Tuesday, November 09, 2004
MY OWN MEA CULPA:
Kevin:
Thank you for revealing the truth about "Sal Vation" on the web site, and apologizing to the readers and to the team members for that posting. You read how upset I was when it went up, and I have been very uncomfortable since you admitted that you did it, and why. It made me think hard about the reason I blog at all, and post my ponderings on that on my site as "Apologia Pro Blogga Sua".
Since your public confession and sorrow, I am also concerned you might let this admitted mistake demoralize you into giving up blogging. Please don't.
I had similar regrets over a misunderstood posting of mine one year ago. What worried me most was that not one person indicated they recognized the source I was using. One fellow even permalinked not to my site, but only to that specific page, listing it along with his other enthusiasms, such as Ann Coulter. No doubt you were astonished to see comments on Sal's post by people who seemed, through their illiteracy, to agree with him.
Even the one liberal who protested the viciousness in my own piece seemed to have no idea where I had gotten that stuff from, much less what point I was making. That person has since then also permalinked me, but listed me as one of the Rightists. Many others list me as he does with the Malkins and Mishas. At least he left off Tiny Verdigris Pigskins, perhaps to avoid Capozzola's boycott.
Perhaps I was too subtle. Instead of linking to a site, as you did to those who hold fire sales with General Forrest's linens, I merely said the source could be found in various places on the web. I guess no one looked. I was astonished that no one seemed to recognize the style without having to search, but I guess that stuff isn't taught in school, even as a warning. Perhaps only professional whale watchers like David can spot such things any more.
I gave clues, pointing out how I had changed the name of the city the original author wrote about to "New York", but I suppose I also needed to say what city he had been condemning, and what word I had to change to "liberal". Looking at it now, I still have misgivings about ever using that, but the match with the world today was so perfect that I just couldn't resist. Nothing in the past year has changed that, as David would no doubt confirm.
You may find those parallels scary, or the source so offensive you say "You were right, Ayn, you never should have posted that", or you may just smile grimly as you go on putting up the post-Mardi Noir political storm windows. Please recall the words of "Mr. Altamont of Chicago" in August, 1914:
Kevin:
Thank you for revealing the truth about "Sal Vation" on the web site, and apologizing to the readers and to the team members for that posting. You read how upset I was when it went up, and I have been very uncomfortable since you admitted that you did it, and why. It made me think hard about the reason I blog at all, and post my ponderings on that on my site as "Apologia Pro Blogga Sua".
Since your public confession and sorrow, I am also concerned you might let this admitted mistake demoralize you into giving up blogging. Please don't.
I had similar regrets over a misunderstood posting of mine one year ago. What worried me most was that not one person indicated they recognized the source I was using. One fellow even permalinked not to my site, but only to that specific page, listing it along with his other enthusiasms, such as Ann Coulter. No doubt you were astonished to see comments on Sal's post by people who seemed, through their illiteracy, to agree with him.
Even the one liberal who protested the viciousness in my own piece seemed to have no idea where I had gotten that stuff from, much less what point I was making. That person has since then also permalinked me, but listed me as one of the Rightists. Many others list me as he does with the Malkins and Mishas. At least he left off Tiny Verdigris Pigskins, perhaps to avoid Capozzola's boycott.
Perhaps I was too subtle. Instead of linking to a site, as you did to those who hold fire sales with General Forrest's linens, I merely said the source could be found in various places on the web. I guess no one looked. I was astonished that no one seemed to recognize the style without having to search, but I guess that stuff isn't taught in school, even as a warning. Perhaps only professional whale watchers like David can spot such things any more.
I gave clues, pointing out how I had changed the name of the city the original author wrote about to "New York", but I suppose I also needed to say what city he had been condemning, and what word I had to change to "liberal". Looking at it now, I still have misgivings about ever using that, but the match with the world today was so perfect that I just couldn't resist. Nothing in the past year has changed that, as David would no doubt confirm.
You may find those parallels scary, or the source so offensive you say "You were right, Ayn, you never should have posted that", or you may just smile grimly as you go on putting up the post-Mardi Noir political storm windows. Please recall the words of "Mr. Altamont of Chicago" in August, 1914:
"There's an east wind coming all the same, such a wind as never blew ... a good many of us may wither before its blast. But it's God's own wind none the less, and a cleaner, better, stronger land will lie in the sunshine when the storm has cleared. Start her up, Watson, for it's time we were on our way."If you want to try your hand at solving what was never intended to be a mystery, or just to smirk at my own poor judgment, the piece is still squatting on the web at "How I Came To Hate Liberals".
