information to achieve specific ends is "attempting to control the disussion." Of course, as certain parties have made plain on numerous occaisions, when "we're at war", the discussion can never be controled enough.

    Re: Birthday and Open Thread (none / 0) (#26)
    by jondee on Thu Sep 28, 2006 at 03:40:49 PM EST
    Anyone, or any organization, that manipulates information to achieve specific ends is "attempting to control the disussion." Of course, as certain parties have made plain on numerous occaisions, when "we're at war", the discussion can never be controled enough.

    Re: Birthday and Open Thread (none / 0) (#27)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Sep 28, 2006 at 03:40:49 PM EST
    Happy Birthday! May it be the best yet.

    Re: Birthday and Open Thread (none / 0) (#29)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Sep 28, 2006 at 03:40:49 PM EST
    And isn't that attacking free speech? No, it's more like redacting NIE's. ---edger

    Re: Birthday and Open Thread (none / 0) (#3)
    by kdog on Thu Sep 28, 2006 at 03:40:50 PM EST
    Happy Birthday indeed. Get some McDonalds fries while you can...before trans-fats are prohibited. Big brother knows what is best for all of us, and I trust him completely. Lord knows I'd be 500 lbs. and addicted to heroin if it weren't for big brother and his lackeys taking care of me.

    Re: Birthday and Open Thread (none / 0) (#30)
    by jimcee on Thu Sep 28, 2006 at 04:01:44 PM EST
    Happy birthday Jerilyn, I hope its a good one and thanks for TalkLeft. It is a great site. JimakaPPJ, The internet is nothing more than the Guetenburg(sp?) press of our times. It has made information and opinion available to all if they care to use it and that can be used for good or bad. Is it good or bad? Neither because it is just a tool like a hammer and as with a hammer you can build a home or you can bludgeon someone. It all depends on how one is wielding it. It has contributed to a rather polarized political world but that is because it reflects our times which are rather polarized themselves. In otherwords the internet is benign until a human touches the keys.

    Re: Birthday and Open Thread (none / 0) (#31)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Sep 28, 2006 at 05:39:17 PM EST
    Thanks, everyone, for your birthday wishes. I appreciate every one of them and all of you.

    Re: Birthday and Open Thread (none / 0) (#32)
    by jimakaPPJ on Fri Sep 29, 2006 at 06:58:10 AM EST
    jimcee - No disagreement from me about the Internet itself being neutral. My comments approach the human use. And of course the question is, will the Internet make the polarization worse, or better? CheBo - Glad to see such a reasoned and well thought out response to may attempt to actually have a discussion. Jondee - Welcome back. Now, what does that have to do with the Internet??

    Re: Birthday and Open Thread (none / 0) (#33)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Fri Sep 29, 2006 at 12:46:55 PM EST
    Happy Birthday, Jeralyn! Hope it's a good one? I have one coming up soon.... I always take the day off too.. It's the least you can do for yourself.

    Re: Birthday and Open Thread (none / 0) (#34)
    by Che's Lounge on Fri Sep 29, 2006 at 01:13:04 PM EST
    That was a discussion? Sounded like whining. I cannot discuss issues with a steel trap. To wit: "You are either with us or you are with the terrorists." "We are at war" - see Jondee "Joe Wilson lied, Libby is innocent" Thank you Mr. Mehlman. May I have another? Something in a Foley or Abramoff? Try this Delay tactic. Works every time. Adapt to WIN!!!! War is peace. End of discussion.

    Birthday and Open Thread | 34 comments (34 topical)