TftC Kage has singlehandedly developed a new form of birth control: bloggus interruptus. Her most recent post is so detailed it leaves absolutely nothing, and we do mean nothing, to the imagination. This is not for people of weak constitutions, so do not click this unless you are ready for an accouchement avalanche of totally euphemism-free gore (WARNING: do not visit immediately after eating or drinking, or if you are planning on having any children any time in the near future).
You know, you got to hand it to her, it isn't everyone who can suggest reading something by Jenny McCarthy with a straight face.
P.S., hey, Kage, you forgot a section on surviving your first post-pardum bowel movement. Get on it girl. We expect pics.
Behold, an anonymous snark lampooning the recent Bloggernacle contention surrounding LDS polemicists.
There is beauty all around, when there's love in the Nacle!
Mindy at FMH gets the award two weeks in a row with her WoW-based flogging. We predict she will make it a trifecta next week and do a post on Blacks and the Priesthood or perhaps Polygamy, or maybe Black Priesthood holding Polygamist's Wives Who Struggle with SSA...and the mothers who love them. Jerry Springer calling.
T&S also had a good showing of Trigger filets in threes with Julie saddling up on her favorite old nag, Women and the Priesthood! Rosalynde takes up the challenge with a lady-like poke in the eye. Julie's exceptional capacity for denial and intimate familiarity with cognitive dissonance resulted in a predictable response wherein she refuses to admit she is wrong. Oh, yeah, and she wants a Niblet for cutting and pasting an old e-mail conversation and adding a little bit of new text. Niblet for what? Best Left Overs? Natch, Mr. Original follows suit and posts on the very same subject for a T&S trifecta! That sure isn't "eating meat sparingly" you permabores. You all need to repent of breaking the Word of Wisdom admonition and lay off the bakinu!
As a public service announcement to the Bloggernacle, we want to warn you away from the comments on this post by Nate. Nate's post is the typical half-baked Oman du jour on a paper plate. Its the comments that are positively stomach wrenching. I mean, come on, who wants to have mental images of this? Not me. Oh, hrrrl. Please, please, please don't click that link. You will have to buy a new keyboard if you do.
Ryan at Blogger of Jared loves to hate the Israeli state. He complains about some injustices carried out, as reported by a totally unbaised Muslim second-hand source who relays a totally unimbellished account of horrid atrocities a Palestinian man personally endured.
History lesson: both sides in this conflict have committed egregious atrocities and both sides lie about their own actions and exagerate the other's. Most people who don't already hate the state of Israel recognize this.
But, the fun is at the end, when Ryan faults the Jews of the Israel state for failing to observe Jesus' teachings and Mormon expectations:
- This is Zionism, the gathering of God’s elect? This is love thy neighbor? This is blessed are the meek? This is charity, the pure love of Christ?
Ye Elders of Israel indeed.
UPDATE:In between blaming us for all his personal problems, Ryan admits he sucks and sort of, but not really, retracts what he previously said and half-heartedly apologizes, while only just barely restraining himself from insisting he really is right.
From its inception, Times and Seasons has been an ego vehicle for a relatively small handful of self-absorbed people who enjoy talking about themselves and how clever they are. While the group is relatively diverse on political and social issues, they are all united in how impressed they are with themselves.
It has always been thus.
The first four members of Times and Seasons were Nate, Adam, Matt and Kaimi (who are all very analytical, reasonable, intelligent, and thought-provoking, and each puts a high value on the norms of civil dialogue...just ask them...except Matt, since he doesn't really participate anymore). Because of that heightened sense of self-importance, they think they can discuss issues intelligently and at length, despite substantive disagreements, without the conversation degenerating into garbage. But, the reality is most of what they post is garbage, and they frequently don't know what they are talking about, unless it is on pet matters of legal esoterica that nobody else cares about. Point that out to them, and you will be attacked.
Throughout its development, Kaimi loved the fact that Times and Seasons was an ideologically diverse group. That diversity, in his eyes, was one of the primary reasons they founded the blog (the other primary reasons, which trumped that one proferred, are the ego-driven desire for public adulation and the inability to actually publish in paper journals). The permament T&S roster reflects this as they surround themselves with groomed sycophants who rarely, if ever, question and always praise and defend the core members.
And do note how well the T&S guest list reflects on them. Where else can one find a guest list that ranges from Susan Staker to Joseph Stanford, with stops in between for Dan Peterson, Fred Gedicks, Jeff Lindsay, Damon Linker, Richard Bushman, and Greg Prince, along with dozens of others? I mean, come on, doesn't that just boost their credibility? What scholarship, what brilliance they keep company with. Not to mention they get to go to Millers-Eccles and represent the Bloggernacle. That must prove something! Birds of a feather, right? Or is it just they were first out of the gate and inertia keeps them afloat?
At its best, Times and Seasons offers a chance to have friendly, intelligent discussions across ideological divides (as long as you don't show them to be wrong and you constantly praise them for being so smart and skilled at writing). One can watch them preen, and, really, what is better than that? Times and Seasons offers dialogue — real dialogue about itself and how good it is. Because, if it were half as good as they said it was, they wouldn't have to talk about it, it would be patently obvious. Not something they need to convince you of.
It is vital that each of the group members and conversation participants prize dialogue. A commitment to maintaining the atmosphere of dialogue must trump partisanship. Which is easy, when the real purpose of the blog is currying adulation for the participants, and not genuine dialogue.
You know, I have always had suspicions that Steve EM wasn't a real person. Well, now he has finally admitted to the truth. He is a dog! Now if we can just figure out who his owner is and get them to change their password on the home computer. Or, just get some new chew toys, to distract him from the computer.
OK, everyone on the Bloggernacle who has a dog: change your password and buy some chew toys. NOW!