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McCain Meltdown Watch

McCAIN MELTDOWN WATCH....John McCain spokesman Michael Goldfarb is one of the creepiest of the creepy gang of attack dogs that inhabit McCain's dysfunctional communications shop. The guy seems to have about the maturity level of a sixth grader and the social skills of your average Unix programmer. Every time McCain lands in hot water over something or another, Goldfarb is always there to vomit up a statement even nastier and more boorish than whatever he said on his last outing. He's a real piece of work.

Which means, long story short, that I was happy to see this bit of comeuppance. What a jackass.

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"...the maturity level of a sixth grader and the social skills of your average Unix programmer."

Careful with that axe, Eugene. Given that GNU/Linux is NOT Unix?, it's really not clear if you know WTF you're talking about. Unix? programmers are not all that common these days, you know...

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"...the maturity level of a sixth grader and the social skills of your average Unix programmer."

Careful with that axe, Eugene. Given that GNU/Linux is NOT Unix?, it's really not clear if you know WTF you're talking about. Unix? programmers are not all that common these days, you know...

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The Unix? programmer remark was not annoying. It was an invitation from Kevin for the Unix? geeks in his readership? me included? to get off some light-hearted flames. Come on, people. Get some damned perspective.

That said, the GNU/Linux people really are a sad lot, aren't they?

p.s. mad props to Goran the Windows Programmer, above. yes, i think she really likes you. go ask her for her IP address.

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The Unix? programmer remark was not annoying. It was an invitation from Kevin for the Unix? geeks in his readership? me included? to get off some light-hearted flames. Come on, people. Get some damned perspective.

That said, the GNU/Linux people really are a sad lot, aren't they?

p.s. mad props to Goran the Windows Programmer, above. yes, i think she really likes you. go ask her for her IP address.

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Hey, I know some really charming Unix programmers!

Also, you'd be surprised how mature sixth graders are these days.

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Hey, that's insulting to Unix programmers everywhere!

I watched it in real time and it was surprising how many feedback messages showed up on the crawl remarking on Goldfarb's sleazy performance; nobody who saw it seemed to be impressed.

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and the social skills of your average Unix programmer.

I can never tell, are those better or worse than some dipshit former marketing puke now gullible blodger pushing soak the poor strategies to save the bankers?

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Ya know who has real fine social skills?

Charmingly shallow politicians who keep on asking for "mo money, mo money" and promise change. Wall Street Bankers. Media and Pundits. And blodgers of course.

I'll take the Unix programmers, thank you.

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Who in God's name was he talking about?

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Kevin, be honest -- don't you write your posts in Emacs?

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jerry,

Wow! With your analytical skills and wit, you could probably become a McCain spokesman, too.

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He means, of course, Jeremiah Wright. But McCain has this weird we-dont-talk-about-Wright thing going.

Obama was also pals with Edward Said.

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Hey Daryl, if you can find anything I've written that's pro-McCain, you just point that out.

If you want to get your hate on and your blogger cred bashing hard working people, you go for it. Then stand up and tell us what a great progressive you are. You and Kewwy.

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Jerry, I don't know what else you've written and I'm sure you work very hard. It's also clear that you're kind of a j-hole. You might want to ratchet down the sneering.

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It's not okay for the Republicans to bash elite liberals, or the educated, or scientists, but it's okay for Kevin and others to bash engineers and developers, because after all they're just social misfit geeks.

And remember, we progressive liberals are just way way different from the Republicans. That's why both campaigns are so full of hypocrisy.

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I read this while taking a break from editing code (in emacs under cygwin so I don't need to bother ssh'ing into my work box).

And yes, it actually is ok for Kevin to make fun of people like me. Me and most coworkers mostly just find it amusing. We make fun of ourselves about such things, too.

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jerry,

You're reacting that way because of Kevin's remark about Unix programmers? Very bizarre.

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bob: Kevin, be honest -- don't you write your posts in Emacs?

Say what? Anyone who uses the One True Editor would obviously have a better understanding of economics (alt-ctrl-shift E U).

Kevin is obviously a vi user.

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Is this another McCain creation: Joe the Plumber, Tito the Builder, Jerry the Unix Programmer?

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Very bizarre Daryl?

It's not okay for the Republicans to have a war on science and academics, but it's okay for Kevin to make fun of software developers?

You don't see it's the same old same old, same tactics, just different team.

It's one thing for a group to make fun of itself, and it's also okay for a group to just make fun of everyone, SO LONG as they don't pretend they are holier than thou.

And sadly, that's a lot of what has happened lately.

The disgusting tactics of the Republicans became the disgusting tactics of the Democrats, except in 08, we decided those tactics were okay, because they help us win.

Kevin's a big boy and can take care of himself Daryl, he doesn't need you accusing anyone who takes him on of being a McCainiac.

(I don't think Kevin ever used emacs or vi, I think he was powerpoint and notepad the whole way down.) (I prefer xemacs....)

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jerry writes: "It's not okay for the Republicans to have a war on science and academics, but it's okay for Kevin to make fun of software developers?"

Yes, it's perfectly okay. I'm a software developer, and I make fun of software developers.

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It's not okay for the Republicans to have a war on science and academics, but it's okay for Kevin to make fun of software developers?

That's correct. It is not OK for Republicans to destroy science, academics and half the departments in govt. but yes, it's OK for Kevin to poke good fun at software developers. Glad I could help.
Jesus, Jerry, false equate much?

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As a director in Sun Microsystems' Solaris organization, I must protest your insult to Unix Programmers. Some of my engineers may be a bit strange, but all of them are honorable, unlike Mr. Goldfarb.

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It's one thing for a group to make fun of itself, and it's also okay for a group to just make fun of everyone...

I also think that Kevin is a rabid anti-dentite.

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and the social skills of your average Unix programmer

Ouch! Kevin, watch your computer. We know your MAC address ;-)

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Allow me to join the pile-on. MY WIFE IS A UNIX PROGRAMMER and she is vastly more emotionally mature than a whole stack of center-left bloggers thank you very much. I think it's time to take that one back there, Kev ol' pal.

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Hey, that's unfair to Unix programmers.

Oh and ps: you should try embedding those youtube videos on your page - instead of making us click on two more links to get to the real deal.

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"...the maturity level of a sixth grader and the social skills of your average Unix programmer."

Careful with that axe, Eugene. Given that GNU/Linux is NOT Unix™, it's really not clear if you know WTF you're talking about. Unix™ programmers are not all that common these days, you know...

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As far as I'm concerned, it's great fun to mock Unix programmers. But if you made fun of assembly language geeks, I would try and find you, except I'm too socially awkward to ask directions.

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jerry: I prefer xemacs

Apostate!

Confess your sins to St. IGNUcius or be prepared to spend Eternity debugging Vista code!

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Speaking of meltdown, here is latest NYTimes/CBS poll. POW (Palin is Wasilla) is hurting McCain's chances. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/31/us/politics/31poll.html?hp

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Kevin, programmers aside, I must take umbrage with your deprecating observations regarding the maturity levels of the fine youth of this most excellent nation.

Signed, Nathan the Sixth Grader

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Matt and Atrios both us the words, President McCain.

Could we NOT say that please, cause I don't even want to think it. As we have enough problems with this crap just few minutes ago on google:

FOX News Poll: Obama's Edge Over McCain Narrows FOXNews

Obama lead over McCain growing, though still tight, new poll shows Kansas City Star

We see that alot in the Bush administration. I would see David Brooks get to flat-out lie on PBS Newshour and we all know that Jim Lehrer would never dream of doing anything about it.

The news says McCain is running his robo calls in Arizona, because his polls are so "narrow' there.

McCain is NOT going to be elected and NOBODY believes that he is going to be elected so we don't need to mention any ugly non-possiblities. If these guys can steal from you, they will.

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Regardless of how much anecdotal evidence you have of perfectly normal Unix programmers, err I mean GNU/Linux programmers, they do tend to be on the more socially inept / eccentric side relative to other professions and many would LOVE to angrily correct your irrelevant details.

p.s. Jerry put down your false-equivalency crack pipe

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Wow. I think that this thread speaks volumes for the social skills of UNIX programmers.

You'd think someone yelled "Ron Paul" in a crowded theater.

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Goldfarb cannot approach the creepiness of Pat.

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And yes, I'm a programmer.

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Ruck, please explain yourself. Kevin took an unnecessary cheap shot at a group of people, and a number of those people objected, mainly politely. And for some reason, you think that this speaks volumes for the social skills of that group? How so?

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McCain's next tactic will be to claim that Obama wants to take away everyone's Unix workstations and replace them with Windows Vista-based PCs. Mac users are next.

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Hey, I'm a Unix programmer and I resemble that remark.

#include <sys/snarkyremark.h>

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Kevin didn't take a cheap shot at anyone. He made a joke in one of the most harmless ways possible. UNIX programmers aren't exactly a powerless group, and now everyone is busting out the rhetorical emo and asking for apologies because they're all bored and waiting for their code to compile or something.

Does anyone seriously believe that Kevin was being meanspirited about this? Do they think he hates sixth graders too? Of course not. He did what he always does- he injected a little bit of levity into his posting, and that's exactly why all of you come and read his stuff every day. I mean, the post isn't even really about anything. It's obviously supposed to be a harmless diversion, and it's absurd to me that everyone is so assed up about this.

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I prefer my liberals sensitive, not overly sensitive. What a bunch of ninnies.

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Come on, guys. "A" (at 5:43 PM) is of course correct: Goldfarb was referring to Jeremiah Wright, but the latter cannot be criticized by name on orders from McCain himself, for reasons that remain something of a puzzle (fear on McCain's part of stirring up a race war, maybe?)

And the fact remains that Obama's straight-faced insistence that he sat in the man's church for 20 straight years without hearing him utter anything offensive enough to drive him away -- until Wright's National Press Club appearance, that is -- is by far the darkest blot on his record. Against it (and against his far looser tie to Ayers) one can set McCain's own willingness to pal around with G. Gordon Liddy and -- during the last few years of his life -- Jerry Falwell; but for Kevin to pretend that he has no idea who Goldfarb might be referring to in that exchange is ridiculous.

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It is not OK for Republicans to destroy science, academics and half the departments in govt. but yes, it's OK for Kevin to poke good fun at software developers. Glad I could help.
Jesus, Jerry, false equate much?

That's not all Republicans do though, is it? They basically have a class war going between people who went to college and people who didn't. Between the educated and the non-educated.

Remember, "latte-drinking, sushi-eating, Volvo-driving... freak show"

How different is that from Kevin the former marketing suit making fun of Unix developers for what Kevin the former marketing puke thinks of how they dress and interact?

Given the shit heaped on us all in the past year by the socially ept, the investment bankers, the politicians, the lawyers, and their spokesjerks, I'll take the Unix crowd every time.

There are plenty of groups that face discrimination that good liberals like Kewwy refuse to speak up for out of fear of other people on their blogroll.

There are several racists on Kewwy's blogroll that purport to be progressive liberals. Kewwy will link to them when they say something he agrees with, but he's either too cowardly, or ignorant to take them on when they make another racist or sexist statement or smear another individual.

And Kewwy thinks this makes him a good liberal and struts around clucking at others.

And sad to say, many progressive liberals will do this. We're better than that group, so it's okay for us to think less of them.

I dissent. And when Kevin goes to a tired but safe old trope that borders on bigotry and class warfare, I'm going to say so.

Remember, Kevin's the guy who won't blogroll Paul Krugman but will blogroll a sh*tload of nutjobs.

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I apologize about using xemacs, but on UNIX, well, it just works better.

On other OS, I eagerly use emacs.

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"Kewwy"? For fucks sake.

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I think the comments above show that your deep insult towards Unix Programmers was noticed. Possibly even by Unix Programmers.

Now if you wanted to limit that crack to Libertarian Unix programmers, who would defend them?

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what you meant to say was Systems Administrator, not Unix Programmer. They're the best!

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LOL .. I'll just have you know that I was sitting here in my girl-geek capacity and my Ubuntu linux box while reading this. My java just about decorated my monitor!

Just a gentle reminder that us *nix programmers are as varied a lot as you can imagine ;)

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Look, John McCain is a nasty, mean-spirited, violent man who calls his wife a c*nt in public. Is it any surprise that he attracts human sewage like Goldfarb? I don't think so....

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