Hi There!
It’s me, the proprietor of this here blog site.
I’m still alive! Really.
I have been very busy lately. It (virtually) all revolves around work. One phase of my busy-ness will be over Saturday. The second phase will be over by the end of the year. The third phase — the only one I can discuss with you now, which is my very busy assignment — will continue for a few years.
Then there is the part that doesn’t revolve around work. That is probably the most interesting story of all. I will tell it one day. But right now there are reasons I cannot.
I would tell you more, but I have become circumspect about my private life lately. Why, just this morning, someone on the Internet told me he wants to punch me in the face repeatedly and “shit” on my wife. So I think it would be a mistake to be open with you about precisely what is keeping me busy. There are too many cretins eager to take advantage of such information.
The Internet, it kind of sucks, really. You should get off it.
Anyway, I just wanted to reassure you that I haven’t died. And I have a post planned for early next week, about the coarseness of Internet speech, featuring an interview with someone who wished for Andrew Breitbart to “die.” I don’t plan to reveal personal information about her or embarrass her. I just want to discuss the attitudes that lead people to do things like wish for other people’s death on the Internet. Or to proclaim that they want to punch people and “shit” on their wives.
Anyway. This is just me saying: I’m still around. I haven’t abandoned you or the blog entirely. I just have a lot going on right now.
Hang in there. And thank Karl and Aaron daily, will you?
I can reassure myself with the fact that I don’t yet know what it’s like to be Anita Busch.
I’m getting there! But I’m not quite there yet.
Patterico (f724ca) — 10/20/2011 @ 11:58 pm@#1 You don’t want to go there, Patrick.
DCSCA (9d1bb3) — 10/21/2011 @ 12:38 am.
A strong belief in Postmodern Liberalism?
Unthinking support for Green concepts, The Democratic Party, and Obama?
A demand for “fairness” (the codeword kind. You know what I mean) in all aspects of life, particularly pay and wealth.
I predict these will all have an almost 1:1 correlation.
.
IgotBupkis, President, United Anarchist Society (c9dcd8) — 10/21/2011 @ 1:01 amhang in there pat
EricPWJohnson (d84fb0) — 10/21/2011 @ 1:16 amBless you guys.
That your wife hasn’t thrown away every electronic device in your home is proof she’s a patient and generous person.
What Eric said. Hang in there.
Freedom of speech shouldn’t come with this left-wing-mob-troll tax.
Dustin (b2fb78) — 10/21/2011 @ 1:25 amHey Pat,
I saw all that crap that this dude was saying. I’d give him what he wants, a nice court battle. Sounds like this dude has got a big problem.
Which brings me to my second point; this right here, is why I have been seriously considering getting out of blogging entirely. It is just not worth it anymore. Politics anymore has just gotten too darned ugly, even for me.
I’m just sick of it all, I guess.
-Pat in Michigan
Patrick in Michigan (f91adb) — 10/21/2011 @ 1:26 amGood to hear, was wondering what happened
Enjoy a laugh- this is pretty comical:
2012 DNC Party Slogans
Reaganite Republican (c90bca) — 10/21/2011 @ 2:13 amI’ll be interested in this. By chance, I caught part of this exchange. She said it was an experiment and a joke. Ha ha! Wait, I don’t get it.
Pious Agnostic (6048a8) — 10/21/2011 @ 6:02 amDING!!!!
Mwhahahahahahahaha Karl I stole your ding.
Glad your ok.
DohBiden (d54602) — 10/21/2011 @ 6:05 amGlad your ok Patterico.
DohBiden (d54602) — 10/21/2011 @ 6:06 amWhy, just this morning, someone on the Internet told me he wants to punch me in the face repeatedly and “shit” on my wife
You know, while it’s difficult for me to imagine telling the proprietor of a website I dislike, or the holder of a political opinion I disavow, that I wanted to punch him in the face, at least there’s some rationality to it: “you, dude who has pissed me off, I’m gonna get you.” I don’t like it, I wouldn’t do it, but I can see the connection.
But threatening an innocent third party who happens to be connected to the person you don’t like? I really, really, really, really don’t get it.
aphrael (a0f788) — 10/21/2011 @ 6:10 amIt’s cool she went along with the discussion. I look forward to it. This hatred is a cancer on our society.
Dustin (b2fb78) — 10/21/2011 @ 6:22 amDid ron finally find a twitter account that was unhacked?
What a complete tool!
OccupySomething sure sounded like the little Brettmeister.
Patterico, sorry for your troubles, but keep’em talking.
daleyrocks (e56eef) — 10/21/2011 @ 6:43 amgood morning and happy halloween it’s almost here I can’t wait
happyfeet (3c92a1) — 10/21/2011 @ 6:55 amSorry to hear about what you’ve had to contend with. Good luck.
angeleno (3488ec) — 10/21/2011 @ 7:05 amThanks for letting us know you are concerned about your readers.
Patterico has been a truly unique and well written blog, in particular your reporting on the Tony Pellicano case and the terrible injustices perpetrated on Anita Busch by her paper and the justice system. It wass Pulitzer Prize class reporting.
I miss the dog trainer articles. You may have had an impact on the LA Times. There is now some decent reporting from them, especially the Fast and Furious scandal reports coming from Rick Serrano.
Keep up the good work. I welcome your return.
Corky Boyd (96df15) — 10/21/2011 @ 7:18 amI would agree with everything you said but there needs to be one more thing added about the tone of today’s political discourse:
Blame the liberals for it.
What happened to hope and change?
[This comment was not actually left by “OccupySomething,” the Twitter account linked to Neal Rauhauser and Brett Kimberlin. — P]
Occupy Something (2ca156) — 10/21/2011 @ 7:21 amI wonder how much flack Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter must get?
AZ Bob (2ca156) — 10/21/2011 @ 7:23 amThe Internet, it kind of sucks, really. You should get off it.
this is dour and very down twinkles … the politics part of the internet is very fractious right now, mostly cause the Team R clown show is getting on everyone’s nerves and most people on the right just want a nominee for to get on with the business of deposing the Obama while people on the left are frustrated cause they don’t know who to focus their hate on.
But we start the votings in just 3 months.
What jumps out at me Mr. P is you seem to be suggesting your voice will maybe not be very vocal during the nominee selection process. I think that’s very unfortunate. I hope you have time to weigh in on this pressing matter at least a little.
happyfeet (3c92a1) — 10/21/2011 @ 7:28 amI’m praying for you, your family, friends and anyone that is being targeted, threatened and/or hurt for speaking out. I hope that there will be some relief for you and yours soon.
Sue (40062f) — 10/21/2011 @ 7:39 amhappyfeet,
Meh. I don’t think “political pundit” is my strength and getting involved in such disputes usually becomes fractious and unpleasant. Even when I am convinced someone is totally unqualified and dishonest, as I was with a Senatorial candidate in 2010, speaking up persuades nobody and makes my life less pleasant.
My strengths, when I have time, are calling out bias and researching and doing investigative stuff from time to time. Lately, I don’t have time for that sort of thing.
Patterico (f724ca) — 10/21/2011 @ 7:43 amSue,
Thank you to you and others saying the same.
Patterico (f724ca) — 10/21/2011 @ 7:45 amAnybody we pick will be better than Obama. Let the voters make their selection and I will help the candidate.
Patterico (f01e5e) — 10/21/2011 @ 7:48 amSome people are really brave hiding behind their keyboard. Almost none have the figs to act. It’s the one you don’t know about or suspect that can be the problem. I find the far left to be even more intolerant than the far right. When you are collecting a nice pension and sitting on a nice warm tropical beach with your family, none of it will really matter any more.
Stan Switek (23913b) — 10/21/2011 @ 7:52 amI understand… but if you did have time for the investigatings and bias, which I know you don’t at the moment, my friend Mr. motionview was saying the other day that we sure could use a close look at these “debates,” particularly in terms of how the liberal moderators are being allowed to “define the overall limits of appropriate topics, the focus of our energy, the relative importance of our many problems.”
I think that’s a huge problem and one worthy of your talents.
happyfeet (3c92a1) — 10/21/2011 @ 7:55 amGood observation by Happy Feet:
“… people on the left are frustrated cause they don’t know who to focus their hate on.”
Occupy Something!
AZ Bob (2ca156) — 10/21/2011 @ 8:28 amThey left is not getting the hope and change they believe in so they have to direct their anger some place. Just not at the chosen one..
Stan Switek (23913b) — 10/21/2011 @ 8:39 amThe problem is that these pieces of debris are not merely bold keyboard warriors, but people with some resources and at least some of them a history of violent criminal behavior.
Fortunately, Patterico knows not to underestimate these kind of filth.
SPQR (26be8b) — 10/21/2011 @ 8:42 amPatrick,
I’ve been there as far as work is concerned, having stopped blogging for the most part several years ago, due to founding a start-up. For the other reason you mention I’ve stopped using my full name, and usually only use a handle, even in comments (except here).
I’m pretty sure I will never use my full name on the Internet again. Pity, but there are far too many crazies and ass*oles to do that anymore.
Kevin M (563f77) — 10/21/2011 @ 8:56 amI still wonder if the Internet would improve if everyone HAD to use their right name, or if that would just stifle discussion.
Kevin M (563f77) — 10/21/2011 @ 8:59 amKevin M – I would venture that what matters is not the use of the proper name, but the use of a handle which is important to the person. That is, using myself as an example, I’m aphrael *everywhere* … so I care about the reputation which attaches to the handle.
The issue, IMO, is throwaway identities who experience no repurcussions for bad actions.
aphrael (a0f788) — 10/21/2011 @ 9:01 am…someone on the Internet told me he wants to punch me in the face repeatedly and “shit” on my wife.
I suppose y’all have seen the story about the Geezer in Philadelphia, who was beaten up while taking a walk.
Or the story about the brave guys who punched a mentally challenged woman, in California.
Random violence is a Clear and Present Danger. If you want to see where we are headed, read ‘Life at the Bottom’ by Theodore Dalrymple.
[note: released from moderation. –Stashiu]
Retired Geezer (79896c) — 10/21/2011 @ 9:01 amSigh You cannot make an occupy omelette without breaking some Wall Street eggs.
DohBiden (d54602) — 10/21/2011 @ 9:06 amSomeone who would knowingly threaten the person, and family, of a Prosecutor, is a candidate for the ‘funny farm’; and deserves everything that comes their way.
Another Drew - Restore the Republic/Obama Sucks! (bdde46) — 10/21/2011 @ 9:30 amYou go get ’em Patrick;
Make an example of this POS!
If you don’t care about the nitty gritty of these threats, skip this comment.
Ron is defended by a creep under the handle “Qritiq”.
I criticized Ron’s defender at her blog after I noticed Patterico said he was appalled at her support for Ron (And I am also appalled at her support for Ron). Naturally, she removed several of my comments and banned me for criticizing her. No surprise, the only person who survives criticizing Qritiq is Ron, who often pretends to hate his allies for some reason.
She explains here:
I want to answer.
1) She said she couldn’t find a tweet from Ron threatening Pat. She also noted Ron doesn’t delete tweets, and the import of this was to bolster the idea that Patterico is “framing” Ron, which one of her commenters claimed by quoting only Patterico’s responses to the threats, and not the easily noticed threats.
2) She said they aren’t threats anyway, after I linked one of them. This one. And there were others like this and this. And yet more. It was impossible to read Ron and not see some. She says I am lying and should be banned for saying those are threats?
3) I never say she and Neal are working together (for all I know they are, but I don’t even care, let alone have a way to know such a thing). I noted she was trolling for reactions with her constant insinuations and accusations, as well as hostility to those who are clearly just seeking answers. This has been a problem for some time. Qritiq issued an Alicia Pain style comment a while back. I noted she and Neal were playing games that are affecting people in real life. I mean, this is obviously very wrong. Siding with Ron in any way shape or form on such a matter is simply wrong.
She cannot defend herself from my points, so she deleted it from this thread.
This may seem odd to those who are unfamiliar, but Ron often feigns hostility to his pals. He has also been very defensive for Brett Kimberlin.
Qritiq has claimed that for Patterico to mention law enforcement to the person threatening violence to his family constitutes ‘intimidation’. She also claims Patterico has used intimidation against her. No surprise, she mentions how Patterico’s employer shouldn’t tolerate Patterico daring to mention law enforcement to the guy threatening him and his family.
I do think this is strong, ridiculous, dishonest support for Ron. I had noticed in the past that Qritiq’s older posts appear to be false dated. I’ve also noted dishonesty from Qritiq in the past. Frankly, I haven’t paid attention to Qritiq in months because all she does is accuse one person after another, never showing a lick of evidence for a thing she says. Right now she’s saying I’m obviously being paid (to do what?) because I won’t answer her questions (after she’s banned me).
I don’t know what to make of this character. Maybe just a jerk, but the Brett Kimberlin crew’s routine is always to claim to be the victim while they harass people.
Qritiq decided that Patterico being threatened was a good chance to support the threatener and malign the threatened.
BTW, while I can think of many kind things to say about Patterico, I didn’t say anything “fawning” about him in that thread. There’s no relevance. I’d defend someone I disagreed with 100% of the time from the crap Qritiq and Ron are doing. The insinuation she’s attempting to make is that I’m Patterico’s Greenwald style sockpuppet.
Many here know just how ridiculous such claims are.
I know this is long, but I can’t respond over there or she’s just delete it. Frankly, I guess I do suspect she’s working with Neal, but she could easily just be an independent psycho.
Dustin (b2fb78) — 10/21/2011 @ 9:44 am…an independent psycho.
To have more impact, they should unionize – like CO’s med-MJ dispensers.
“Psycho’s of the World – UNITE!”
Another Drew - Restore the Republic/Obama Sucks! (bdde46) — 10/21/2011 @ 10:33 amThought maybe you’d gone back to “The Dog Trainer”.
Rod Stanton (9449f7) — 10/21/2011 @ 10:58 amAny of you y;oun’uns familar with “The Dog Trainer”?
Sadly, I agree and I suspect some liberals and most lefty extremists would view this as a victory. But if many conservatives like Patterico don’t blog (or don’t blog as much), then conservative ideology may well become less diverse and, ironically, more cohesive.
Blogs are places where ideas compete and that can be divisive. In the long run I think debate leads to better results, but not necessarily more cohesive or united results. Without the competition of ideas, conservatives are more likely to become like JournoListas with their Idea-of-the-Day talking points. In other words, we’re more likely to become the Rush Limbaugh (or Michelle Malkin or Matt Drudge) clones that liberals like to claim we are. It might be fun to make their worst nightmare come true.
DRJ (a83b8b) — 10/21/2011 @ 11:02 amI’ve enjoyed reading your blog – it’s one I check regularly – and I generally agree with most of your positions. But in the past I noticed you sometimes really get in the weeds with some of the weirdos. I don’t know why you tended to do that and I won’t speculate. I know fighting back may be necessary sometimes, but often it’s better for you to just walk away. I know it was hard for me to learn that.
Anyway, it sounds like you’re taking an approach that may lead to more tranquility and I applaud you for that. I’ll keep reading what you post and wish you and your family the best.
Greg (a72b80) — 10/21/2011 @ 11:16 amqritiq is just another air-brained intolerant progressive bimbo.
daleyrocks (e56eef) — 10/21/2011 @ 11:23 amPatterico, glad you’re OK but sorry you’re having such a rough time lately. Looking forward to hearing about the “interesting” stuff you refer to, when you can write about it. And as a Breitbart fan naturally can’t wait for that other story.
Karl and Aaron are indeed doing a great job BTW. Looking forward to your next posts as well.
no one you know (325a59) — 10/21/2011 @ 11:32 amI’m sorry you’ve been threatened. As I’ve said before:
This site is on my daily read list. I access it multiple times a day. Looking forward to your next post. Keep up the good work.
Tanny O'Haley (12193c) — 10/21/2011 @ 12:12 pm==It’s me, the proprietor of this here blog site==
Well, Patterico–you are the proprietor of this here blog—but WE are the occupiers!
(We may issue demands later if we figure out what they are. Because that’s what democracy looks like.)
elissa (8009fc) — 10/21/2011 @ 2:29 pmGood luck with that dumb thing on Saturday.
MOG (7d2a2c) — 10/21/2011 @ 2:53 pmhad to ban Dustin – he posted 2 more lie-filled comments
I find that hard to believe.
ColonelHaiku (e0595a) — 10/21/2011 @ 3:27 pmGood luck, Patterico! Hope these cretins get exactly what they deserve.
ColonelHaiku (e0595a) — 10/21/2011 @ 3:28 pmSpeaking the truth about Romney is not a bannable offense you jackwagon.
DohBiden (d54602) — 10/21/2011 @ 3:38 pmI’m sorry to hear you are still having to deal with all this Patterico.
I believe karma is lying in wait for now.
Noodles (3681c4) — 10/21/2011 @ 3:45 pmQritiq is just another idiot who has decided to throw her weight around literally.
DohBiden (d54602) — 10/21/2011 @ 3:53 pmI oppose Abortion but I oppose abortion clinic bombers.
DohBiden (d54602) — 10/21/2011 @ 4:17 pmLet’s leave our primary candidate disputes in the threads about the primaries.
Dustin (b2fb78) — 10/21/2011 @ 4:22 pmHey I’m a worthless sufferer of Tourettes syndrome.
DohBiden (d54602) — 10/21/2011 @ 4:32 pmGreat comment, elissa.
DRJ (a83b8b) — 10/21/2011 @ 4:38 pmWell you may be too busy to blog on your own site, but you’re apparently not so busy that you can’t engage in endless Twitter wars.
How bout you give up Twitter and see how much time that frees up?
the dude (d4662d) — 10/21/2011 @ 5:34 pmI don’t get on twitter much myself, but as far as I can tell, he is making a handful of comments, and then it’s nothing for several days at a time.
Dustin (b2fb78) — 10/21/2011 @ 5:49 pm“the dude” is kind of a coward
JD (318f81) — 10/21/2011 @ 5:57 pm“the dude”, I know The Dude and you are no Dude.
SPQR (26be8b) — 10/21/2011 @ 6:10 pmHey, aphrael, you might be interested in reading this, where Dustin and I talk about you behind your back. 😉
John Hitchcock (ba2f15) — 10/21/2011 @ 6:27 pmThat’s about right. I can’t manage more than 140 characters at a time these days because I am so busy, but people like “the dude” (Balko fan, as I recall) would like me to shut up entirely, so they’ll bitch even if I do nothing but leave a comment a month.
The “Twitter wars” are about me monitoring people who similarly want me to shut up. There is little they will stop at to accomplish this.
So if my speech is considered THAT dangerous, maybe there’s a reason. Maybe I still have something left to say after all.
Patterico (f724ca) — 10/21/2011 @ 6:55 pmI can’t manage more than 140 characters at a time these days
We can.
Warner Bros. (9d1bb3) — 10/21/2011 @ 7:00 pmCute. When you put it that way, there’s some of these people on Twitter who are managing close to that many accounts themselves.
The dude might want to ask someone like Neal Rauhauser how much time would be freed up if he gave up Twitter. My guess: about 18 hours a day.
Patterico (f724ca) — 10/21/2011 @ 7:18 pmbut then Pat he would have time to reflect on the mess he made of his life
EricPWJohnson (d84fb0) — 10/21/2011 @ 7:20 pmHe does not sound like a happy man.
Patterico (f724ca) — 10/21/2011 @ 8:32 pmCourage!
(Also: Kenneth, what is the frequency?)
Beldar (7b2cf5) — 10/21/2011 @ 9:07 pmTwitter is evil, an inelegant and fundamentally shallow medium designed to truncate useful thoughts. Its perniciousness is evidenced quite clearly by the fact that its advocates universally conspire to pretend that those same disqualifying bugs are, really, features.
But I don’t want to do anything mean to the spouse of anyone who disagrees.
Beldar (7b2cf5) — 10/21/2011 @ 9:12 pmAnd … get off my lawn. There, I’m done for tonight. Instead of “courage,” I’ll leave you instead with the advice I once gave a dissipated young man named Lebowski:
“Dude! Just abide!”
Beldar (7b2cf5) — 10/21/2011 @ 9:14 pmI had a friend who I had known for years who cut off contact with me because I wrote about the “hate filled left”. He has know concept of the truth.
tyree (84087f) — 10/21/2011 @ 11:25 pmTwitter is evil, an inelegant and fundamentally shallow medium designed to truncate useful thoughts.
Really, Beldar? Because whether verbal or written word, I would love to see the Republican candidates forced to Twitter their positions – get your message across in 140 characters or be gone with you! Think how much useless rhetoric and superfluous crap we would be spared. No more of their word vomit spilling onto our shoes.
Break it down to its bare-bones essence and move on.
Dana (4eca6e) — 10/22/2011 @ 9:28 amso the LRA aren’t christian?
Ah ok get it thanks go to the BLAZE commenter who cleared it up for me.
DohBiden (d54602) — 10/22/2011 @ 10:24 amHitler was christian…………….lol.
DohBiden (d54602) — 10/22/2011 @ 10:26 amGood one lefty losers.
DohBiden (d54602) — 10/22/2011 @ 11:03 am@ Dana (#68): Politicians’ self-limiting their speeches seems like a good idea, but not one that has any chance of serious implementation.
Anthony Weiner’s tweets all fit the format. Didn’t make them … useful.
Beldar (e84433) — 10/22/2011 @ 7:02 pmHitler was christian…………….lol.
Comment by DohBiden — 10/22/2011 @ 10:26 am
SPQR (26be8b) — 10/22/2011 @ 7:44 pmNot really. In fact, the Nazi Party ideology at one point attempted to create a more “Aryan” religion to replace Christianity. It attempted to substitute a whacky version of what they thought were pagan German practices.
It was truly liberating when I retired from my public service job! good luck to you “Patterico”… it is tough walking that fine line and exercising your 1st Amendment rights. Only the left is allowed to use their office to pound their liberal socialist agenda (e.g. AG Holder’s selective enforcement of election laws/civil rights violations).
atmom (02654c) — 10/23/2011 @ 10:17 amAny philosophy that can be put into a nutshell belongs in one.
Chuck Bartowski (5a8609) — 10/23/2011 @ 10:22 amWell said, Chuck.
I have tried to debate on twitter. It’s pointless. Everyone has slogans or insults. Twitter is handy for challenging folks in public with a hyperlink, and it’s actually very handy for local crowd-sourced news, but distilled symposium it is not.
Dustin (b2fb78) — 10/23/2011 @ 10:39 amPatterico – I enjoy your blog and look forward to learning about your other enterprises. Sorry you have to hear the faceless cowards threatening your family. In the mean time Aaron & Karl are doing a great job keeping Patterico relevant & interesting. Thanks.
Brett (9918d1) — 10/25/2011 @ 3:08 pm