Pseudo D has it right. The powers that be know that many of us are at our wits' end with the preferential treatment given to Kenneth and his aliases, but did not have the courtesy to even acknowledge the last few upsetting blowups on the member feed. I know that my departure won't even leave a ripple in the pond, but I've wasted too much time upset about thoughtful members being taunted by a sockpuppet.

Kenneth delights in upsetting other members, and sent Andrea that e-mail because he knows he has special Archie Bunker privileges at Ricochet and has been allowed to return again and again no matter how many people he hurts.

Larry, if you object to the "feminine" among us who do not enjoy deliberately cruel comments directed at other members, that's just tough. Peter Robinson has assured us many times that Ricochet is a place for civil conversation, and while we have no problem mixing it up with the "boys", some of us will not tolerate having a bully in our midst who taunts and insults other members. If you want to create a thread where all the "tough" guys can be nasty to each other go for it, but please mark it clearly so those of us interested in spirited civil conversation can stay far away.

Mama Toad, Lance, Felicia et al., applause, applause! Or should I say ribbet, ribbet?! This is why I enjoy Ricochet so much. Following this thread has been like watching a good fencing match. Your posts cut right through the posturing and unnecessary provocation to get to the heart of an issue with wit and good humor. Hey, is that a shredded piece of sockpuppet dangling from the lamp next to the TV over there? Love it love it love it!

Off topic, but would any of you be up to taking a vacation trip to Orlando in mid-February?? Am hoping we can have a Sunshine State soiree then (possibly February 18?) and would really like to meet some of you in person. Am hoping someone else has the time to plan the event since I'm slammed this month, but if we nail down a time and place far enough in advance maybe we could pull in some snow birds. Would love to have an annual gathering that members could plan for in advance, and Orlando in February could be attractive and affordable, don't you think? And we could take a tour of Nickelodeon Studios in honor of this thread. ;-D

Heads up, "Elena". Your hostility is showing.

Will Steve King ever stop talking?

It's pretty quiet on the Contributor front today. Veeeerrry interesting. Wonder if there's a Rico bigwig party going on and they're all too snockered to remember about Newt and Herman's Close Encounter of the Lincolnesque kind tonight?

I'm really looking forward to it too, Ethan, WC, Kofola and bk. Two brave candidates willing to discuss issues in depth despite the risk of creating soundbites that could be used against them by their opponents. (Will also record the debate in case it's so dry it needs to be watched in smaller chunks....)

Was surprised nobody else had posted about this today. Think many people realize C-SPAN decided to air it?

I didn't suggest a men's polo shirt with the current logo for just that reason, thelonious. Think the embroidered square logo would make a collared shirt look too much like a salesperson's uniform.

XYZ, everyone. Big Sister is watching you... 8~D

+1. I'm with Stu in Tokyo about the huge qualifiers, and could have had a higher score if I put on Kennedy's Mean Girl hat. Gut answers are +1 though.

My son and I came out of last night's debate with the sense that Santorum and Bachmann are single-issue candidates who need to back off so we can focus on more serious candidates. Ron Paul won't go away and has some valid points worth hearing, and Newt Gingrich needs to stay to provide perspective and act as elder statesman when needed.

Herman Cain is very likeable and was unflappable even when attacked from all sides. NR readers are off base to quickly dismiss his potential appeal to voters. It's a good idea for us at Ricochet to ponder whether we, too, occasionally succumb to groupthink and dismiss qualified if less-than-perfect candidates too early.

Instead of tuning into the Ricochet chat last night I watched the debates with my political-junky 16 year old son, and we had positive impressions of both Cain and Romney. We're both enthusuastic Cain fans but came out of the debate looking more favorably at a Romney/Cain ticket. We still prefer Cain on the issues and haven't ruled him out but thought Romney also handled himself well when Santorum and Perry became almost childish in their attacks ("You're out of time now." Really??!)

I've thought Romney was occasionally petulant when challenged in past debates (which I watched while participating in the Rico live chat....hmmm) but thought he looked very presidential last night even when arguments among candidates became heated.

A Romney/Cain or Cain/Romney ticket featuring two businessmen with strong records of turnarounds could be very effective against the Obama campaign. Cain could be a smiling attack dog as VP candidate, and if it went the other way Romney would chew up and spit out Biden in a debate. (continued)

I'm soooo jealous. An evening of conservative Rico conversation and free drinks too? These gatherings get more and more tempting to attend.

How about a Snowbird Soiree in central Florida in February? Pilgrim? You still out there? Think a meetup of Ricoteers in the land of Mickey is long overdue...

Thanks for suggesting I'm a spy, btw, John.  Really helps when I'm trying to convince people this isn't an international plot.   ;-)

I'd tell you but then I'd have to shoot you.

Dan,

I didn't mean to come on so strong but am frustrated that misinformation is so widely believed.  (Can you tell?)  I'm with you on the Earth Charter garbage, and wouldn't have pursued the program if they were still proponents of that document. 

My son's a junior in IB and is working his tail off.  Your daughter will do just fine, and will go to college with a well-developed work ethic, time management skills, proficiency in a second language and having already written a 4000 word research paper.  That's why top college admissions offices send recruiters to high schools with IB programs.  These students graduate from high school prepared to handle the toughest college courses.