HELL ON WHEELS?
This week, Barack Obama decisively regained the center ring from last week's star, Rush Limbaugh. "Obama Appoints Himself CEO of Chrysler" generated more comments than any other story: 234. It also racked up 97 props, 15 drops, and a brisk summary from Hhussk: "Socialism." Added capecoralM: "Fascism is more like it." There followed a noisy exchange about whether the corporate dog wagged the governmental tail under fascism, or the other way around. Meanwhile, acceptance wondered whether these labels weren't fogging up the real issues: "Terms like fascism, communist, [and] socialism bring emotion but no real thought to the argument--they assume a conclusion." Replied crespi, his tongue firmly in cheek: "You seem to be talking sense. There are penalties here on Propeller for that."
Meanwhile, engineer took to the president's defense: "Obama did not bring on the problems! He inherited them from the previous administration, you morons!" Said beavith1: "Now he's made the problem his. He owns the direction that GM and Chrysler have taken. He could've stood for bankruptcy early, before we poured $30B into these empty vessels." Added BB64: "To add insult to injury, he's also given [the companies] to the UAW. Not a bad trade for $13,000,000 in campaign funds. Had I known, I would have had my company do the same." To which willottica replied: "Giving Chrysler to the UAW isn't a bad idea. It means that the UAW will suffer if Chrysler makes stupid, unaffordable bargains with the union."
Another story, "Obama Confronts Abortion Debate, Urges Notre Dame Grads to Seek Common Ground," racked up 48 props, 6 drops, and 210 comments. Said fiftynine: "I'm Catholic and not angry at all [about Obama's appearance]. In fact, I think it is good that we have a president that will appear before crowds that aren't handpicked and confront an issue like this head on." Added amazed: "Like it or not, Obama is our president. To have the POTUS come to your graduation to speak is a coup and an honor--even if you have no use for this particular president's policies." And Desdamona heeded Obama's advice in seeking some common ground: "[Abortion] is about providing women a choice for how to deal with an unwanted pregnancy (no matter why or how she ended up with an unwanted pregnancy). The common ground is obvious: find more ways to limit the number of unwanted pregnancies. There is always common ground. It is when each side holds to the absolute extreme that we are caught up in a social divide."
DICK CHENEY, ROGUE DIVA
The high media profile of former VP Dick Cheney also got the Propeller community talking. For cowboygrandpa, Cheney was definitely outstaying his welcome: "This guy is a portrait of insanity, being viewed as relevant by the insane who believe him. He thinks that America is the only viable country in the world. What is scary is how many still back the raging lunatic." Why was Cheney airing his concerns on television, rather than sharing them directly with the president? Said jimdoze: "Because Obama and company have succumbed to the au courant disdain for him and have chosen to ignore him." Replied GWHayduke: "Considering that the W administration pretty much bungled every single attempt to provide security domestically and globally, I would say that ignoring Cheney's nonsense is a wise strategic move."
There was also a thumbs down from Radiofreeeuropa: "Eight years hiding in an undisclosed location, now glaring from behind the primordial ooze dripping from every TV screen, spouting the most obtuse nonsense ever concocted.... Go back to your undisclosed location, please. Darken our towels no more." Added myfairlady: "He is giving the whole [GOP] a black eye just as Jeb is out there trying to renew the party." But jimdoze stuck by his man: "Cheney has garnered the moniker 'Doomsday Dick' because he sees clearly how bad things could get when a faulty worldview produces counterproductive foreign-policy actions. As such, he is far more in tune with reality than the chattering left could ever hope to be."
AND DON'T OVERLOOK....
Every now and then it's nice to look further back than the 2000 election cycle, and the Propeller community stepped up to the plate with "Early skeleton sheds light on primate evolution." The story rang up 114 props and 54 comments, including this anti-evolutionary aria from AntiNeoCon: "I find it extremely funny how these fools will jump at anything to prove the Darwin theory, which is and always will be a sham. If you want to claim this bony piece of crap as your family tree, by my guest. I have to admit it looks more like one of your folks, mine are much prettier." Replied toph1973: "Evolution has been proven. It is a fact. All one needs to do is look at the bird flu to see evolution in microbiology." To which Tangent001 intelligently added: "We're not talking about 'proof,' we're talking about evidence. All of biological science could be complete and consistent, and there would still be the possibility that God 'poofed' it all into existence."
Propeller itself is prone to periodic, healthy bouts of self-examination, and that's what we got with "A Revisionist's Terms of Use at Propeller.Com," with 71 props, 14 drops, and 305 comments. One member, aceofspades1, argued against any form of censorship on the site: "The insidious posters are the ones who hide their rampant bigotry in catchphrases, and those naive enough not to see it agree with them. Are we to micromanage all that is said?"
In principle, not2needy agreed, yet she also saw a downside to the mudslinging that can easily creep into online debate: "It just seems that we should be able to discuss, debate, agree or disagree without the personal attacks. That's what runs me off." Added Klarissa: "Freedom of speech puts it all out there so we can make up our OWN minds.... The slogan for Propeller: TEFLON." This elicited a puzzled response from CRYMTYPHON: "Who wants to have skillet-skin? It wouldn't even stop bullets. I guess it would be easy to clean, though." If the community would like to suggest other nonstick synthetic fluoropolymers for a Propeller slogan, that would be just fine. In the meantime, our designers are moving ahead with the new fried-eggs-in-a-skillet logo, which is going to look very jazzy on our business cards. (PS: welcome back, deathray!)
This week, Barack Obama decisively regained the center ring from last week's star, Rush Limbaugh. "Obama Appoints Himself CEO of Chrysler" generated more comments than any other story: 234. It also racked up 97 props, 15 drops, and a brisk summary from Hhussk: "Socialism." Added capecoralM: "Fascism is more like it." There followed a noisy exchange about whether the corporate dog wagged the governmental tail under fascism, or the other way around. Meanwhile, acceptance wondered whether these labels weren't fogging up the real issues: "Terms like fascism, communist, [and] socialism bring emotion but no real thought to the argument--they assume a conclusion." Replied crespi, his tongue firmly in cheek: "You seem to be talking sense. There are penalties here on Propeller for that." Meanwhile, engineer took to the president's defense: "Obama did not bring on the problems! He inherited them from the previous administration, you morons!" Said beavith1: "Now he's made the problem his. He owns the direction that GM and Chrysler have taken. He could've stood for bankruptcy early, before we poured $30B into these empty vessels." Added BB64: "To add insult to injury, he's also given [the companies] to the UAW. Not a bad trade for $13,000,000 in campaign funds. Had I known, I would have had my company do the same." To which willottica replied: "Giving Chrysler to the UAW isn't a bad idea. It means that the UAW will suffer if Chrysler makes stupid, unaffordable bargains with the union."
Another story, "Obama Confronts Abortion Debate, Urges Notre Dame Grads to Seek Common Ground," racked up 48 props, 6 drops, and 210 comments. Said fiftynine: "I'm Catholic and not angry at all [about Obama's appearance]. In fact, I think it is good that we have a president that will appear before crowds that aren't handpicked and confront an issue like this head on." Added amazed: "Like it or not, Obama is our president. To have the POTUS come to your graduation to speak is a coup and an honor--even if you have no use for this particular president's policies." And Desdamona heeded Obama's advice in seeking some common ground: "[Abortion] is about providing women a choice for how to deal with an unwanted pregnancy (no matter why or how she ended up with an unwanted pregnancy). The common ground is obvious: find more ways to limit the number of unwanted pregnancies. There is always common ground. It is when each side holds to the absolute extreme that we are caught up in a social divide."
DICK CHENEY, ROGUE DIVA
The high media profile of former VP Dick Cheney also got the Propeller community talking. For cowboygrandpa, Cheney was definitely outstaying his welcome: "This guy is a portrait of insanity, being viewed as relevant by the insane who believe him. He thinks that America is the only viable country in the world. What is scary is how many still back the raging lunatic." Why was Cheney airing his concerns on television, rather than sharing them directly with the president? Said jimdoze: "Because Obama and company have succumbed to the au courant disdain for him and have chosen to ignore him." Replied GWHayduke: "Considering that the W administration pretty much bungled every single attempt to provide security domestically and globally, I would say that ignoring Cheney's nonsense is a wise strategic move." There was also a thumbs down from Radiofreeeuropa: "Eight years hiding in an undisclosed location, now glaring from behind the primordial ooze dripping from every TV screen, spouting the most obtuse nonsense ever concocted.... Go back to your undisclosed location, please. Darken our towels no more." Added myfairlady: "He is giving the whole [GOP] a black eye just as Jeb is out there trying to renew the party." But jimdoze stuck by his man: "Cheney has garnered the moniker 'Doomsday Dick' because he sees clearly how bad things could get when a faulty worldview produces counterproductive foreign-policy actions. As such, he is far more in tune with reality than the chattering left could ever hope to be."
AND DON'T OVERLOOK....
Every now and then it's nice to look further back than the 2000 election cycle, and the Propeller community stepped up to the plate with "Early skeleton sheds light on primate evolution." The story rang up 114 props and 54 comments, including this anti-evolutionary aria from AntiNeoCon: "I find it extremely funny how these fools will jump at anything to prove the Darwin theory, which is and always will be a sham. If you want to claim this bony piece of crap as your family tree, by my guest. I have to admit it looks more like one of your folks, mine are much prettier." Replied toph1973: "Evolution has been proven. It is a fact. All one needs to do is look at the bird flu to see evolution in microbiology." To which Tangent001 intelligently added: "We're not talking about 'proof,' we're talking about evidence. All of biological science could be complete and consistent, and there would still be the possibility that God 'poofed' it all into existence." Propeller itself is prone to periodic, healthy bouts of self-examination, and that's what we got with "A Revisionist's Terms of Use at Propeller.Com," with 71 props, 14 drops, and 305 comments. One member, aceofspades1, argued against any form of censorship on the site: "The insidious posters are the ones who hide their rampant bigotry in catchphrases, and those naive enough not to see it agree with them. Are we to micromanage all that is said?"
In principle, not2needy agreed, yet she also saw a downside to the mudslinging that can easily creep into online debate: "It just seems that we should be able to discuss, debate, agree or disagree without the personal attacks. That's what runs me off." Added Klarissa: "Freedom of speech puts it all out there so we can make up our OWN minds.... The slogan for Propeller: TEFLON." This elicited a puzzled response from CRYMTYPHON: "Who wants to have skillet-skin? It wouldn't even stop bullets. I guess it would be easy to clean, though." If the community would like to suggest other nonstick synthetic fluoropolymers for a Propeller slogan, that would be just fine. In the meantime, our designers are moving ahead with the new fried-eggs-in-a-skillet logo, which is going to look very jazzy on our business cards. (PS: welcome back, deathray!)
