I think that's an eminently fair assumption. I've yet to meet an unemployed libertarian who wasn't an asshole. Actually, even libertarians with jobs and their own houses get on my nerves. In fact, I'm looking at one across the office right now.
Hmm, there's a paper clip, and here's a rubber band and he's within range...
Just remember, as a wise Canadian band once said: those who wish to be must put aside the alienation, get on with the fascination, the real relation, the underlying theme. Or something about Tom Sawyer. Or something.
His political point is even funnier than it seems, since all the people linking to his drag site were right-wingers/libertarians. So basically all he proved is that a lot of righty bloggers pop wood when the see the libertarian rap accompanied by a pretty picture. Which is maybe somewhat sadder than funny. Nah, just funny.
wait, i missed the part where "libertarian girl" got busted because another libertarian surfing a mail-order bride site saw the pic.
So one libertarian guy visits mail-order bride site and swipes pic. Another guy visits site, sees pic, and busts first guy for it. What are the odds of this happening unless that mail-order site is crawling with dateless libertarians?
Are there any other kind? Really. Libertarians are the losers who can't get dates and so are attracted to a new world order that, surprise, has them on top.
They are like fundies with some brains and a different religion.
The folks at Hit & Run might be wrong, but they don't strike me as dumb or losers. (Also Jim Henley, who's smart, libertarian, and married.)
And...more tentatively...the extrapolation to the real world is stupid, but isn't it true that hot women's blogs get more traffic by virtue of their hot womanness?
(a) Near as I can tell, most libertarians don't envision a world with them on top as much as they envision a world which lets them rationalize their existing position without reference to any of the underlying social structures or general badness (think Wounded Knee) which got them there. Doesn't make them stupid or losers, just really self-serving.
(b) I think I only know what one woman blogger I read looks like. Hotness not so interesting in text, really.
1. Are the Rush references there because of 2112's dedication to Ayn Rand? (http://www.mclemee.com/id39.html)
2. If so, did you all discover that from reading McLemee. or am I the only one who wasted his youth on Geddy Lee without figuring that out.
3. Should I feel any politics-related shame (I already feel the aesthetic shame, thank you) as a result of my continuing love of Yes and Journey as well?
Actually, Micha G, who did the post on catallarchy.net also seems like he's not dumb or a loser (and he wasn't the one who was surfing the mail-order site). His post is pretty funny, and not only does he sometimes make intelligent libarian arguments in CT comments--he doesn't make them on threads that don't bring up libertarianism! A rare quality to be treasured.
I'll third (or whatever) the pro-Henley bit. Henley may be the least appreciated well-known blogger out there; that romantic part of me wishes whoever owns TNR would force Henley to come in and save the magazine.
That said, I'd note three things:
(a) Henley is extremely close to many Dem positions (he had a post drawing the distinctions, but I can't recall what it said).
(b) He has, IIRC, recently lost a great deal of weight.
(c) In the only picture of him I can recall seeing, he was wearing a fairly dorky shirt.
All of which leads me to the conclusion that once he gets good shoes and a smooth suit, he'll be forced to regretfully inform women of his marriage status on a semi-monthly basis. And at that point, he'll be a solid Blue vote for a generation. Hell, it may already have happened.
The ability to avoid talking about how the public school system should be abolished on a first date would seem to be a useful skill for libertarians. Loudmouths tend to drift to libertarianism because libertarianism makes it easy to have an opinion about everything.
On the other hand, men do find women who share a relatively unpopular but predominately male interest very attractive. The fact that the women in the picture was moderately attractive makes a difference. When you start thinking "I appreciate you in a way that way others can not", you aren't very far from being in love.
1. In part, but Rush is just inherently funny. The 2112 bit is the icing on the cake.
2. No, that's a widely-cited fact, partly because it's hilarious.
3. I have no idea about the polical leanings of Yes or Journey. I totally hate that song that starts off about chess and then turns into a different song a minute or so in, though. "Move me on to any black square"? Come on.
Jon Wossname of Yes is basic hippie-environmentalist in his politics, but really, if you love Yes or Journey, let alone both, you havem ore to worry about than the political fallout.
For the generation that grew up during the Reagan Era, Journey will always be associated with the sweaty palms and stomach-churning anticipation of grade school dances. Orgasmically dramatic break-up songs employed pulsating synthesizers, massive guitars, and innumerable vocal tracks backing up Steve Perry's pleading falsetto. With this astonishingly successful formula, Journey defined the blow-dried power-ballad that ruled '80s FM radio.
I think Ricky at the New Democrat deserves the credit for first unmasking the dude. Two weeks after the blog started, he commented:
At 1/12/2005 07:33:34 PM, Ricky said…
Men read your blog, look at your picture and have nice dreams. It just happens that way. It's quite disenchanting to find out your fantasy is some balding middle aged guy with hair on his hands, who took the picture from some Russian Bride catalogue.
For example, show me a libertarian with a wife. I think they are hard to find.
One of the few real semi-intellectual libertarians (as opposed to the simple gummint-haters) I've met in real life was married with a couple kids. I don't have a lot of sense that libertarianism causes singleness. I do, however, suspect there's a high correlation between cyberlibertarians and singleness, but there are a lot of other factors at play there.
Libertarian demographics skew young and male. Girls shopping for a radical political philosophy tend to gravitate towards the left end of the spectrum. Makes for a lot of lonely libertarians.
I think that's an eminently fair assumption. I've yet to meet an unemployed libertarian who wasn't an asshole. Actually, even libertarians with jobs and their own houses get on my nerves. In fact, I'm looking at one across the office right now.
Hmm, there's a paper clip, and here's a rubber band and he's within range...
Posted by peter snees | Link to this comment | 02-17-05 4:55 AM
go for it, dude!
Posted by alameida | Link to this comment | 02-17-05 5:26 AM
Just remember, as a wise Canadian band once said: those who wish to be must put aside the alienation, get on with the fascination, the real relation, the underlying theme. Or something about Tom Sawyer. Or something.
Posted by Mitch Mills | Link to this comment | 02-17-05 5:51 AM
invisible airwaves crackle with light, dude.
Posted by alameida | Link to this comment | 02-17-05 5:55 AM
His political point is even funnier than it seems, since all the people linking to his drag site were right-wingers/libertarians. So basically all he proved is that a lot of righty bloggers pop wood when the see the libertarian rap accompanied by a pretty picture. Which is maybe somewhat sadder than funny. Nah, just funny.
Posted by ktheintz | Link to this comment | 02-17-05 7:05 AM
Of salesmen! of salesmen! SALESMEN!
Jesus, I hate mathrock.
Posted by FL | Link to this comment | 02-17-05 7:11 AM
wait, i missed the part where "libertarian girl" got busted because another libertarian surfing a mail-order bride site saw the pic.
So one libertarian guy visits mail-order bride site and swipes pic. Another guy visits site, sees pic, and busts first guy for it. What are the odds of this happening unless that mail-order site is crawling with dateless libertarians?
Posted by ktheintz | Link to this comment | 02-17-05 7:13 AM
This comment is funny-- self awareness RULZ.
Posted by FL | Link to this comment | 02-17-05 7:25 AM
[redacted]
Posted by [redacted] | Link to this comment | 02-17-05 7:53 AM
ktheintz,
crawling with dateless libertarians?
Are there any other kind? Really. Libertarians are the losers who can't get dates and so are attracted to a new world order that, surprise, has them on top.
They are like fundies with some brains and a different religion.
Posted by Tripp | Link to this comment | 02-17-05 8:01 AM
By-Tor in defeat retreats to Hell;
Snow Dog is victorious.
The land of the Overworld is saved again.
Posted by apostropher | Link to this comment | 02-17-05 8:06 AM
Ok, a couple of contrary points:
The folks at Hit & Run might be wrong, but they don't strike me as dumb or losers. (Also Jim Henley, who's smart, libertarian, and married.)
And...more tentatively...the extrapolation to the real world is stupid, but isn't it true that hot women's blogs get more traffic by virtue of their hot womanness?
Posted by ogged | Link to this comment | 02-17-05 8:13 AM
I would traffick with a hot woman blogger.
Posted by ben wolfson | Link to this comment | 02-17-05 8:17 AM
(a) Near as I can tell, most libertarians don't envision a world with them on top as much as they envision a world which lets them rationalize their existing position without reference to any of the underlying social structures or general badness (think Wounded Knee) which got them there. Doesn't make them stupid or losers, just really self-serving.
(b) I think I only know what one woman blogger I read looks like. Hotness not so interesting in text, really.
Posted by paperwight | Link to this comment | 02-17-05 8:40 AM
whenever I meet an unemployed libertarian in his 30's who still lives with his parents, I'll assume he's an asshole
Well, a little late for this revelation, but better late than never...
Posted by bitchphd | Link to this comment | 02-17-05 8:58 AM
Ogged mentioned Jim Henley, I would add Radly Balko and the Crescat Sententia bunch.
Posted by washerdreyer | Link to this comment | 02-17-05 9:08 AM
but isn't it true that hot women's blogs get more traffic by virtue of their hot womanness?
One way to find out. Change Alameida's profile to read, "hot woman blogger," see how it affects the traffic. (Maybe even Add a picture.
Posted by Michael | Link to this comment | 02-17-05 9:11 AM
A couple of questions:
1. Are the Rush references there because of 2112's dedication to Ayn Rand? (http://www.mclemee.com/id39.html)
2. If so, did you all discover that from reading McLemee. or am I the only one who wasted his youth on Geddy Lee without figuring that out.
3. Should I feel any politics-related shame (I already feel the aesthetic shame, thank you) as a result of my continuing love of Yes and Journey as well?
Posted by msw | Link to this comment | 02-17-05 9:58 AM
Actually, Micha G, who did the post on catallarchy.net also seems like he's not dumb or a loser (and he wasn't the one who was surfing the mail-order site). His post is pretty funny, and not only does he sometimes make intelligent libarian arguments in CT comments--he doesn't make them on threads that don't bring up libertarianism! A rare quality to be treasured.
Posted by Matt Weiner | Link to this comment | 02-17-05 9:59 AM
I'll third (or whatever) the pro-Henley bit. Henley may be the least appreciated well-known blogger out there; that romantic part of me wishes whoever owns TNR would force Henley to come in and save the magazine.
That said, I'd note three things:
(a) Henley is extremely close to many Dem positions (he had a post drawing the distinctions, but I can't recall what it said).
(b) He has, IIRC, recently lost a great deal of weight.
(c) In the only picture of him I can recall seeing, he was wearing a fairly dorky shirt.
All of which leads me to the conclusion that once he gets good shoes and a smooth suit, he'll be forced to regretfully inform women of his marriage status on a semi-monthly basis. And at that point, he'll be a solid Blue vote for a generation. Hell, it may already have happened.
Posted by SomeCallMeTim | Link to this comment | 02-17-05 10:51 AM
I can't recall what it said
The short version: I don't feel like a Democrat.
Posted by apostropher | Link to this comment | 02-17-05 10:55 AM
Matt,
The ability to avoid talking about how the public school system should be abolished on a first date would seem to be a useful skill for libertarians. Loudmouths tend to drift to libertarianism because libertarianism makes it easy to have an opinion about everything.
On the other hand, men do find women who share a relatively unpopular but predominately male interest very attractive. The fact that the women in the picture was moderately attractive makes a difference. When you start thinking "I appreciate you in a way that way others can not", you aren't very far from being in love.
Posted by joe o | Link to this comment | 02-17-05 11:11 AM
MSW: to answer your questions...
1. In part, but Rush is just inherently funny. The 2112 bit is the icing on the cake.
2. No, that's a widely-cited fact, partly because it's hilarious.
3. I have no idea about the polical leanings of Yes or Journey. I totally hate that song that starts off about chess and then turns into a different song a minute or so in, though. "Move me on to any black square"? Come on.
Joe O: Yes indeed.
Posted by FL | Link to this comment | 02-17-05 11:26 AM
Jon Wossname of Yes is basic hippie-environmentalist in his politics, but really, if you love Yes or Journey, let alone both, you havem ore to worry about than the political fallout.
Posted by ben wolfson | Link to this comment | 02-17-05 11:31 AM
Ok, loving Journey is a bit much, but some of their hit songs--Faithfully, Separate Ways--really, they're alright.
Posted by ogged | Link to this comment | 02-17-05 11:34 AM
Anderson. Jon Anderson.
Posted by ben wolfson | Link to this comment | 02-17-05 11:37 AM
With ben. Adding defense of Journey to list of reasons ogged doesn't get laid.
Posted by bitchphd | Link to this comment | 02-17-05 11:41 AM
Are the cool kids now going to pretend that they've never grooved to a Journey song? I don't believe it.
Posted by ogged | Link to this comment | 02-17-05 11:58 AM
Real Rhapsody's blurb on Journey:
Posted by ogged | Link to this comment | 02-17-05 11:59 AM
Am not saying I have never grooved to Journey (or, indeed, Yes) in the past. I've liked a lot of stupid things.
Posted by bitchphd | Link to this comment | 02-17-05 12:25 PM
I have never grooved to Journey.
Posted by ben wolfson | Link to this comment | 02-17-05 12:33 PM
I'm more into rutting than grooving, anyway.
Posted by ben wolfson | Link to this comment | 02-17-05 12:33 PM
Ogged, I will rock out to journey (though I have a slight preference for rocking out to REO Speedwagon). Nonetheless, I admit it's terrible.
I must now catch the midnight train goin' an-eee-waaaare.
Posted by FL | Link to this comment | 02-17-05 12:39 PM
You guys are so gay. I, on the other hand, will be buried in one of these manly things.
Posted by apostropher | Link to this comment | 02-17-05 12:44 PM
apostropher,
Jokes at funerals rule.
http://uproar.fortunecity.com/galaxy/399/2001.htm
The next of kin need to be good sports though.
Posted by joe o | Link to this comment | 02-17-05 1:03 PM
paperwight,
Doesn't make them stupid or losers, just really self-serving.
I don't think libertarians are stupid, or even generally 'losers,' but they are generally guys who have trouble getting a date.
For example, show me a libertarian with a wife. I think they are hard to find.
Posted by Tripp | Link to this comment | 02-17-05 1:49 PM
I think Ricky at the New Democrat deserves the credit for first unmasking the dude. Two weeks after the blog started, he commented:
At 1/12/2005 07:33:34 PM, Ricky said…
Men read your blog, look at your picture and have nice dreams. It just happens that way. It's quite disenchanting to find out your fantasy is some balding middle aged guy with hair on his hands, who took the picture from some Russian Bride catalogue.
The New Democrat
Link!
Posted by oyster | Link to this comment | 02-17-05 4:30 PM
For example, show me a libertarian with a wife. I think they are hard to find.
One of the few real semi-intellectual libertarians (as opposed to the simple gummint-haters) I've met in real life was married with a couple kids. I don't have a lot of sense that libertarianism causes singleness. I do, however, suspect there's a high correlation between cyberlibertarians and singleness, but there are a lot of other factors at play there.
Posted by paperwight | Link to this comment | 02-17-05 6:54 PM
Loudmouths tend to drift to libertarianism
Not to blogging or blog-commentary, nosiree.
Posted by Matt Weiner | Link to this comment | 02-17-05 8:06 PM
cyberwight,
I don't have a lot of sense that libertarianism causes singleness.
I don't think so, either. What I think is that libertarianism attracts the guys who have trouble getting a date because it makes them feel powerful.
The problem for them is that it still doesn't get them what they want.
Posted by Tripp | Link to this comment | 02-18-05 7:57 AM
Libertarian demographics skew young and male. Girls shopping for a radical political philosophy tend to gravitate towards the left end of the spectrum. Makes for a lot of lonely libertarians.
Posted by Lindsay Beyerstein | Link to this comment | 02-18-05 3:16 PM