Biting my tongue

Metaphorically speaking, that is. I've seen several blog posts today via my usual sources that I'd love to comment on, however, they're all topics of such flame-bait proportions and/or all the commenters are on the Amen choir across the aisle from me that saying anything would be like trying to teach a pig to sing. (A waste of time and annoying to the pig). However, today is a "target-rich environment" as we said in the Navy, and there are several topics safe enough to comment on.

The usual crew of right-wing blogs are crowing over Jonah Goldberg's Liberal Fascism going to the top of the New York Times' bestseller list. My opinion of Jonah's book is that it's a a crock of BS. However, much like Ann Coulter and Britney Spears, Jonah has discovered the art of making money by being outrageous.

Speaking of right-wing blogs, several blogs are linking to this chart of temperatures showing that January has been massively colder. Once you get past the triumphal "I told you global warming was a crock" BS, you will note that there have been a number of sharp spikes in global temperature. This latest spike is unusual, but not unprecedented. Part of the problem is that various left-wing blogs trumpet every heat wave as proof we're all gonna die Real Soon Now. Bottom line - a quick spike one way or another proves nothing.

Lastly, professional puppeteer Mary Robinette Kowal doesn't like the term "sock puppet" as used on the Internet. (It was a side point in a discussion of the SFWA election debacle debate). She says we should use "ventriloquist" in the same context. I (respectfully) disagree. Part of the connotation of "sock puppet" is that it's extremely cheap, easy, and exceptionally unconvincing. A ventriloquist's dummy is not cheap and more convincing. Of course, in the end they're both something that's only animated by having somebody else's hand shoved up its ass.

I'm actually in a good mood today, even if the above doesn't sound like I am.