Obsidian Wings makes a very good early season move by signing free agent Slartibartfast and adding him to its bullpen. His knuckleballs do tend to break to the right, but he is still a probable twenty game winner this internet season:
Posted by DeLong at November 4, 2004 03:12 PM | TrackBackObsidian Wings: Me, Wearing Shoes That Are Far Too Large: Greetings. Just a quick post (well, probably not, knowing me) to let you know who the newest VRWC minion is at Obsidian Wings. Namely, me.
Per the title of this post, I consider Moe's shoes to be far too large and wide for me to fill, even after I grow up. I'm neither a student of history nor particularly knowledgeable in the arena of politics. And von's testimony notwithstanding, I don't consider myself to be a particularly skilled writer. At best, I'm gifted at spelling. So why am I here? The only explanation I can think of is that I'm a particularly mulish sceptic. And possibly that the highly intelligent and articulate Left and Center-Left here felt a hankering for a high-quality rhetorical punching bag. Whatever the reason, I'm game, because, well, I just might learn something from the experience....
As far as politics go, I'd say that I'm desirous of something outside of the eternal struggle for political supremacy. By that I mean that said struggle has gone far past mere boredom, and I'd like to explore something more like a dialogue than a paintball fight at close range. Having participated in that sort of exchange in the past (and even, occasionally, in the present) I can say honestly that I'm not very good at it. Mostly because it inevitably becomes boring and repetetive. My commitment here is to bring an open (yet eternally sceptical) mind to the discussion, and to offer arguments based on logic and fact rather than emotion. There's a place for emotional arguments, but (in my opinion) emotional arguments that demonize the opponent are nearly guaranteed not to be persuasive...
It's usually not a good sign if one of your relief pitchers racks up a lot of wins. Be more fitting to say that he's being added to the starting rotation or that he'll probably get fifty saves. :)
Posted by: fling93 at November 4, 2004 04:49 PMSounds like an agnostic rationalist to me, and therefore a likely traitor to Bush's core constituency. Get him!
Posted by: Bruce Moomaw at November 4, 2004 04:59 PMMaybe Brad is a Yanks fan?
Posted by: ogmb at November 4, 2004 06:24 PM" There's a place for emotional arguments, but (in my opinion) emotional arguments that demonize the opponent are nearly guaranteed not to be persuasive... "
That is particularly funny, coming after an election victory based exclusively on 'emotional arguments that demonize the opponent'
Posted by: ken at November 4, 2004 08:40 PMThe name sounds familiar ?SF.
Posted by: old ari at November 4, 2004 09:01 PM"The name sounds familiar ?SF."
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy--the guy who designed all those fjords in Norway . . .
Posted by: rea at November 5, 2004 04:45 AM"There's a place for emotional arguments, but (in my opinion) emotional arguments that demonize the opponent are nearly guaranteed not to be persuasive... "
Evangelicals being driven to the polls in droves by various anti same-sex marriage amendments, and the anti-gay hate rhetoric that accompanied them, notwithstanding. He's telling us that waving the Homosexual Menace at voters is guaranteed not to be persuasive? He must have spent the election on another planet...
Posted by: Bruce Garrett at November 5, 2004 11:16 AM.
Posted by: mp3 at November 7, 2004 10:00 AMGet him!
Heh. Indeed.
That is particularly funny, coming after an election victory based exclusively on 'emotional arguments that demonize the opponent'
Which everyone knows I'm famous for. You've exposed me for the fraud that I am.
must have spent the election on another planet...
My transportation (a Ford Prefect) was, unfortunately, unconscious at the time. I could have done without everything leading up to the election.
Thanks for the plug, Professor DeLong. Three more and I might get that Prefect running, after all.
Posted by: Slartibartfast at November 9, 2004 12:56 PM