me: yep Dan: It's all puff. me: ah, yes Dan: Seconds, meet by the river at dawn, choice of weapons . . . me: was referring to incident with Charleston Gazette me: not sure, what's that? Dan: He's having fun with that. Dan: Are you talking about his duello thing? me: and I don't threaten people me: but I get libeled twice before breakfast each morning me: That's understandable Dan: Disturbed? Well, he's tired of being libelled, I guess. me: is threatening this newspaper over and over again me: he seems to be disturbed Dan: Sure, my pleasure. Dan: LOL me: thanks again for your input thus far, by the way me: am delaying the planned follow-ups as I've got to deal with Stacy McCain now Dan: Good. me: I'm happy with how it turned out me: howdy Dan: How'd the article go, Barrett? me: and for many of the same reasons me: well, you probably know that I take a very critical position on many of these same people Dan: Very strange. Dan: I don't think he knows the difference anymore, he's so egocentric. me: do you think he's being dishonest, or is simply mistaken? Dan: He's like Dante: a party of one. Only, without the intelligence or chops. Dan: He's lost half his readership in the past year. Dan: There appear to be one or two sycophants who follow him, still. Dan: In other words, he's melted down. me: has he turned on everyone, then? Dan: He's decided that anyone not Charles needs purging. me: I don't follow those conflicts closely, vaguely aware that CJ is persona non grata due to what he's said about a lot of other conservative bloggers Dan: and his weird lizard army Dan: No, I didn't. I think he's particularly sick of Charles, though. me: at any rate, I'm writing another one me: but did you see my article on him a few weeks back? me: In fact, I can't remember the last time I did me: I don't usually go around calling people racist me: well Dan: I think he's sick of being called one. Dan: But . . . he's not a racist. Dan: Hmmm. I'll give you the odd duck thing. me: just an odd duck in general me: he also made a strange reference to Biblical violence regarding my PAC Dan: And by a lot of people, all accusing each other of the same things. me: it's best to avoid that and stick to demonstrable facts, indeed. The armchair psychology is obviously used against quite a few people Dan: It's a way of dismissing everyone who disagrees as "insane" Dan: sidney did Dan: I hate the psychologizing, too Dan: Including, obviously, ideology me: understood Dan: People make fundamentalisms out of all kinds of things, Barrett. me: and some ways lead to tyranny me: a person can interpret a winged horse in many ways me: Well, perhaps you should Dan: Agreed. But I'm not concerned whether someone believes Muhammed rode on a winged horse me: to the extent that both are based on ideology and not methodology me: both are potentially dangerous to the foundations of science Dan: To institutions that aren't very . . . well, concerned about the US me: understood and agreed Dan: Including a loss of sovereignty Dan: Because that effects policies in a direct way. Dan: As a matter of practicality, it's more important to me to know whether someone believes in global warming, despite the evidence to the contrary . . . me: I know Dan: Fair enough, but Charles can't stop being offended by it, wherever it arises. me: no, it doesn't bother me. But it does make it difficult for me to respect one's mind if they've taken what I believe to be a very flawed position on a matter of importance Dan: True, but does it keep you up at night knowing that someone is a creationist? Dan: Hasta luego Dan: I'll look, and look for you later. me: very well, adios Dan: I'm going to go feed monsterlings. me: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/barrett-brown/robert-mccain-fine-with-p_b_290261.html Dan: Sure. me: I'd like to have your thoughts on this article, actually, in case I'm missing something or am overstating the case without realizing it me: Stacy McCain, for instance, me: rightfully or wrongly me: if a man thinks A is okay in terms X, but not in terms of Y, then we can tell that there's something about Y that troubles him me: regarding the issue of A me: for instance me: yes. But there is a point at which one can make a reasoned determination about another's thoughts