While reading your post a name flashed up from my memory; Slim Brundage. A true legend in Chicago lefty circles in Olden Times, Slim was Founder and Janitor of the College of Complexes, a kind of year-round, indoor version of Bughouse Square. Slim was a true believer in the value free speech and open forums. You could talk on any subject at all at the College, from the left or the right, but you knew going in you would face a room full of hecklers -- enthusiastic hecklers -- few of whom had degrees, but all of whom were at least as well read as you. These guys you quoted would have had a total meltdown in five minutes. They'd have to be taken home in a Baggie.

Oops, forgot http://yglesias.thinkprogress.org/

Suggestions:
Under just for fun:
http://margaretandhelen.wordpress.com/
Wonkette
BillinPortland Maine

More serious stuff:
Andrew Sullivan's Daily Dish (My first read every morning after checking my email).

And to a MUCH lesser extent, firedoglake and Momocrats.

I'm pathetically lazy about updating my blogroll links in the best of times. But I just added yours to the list. There's a few on there I really have to update, and others I should probably add as well.

Anyone else with candidates for the blogroll, now's the time to make suggestions. As I said, I don't do this very often (with no excuse other than laziness)

-CW

Elizabeth, thank you for alerting brain-dead me to the fact that Osborne Ink has a website. Osborne Ink - I've now added your site to my favorites list.

Chris - I haven't been paying much attention to the number of comments your posts get on Huffpo...For almost a year they email me when your latest post comes up; I delete the notification and come straight to this site to read it. Hence I haven't been aware of how much reaction to your writing you've been getting on Huffpo. This piece has garnered a lot of really nice comments; more than my memory tells me you usually get.

I know I'm long-winded, but briefly, don't apologize...when you unleash yourself (in your usual talented way), good things happen. Hopefully those Huffpo commenters will find their way to this site.

There is nothing of interest to note about the comments over at WT except to say that Breitbart is very perceptive...he should be afraid, very afraid...from what I saw, the libs were taking over!

"Guilty."

(Man, the comments are keeping me hopping today...)

After editing comments over at HuffPost, I must ask:

"RumiSouth, I presume?"

Heh.

:-)

-CW

As they say "this one's personal" -- I couldn't let HuffPost commenters get insulted like that and take it lying down. Maybe it's just because it's Monday, but something in me snapped and I went into full-on "rant" mode. Mea maxima culpa.

heh heh.

Osborne Ink -

(1) Now, see, if you use irony, they just won't know what you're talking about (heh).

(2) I have to admit, I think for the most part that rumors of "paid blog commenters" are pretty farfetched whether it's the right or the left peddling them. McCain did make the attempt, but I just can't see paying some people to do what others will gleefully do for free. Wait a minute, I'm arguing for no salary for what I do, that CAN'T be right. Heh.

(3) See George Carlin on "football versus baseball." Thanks for posting your links, I will check them out.

(to everyone, a reminder): when you post two or three links in a comment, it will be automatically held for approval. This is due to comment spam, so don't take it personally or anything...

(to everyone, an invitation): if you have links to your own writings, don't be afraid to post them here. That is fully allowable and encouraged by this site. Just to let everyone know.

Elizabeth -

"You're a stronger man than I, Gunga Din!"

I couldn't stomach comments from the Washington Times, so I salute you for the intestinal fortitude that must have taken. Anything interesting there, or just the usual "meaningless blather" (as you so aptly put it)? Do tell!

-CW

Just don't call me late for dinner. Thanks for coming by & checking it out!

Okay, so I've never claimed to be the most observant person on the planet and that explains why it's taken me until now to check out your blog.

I just wanted to say that it's one of the best I've seen - great work!

A few months ago, I would have chalked all of this up to meaningless blather. But, lately, I have been visiting a few right-leaning blogs and I have come to the conclusion that there really is such a thing as a ‘wingnut’ and Crazyville does indeed exist!

In fact, Crazyville has a pretty hopping suburb right on the Huffington Post, of all places, and it’s called the Joe Biden Big News Page! At the bottom of the page you will find a fine selection of links that can drive a person to drink.

When I’m not reduced to tears (from laughing out loud, I mean!), I actually do feel sorry for these people. Their rants are so devoid of any meaning and so far removed from reality that it’s really hard to have any fun with them by obliterating their ‘arguments’ because they just make the whole exercise too darn easy.

I have to admit, though, that I’m not strong enough to frequent the average right-leaning blog anymore. And besides...while these places may be difficult to long endure for those of us living in Realityville, they are downright intolerable for a poor Biden fan. And, that’s all I have to say about that.

Three things:

1) How dare those liberals click to an open-access website and then click on a button labeled "comment!" That sort of nonsense is irony defined.

2) We should remember it was McCain, not Obama, who gave "points" to online activists for trolling.

3) The frequent use of the language of warfare is no surprise at all. I've been tracking this for a long time, and the Republicans' rhetoric is definitely trending towards violence more these days. The fringe elements are more in charge than ever, and they are preparing for 2012 as a "Last Stand." When you hear Sarah Palin talk about not having anyone to pray with, you are hearing the "Lost Cause" revision of history.

...Stan