We have so many insightful and powerful diaries written here at Daily Kos. Our diaries inform, inflame, impassion, and even entertain. We Kossacks have strong voices and an even stronger will to be the change we wish to see in this country.
One of the richest, and perhaps most under-appreciated, areas of thought come in the form of comments attached to these diaries.
Here at Top Comments we strive to recognize and promote the talent of this community by highlighting outstanding comments found throughout the day by the diarist, and through nominations at made at topcomments at gmail dot com by your fellow Kossacks.
These nominations are subjective, and certainly not complete (as no one can read the complete site on a daily basis!). But hopefully they will serve to shine a light where deserved, and to give the reader a good starting point in finding conversation on the site.
Please come in and make yourself at home! Join us beneath the fold...
How’s your butt feel right now?
I ask only because our fellow Kossack (and my fellow Austin resident) anotherdemocrat is gearing up for her 9th straight annual sixty-mile bike ride to raise money for AIDS charities here in Central Texas. Sixty miles. That’s a lot of time on the bike! My butt hurts just thinking about it. I know anotherdemocrat has been putting in her training time to get ready for the big ride in a few weeks. It’s a huge commitment she makes each year to raise money for folks with HIV/AIDS, and it makes a big difference. It means a lot to her, too. I’ll let anotherdemocrat tell you about it, in her own words:
This is the 9th year & I've done every one. Not every mile of every one, but I'm there. My story is actually kind of nice - I have also done every single AIDS Walk that we have had here. So, one year, I finish the Walk, and I am huffing & puffing & all sweaty & red-faced. After finishing a 5K walk, mind you. My friend walks up to me, hands me a flyer, looks right at me and says, "You can do this." At that time, the Ride was a 2 day, 125-mile ride. To hear someone say that about something so physical and tough, it really meant a lot. So I was in, and I've been in ever since. The Ride community is the way the world should be - loving, warm, supportive - and I mean actually supportive. I love it.
So here’s the thing. anotherdemocrat is going to ride 60 miles on the bike, while we’re all pretty much going to sit around and, well, not ride 60 miles on the bike. But there’s something we can do – we can donate to her fundraising page for the Hill Country AIDS Ride. Even $10 will bring her closer to her fundraising goal of $3,000.
Now, that $3,000 that anotherdemocrat raises will do a lot of good here in Central Texas. The funds raised will benefit 10 local non-profits that help thousands of people with HIV/AIDS each year. You can read more about these worthwhile charities here. It’s an amazing range of organizations, but it also should remind us of the scope and scale of AIDS and how many different people are impacted.
In what should NOT be a surprise, funding has been drastically cut from organizations that support people with HIV/AIDS. It’s a problem nationally, but here in Texas the sitution is particularly bad, as our state doesn’t quite have the money or impetus to support these charities. Right now, the ride has only raised about 40% of its overall goal. This money is the bulk of the fundraising for these groups for the year, and it’s really important to push that number up.
anotherdemocrat has been busting her butt on that bike, and also working hard to raise money around the blogosphere. She’s been posting about the ride on Burnt Orange Report and TexasKaos, and she’s also received a good number of donations from folks here on DailyKos who frequent Cheers & Jeers and Mojo Friday. She’s also received a huge donation from Congressman Lloyd Doggett and his wife, which is really great. I think Top Comments needs to get in on the act too, because I’m sure we’re all as invested in raising AIDS awareness and helping those who have it as the other folks around the blogosphere.
As of right now, anotherdemocrat has raised $2,371.02. I so am proud of her commitment to the AIDS ride, and happy to be able to contribute to my friend’s efforts to do such a great thing for Central Texas. I hope that by the end of the night, we can make those numbers tick up a few notches. Again, even $10 makes a difference in the lives of folks with HIV/AIDS. No donation is too small. So, can she count on you for a few more donations?
On to the Top Comments!
From Neon Vincent:
Eiron on economics.
From jnhobbs:
"This comment by bobinson cracked me up."
From Land of Enchantment:
palantir waxes eloquent in edscan's diary.
inclusiveheart with a bit of snark in Jerome a Paris' diary.
From SarahLee:
Must Have Been the Roses on The McCain Girls.
My Picks:
DAVE DIAL on progressives' never-ending search for the promised land.
MsSpentyouth reminds us that BushCo are a bunch of quitters.
MI Sooner offers the perspective of a Michigan voter, and Punzy that of a voter from Florida.
TigerMom tells it to Meteor Blades.
Thanks to BeninSC for the Top Mojo!
Top Mojo - excluding search-identifiable tip jars and first diary comments (top 22 tonight of each plus ties):
1 "Mark Penn doesn't count" n/t by dmsilev - 217
2 Thanks, it was a nice day by not a cent - 168
3 Speeches don't count unless your paid for them... by Sharon Jumper - 140
4 no one lie by itself is so important by teacherken - 118
5 I live in Michigan (see siggy line) by MI Sooner - 106
6 This speech counted by Lefty Coaster - 94
7 I am one of those "disenfranchised" Floridians... by Punzy - 93
8 A laziness that includes not reading the NIE. by keeplaughing - 93
9 It's funny by Jerome a Paris - 83
10 Mark Penn in tears by Al Rodgers - 78
11 Yep, and they keep getting worse.... by Aqualad08 - 76
12 everytime i feel sorry.... by JackieandFritz - 71
13 Somebody call Kanye West, Ed... by dlh77489 - 70
14 Oh, it was a "boom" alright... by GreyHawk - 69
15 Very powerful... by SallyCat - 69
16 No. by dlh77489 - 68
17 What is Hillary talking about? by jhutson - 67
18 This is about more than hurt feelings by dlh77489 - 63
19 Low information voters. by leawood - 60
20 Their governance is theft. by Yellow Canary - 59
21 Apparently a speech doesn't count. by object16 - 59
22 Barack On - Campaigns as Indicators by highprincipleswork - 57
23 i hold HRC responsible for all of her campaign by jj24 - 56
24 I believe that what is going on here is that by BonzoDogBand - 56
25 Hillary: Feb. 5 is "end of campaign" by JLFinch - 54
26 It's not even a change, really by Adam B - 54
27 those of us who DID sock away money by MozartVio5 - 53
28 Mark Penn reminds me of the one employee by smash artist - 51
29 That's the kind of talk we need to stow away. by nautilus1700 - 50
30 She's sleepy again by WeBetterWinThisTime - 49
31 She is Orwellian by Woodwardsfriend - 49
32 This is what makes it so hard to overcome by jenontheshore - 49
Top Mojo - everything included:
1 Tip jar by Brandon Friedman - 391
2 Tip jar! by jenontheshore - 379
3 Tips Honk if you love Missoula! n/t by mmontanaman - 280
4 More lies... by First Amendment - 230
5 Tip Jar - 6 April by Jerome a Paris - 224
6 I blog for tips :) by Hope Monger - 222
7 "Mark Penn doesn't count" n/t by dmsilev - 217
8 Tip Jar by PsiFighter37 - 210
9 Tips for ending the madness. by One Pissed Off Liberal - 203
10 Tips to fight Freepers. by Setrak - 198
11 Tips for the Grass Roots by Steven R - 169
12 Thanks, it was a nice day by not a cent - 168
13 Tips, flames, etc by dawnt - 151
14 Speeches don't count unless your paid for them... by Sharon Jumper - 140
15 tip jar by Hiraga - 124
16 no one lie by itself is so important by teacherken - 118
17 I live in Michigan (see siggy line) by MI Sooner - 106
18 Oddly enough... by JeffLieber - 96
19 This speech counted by Lefty Coaster - 94
20 A laziness that includes not reading the NIE. by keeplaughing - 93
21 I am one of those "disenfranchised" Floridians... by Punzy - 93
22 Cat Nip Jar... by undercovercalico - 90
23 Yes we can by Acacia951 - 88
24 It's funny by Jerome a Paris - 83
25 Thanks, as always, nyceve by anastasia p - 81
26 Mark Penn in tears by Al Rodgers - 78
27 Yep, and they keep getting worse.... by Aqualad08 - 76
28 I see that, arodb . . . by nyceve - 75
29 Hey, she said "you know" back then. by haruki - 73
30 everytime i feel sorry.... by JackieandFritz - 71
Send your Top Comments nominees to topcomments (at) gmail (dot) com!