Though I usually do Top Comments on Monday nights, brillig did the Monday diary on Jan. 29. And was I glad that she did! She asked a fairly simple question: are you going to watch SOTU? And the Top Comments community responded! And the dialogue in the comment threads was more wonderful and enjoyable than it has been in a fairly long time, to the tune of 128 comments! Fun!
For some of us, it had a nostalgic feel. Back in ‘the day,’ high comment engagement was much more the rule than the exception. Searching the archives of TC diaries (tagged ‘Top Comments’) in that first year pulled 162 diaries (of course there were many more than that, just not all were tagged consistently back then). Exactly one of the found diaries had less than 100 comments, but 300 comments were fairly routine, and quite a few days had four or five hundred or more comments! Wow!
More below.
Top Comments recognizes the previous day's Top Mojo and strives to promote each day's outstanding comments through nominations made by Kossacks like you. Please send comments (before 9:30pm ET) by email to topcomments@gmail.com or by our KosMail message board.
Of course, Carnacki is due his share of the credit. He was a great guy, all around, and a fine writer. Laura Clawson wrote diaries for Top Comments! Cronesense, Elise, va dare, noweasels, sardonyx, emeraldmaiden, carolita, cskendrick … people I still love and cherish!
But, for me, perhaps no one personified the spirit of Top Comments quite like gloriana.
Few people seem to remember her now, but she was the second person to really administer Top Comments, in the manner that brillig does today. (sardonyx filled the years-long group admin period between gloriana and brillig.)
Though she only wrote 28 diaries during her Daily Kos tenure (she does still occasionally pop in to rec or comment), 27 of those were for Top Comments. But even when she wasn’t hosting, she was a pillar of the community. Always ready with a smile and a rec and a reply.
I proudly take credit for ‘recruiting’ her to Top Comments. I ‘found’ her, believe it or not, on her 8th comment on Daily Kos! A scant 11 days after Top Comments came into being! If you read that thread, you’ll notice that my reply to her came WAYYYY down in the thread! That’s okay. She was new, but she stuck with it and read all that way down.
I thought of her after that diary because of her fine energy and spirit, that shone through in every comment. She was happy to share a smile with anyone and EVERYONE who visited Top Comments, whether she was hosting or not. I think it was no accident that the comment energy in those old TC threads was so wonderful and dynamic!
I saw some of that kind of energy and natural joy in brillig’s diary last week. And I’d love to see more of it! It lifts the spirit mightily, yea, even in this difficult time. Bolsters the resolve for resistance and taking back our world. (And don’t forget, when Top Comments began, we Democrats were deep in the Dubya Doldrums. No, not the same, but it was still very bad.)
Thank you, g. For the gifts you gave, and for the gifts those still give.
On to tonight’s comments! Formatted by gloriana’s finest recruit — brillig!
TOP COMMENTS
Brillig's ObDisclaimer: The decision to publish each nomination lies with the evening's Diarist and/or Comment Formatter. My evenings at the helm, I try reeeeallllyy hard to publish everything without regard to content. I really do, even when I disagree personally with any given nomination. "TopCommentness" lies in the eyes of the nominator and of you, the reader - I leave the decision to you. I do not publish self-nominations (ie your own comments) and if I ruled the world, we'd all build community, supporting and uplifting instead of tearing our fellow Kossacks down. Please remember that comment inclusion in Top Comments does not constitute support or endorsement by diarist, formatter, Top Comments writers or DailyKos. Questions, complaints or comments? Contact brillig.
From MikeTheLiberal:
I am nominating this comment from dweb8231 in the diary from Dem titled Trump in huge trouble, because it does show how much the GOP and those they enable are working to destroy America’s leadership position in the world, and if possible to destroy democracy as well. It’s must reading for anyone who cares about this democracy.
From themis:
This comment by pat bunny needs to be imagined. From NedSparks’ "What Does it Say That We Are Talking About He's Going to Lie? This is Ridiculous".
From mycroft321:
marking time’s comment in Jen Hayden’s Wildlife officials stunned and outraged after the Trump administration guts the Migratory Bird Act is a top comment for sure!
From brillig:
redstatelefty gives the familiar short parable form version of the dangerously wrong advice preacher/Trump advisor is handing out regarding flu. From Jen Hayden’s Trump advisor tells flock to 'Inoculate yourself with the word of God' instead of flu shots.
TOP MOJO
Top Mojo for yesterday, February 5th, 2018, first comments and tip jars excluded. Thank you mik for the mojo magic! For those of you interested in How Top Mojo Works, please see his diary on FAQing Top Mojo.
Top Pictures for yesterday, February 5th, 2018. Click any picture to be taken to the full comment or picture. Thank you jotter!