WIN, LOSE, OR DRAW

The battle royale between Joe Biden and Sarah Palin was one of the most hotly anticipated events of the campaign--and the shocking news is that both sides claimed a measure of victory. "Who Won Biden-Palin Debate?," with 43 props, 380 comments, and 8,841 page views, saw victory dances on both sides of the aisle. But for starters: had the pre-debate attacks on moderator Gwen Ifill's objectivity been justified? Said earthlingerer: "Sure, the moderator is pro-Obama, but she gave a fair shake to both parties, and was completely neutral." Added ratskii: "The whole point of the Republicans' attack on the moderator prior to the debate was to make her too nervous to call Palin on her refusal to answer the questions." Klarissa disagreed: "The moderator is one of the least nervous journalists in the business. You insult her." And how about the performance of the candidates themselves? Bucotch was squarely in Palin's corner: "All Biden did was to spew out untrue crap about McCain." Added eagle27: "Palin did a remarkable job against this Beltway Insider." Not so, said Noiknow: "As an educated professional woman, I really wanted Sarah Palin to redeem herself from her earlier interviews, but I was very appalled at her behavior.... It left a bad taste in my mouth." Another member, most_reasonable, delivered a similar verdict: "Sarah was just Bush in a skirt. From 'nukular' to the folksy winks and mispronunciations, she was saying to her base: if you like what GWB did for the country, I'm more of the same." Still, many GOP stalwarts, such as DaneL, refused to fly the white flag of surrender: "Palin won BIG TIME and it just drives the left nuts. Get used to it." Other related stories included "Biden: 14 Lies During the Vice Presidential Debate," with 69 props, 291 comments, and 13,808 page views. Blackacereturn took issue with the entire post: "Biden was a terrible selection? Are you playing with a full deck? They are beating the crap out of your guys in almost every state." But RedRiverJ summoned a former GOP contender to the witness stand: "Fred Thompson was on after the debate, said he was there during those votes, said Joe was exaggerating a whole bunch."

DEVIL'S ADVOCATE?

In troubled times like these, it's natural to look for a fall guy--even a diabolical one. That must explain the appeal of "Bill Gates: Satanist in Sheep's Clothes?" The story racked up 117 props, 35 comments, many of them amusing. CRYMPTYPHON wondered if the author playing with a remotely full deck: "A minor amount of insanity can add a dash of 'interesting' to a person's world view. Then, of course, there is just plain smack-dab-in-the-middle of Crazy Town. This article is from the main town square of Crazy Town, written by someone very close to the mayor." Asked simonsez: "Why is this story on Prop?" Answered memestryker: "Freedom of speech? And comic relief!" Natureboy, meanwhile, found additional evidence of Gates's diabolical nature: "Bill Gates is Satan. Those who worship him are Satanists. OTOH, those who use his OS are merely an unfortunate bunch of tools." Added jonmaverick: "I knew Bill Gates was the devil the very first time I tried to network two computers running Windows 95." But it was HomerJS49 who wondered why all the great historical conspiracies never seemed to pay off--the Illuminati never ended up running the world, after all. "Why can't they ever seem to accomplish their goals?" he asked. "Here we are, hundreds of years [after] the Knights Templar, yet no New World Order." Perhaps he spoke too soon. At least according to Mdiar: "All the other Grandmasters were incompetent. I'm not. I will rule as the head of the New World Order! Only tin foil can stop me now!"

BLAME GAME

As the fiscal crisis deepens, an orgy of finger-pointing has gotten underway. "Democrat Fingerprints are all over the financial crisis" generated 68 props and 276 comments. Said 4thchance: "This is a Democrat-led conspiracy to destroy our economy under the Bush administration." ProudBlueTexan responded at once to this shot across the bow: "Abolish the GOP!" Wolfie2007 argued for the appointment of a special prosecutor to dig through the whole mess: "If it's George Bush's fault, then he should be frogmarched out of the White House. But the same goes for any guilty party. Hey, liberal Democrats, do you want to get on board the Special Prosecutor Express?" Added flyonthewallzz: "I have no wish to defend either political party. My finger is pointed at the industry. I do not think the tools of justice that we have are strong enough to prosecute the limited-liability folks." There was a similar expression of bipartisan disgust from cowboygrandpa: "No amount of spin will pin this upon the Democrats or Republicans. It is individuals within both parties who have a special place in their hearts for the greedy, uncaring, financially imprudent, dyed-in-the-wool loan sharks." Meanwhile, another post exhumed a considerably older financial meltdown: "Keating Economics: John McCain and the Making of a Financial Crisis," with 124 props and 226 comments. Georgia50 argued that the senator from Arizona had been no more than a convenient whipping boy when the Keating scandal erupted: "The Democrat investigating the Keating 5 found absolutely no wrongdoing by McCain. He went to his [Democratic] taskmasters and told them McCain should not be part of the investigation." But ETproductions criticized McCain's zeal for deregulation throughout his career: "[McCain] now claims he's going to 'Clean up the greed and corruption on Wall Street and K Street.'.... That's what the regulators you hate actually are for, Senator." Meanwhile, BB64 claimed some insider knowledge of the whole Keating fiasco: "I know Bob Bennett, and in an open discussion with a few cigars and brandy, he was very clear [that] the attacks on McCain were prosecutorial misconduct and done as a political cheap shot." (Oh, there was also a more tongue-in-cheek take on the current disaster: "Investment Banks Switch Status To 'Casinos,'" with 90 props and 62 comments.)

AND DON'T OVERLOOK

Which story generated the longest conversation this week? That would be "Teacher Suspended For Racial Slur Directed At Obama," with 71 votes, 868 comments, and 111,488 page views. The thread included some pathetic defenses of bigotry. A handful of Propeller members denied that racial prejudice even existed, but at age 60, cushi declared herself a longtime veteran of its effects: "I have [had] firsthand experiences with racism from the time I could walk and talk to the present." Elsewhere, the community sounded off on the national debt clock, military voters, and Obama's relationship with William Ayers. And while glimmers of humor were far and few between, at least one extra slice of silliness crept into our Top Twenty: "Eighth-Grade Scientist Successfully Isolates Self From Classmates," with 105 props and 24 comments. Beau7890 suggested that the young scientist's experimentation was only beginning: "He hopes this [additional] research, done solely with his broadband Internet connection, his ergonomic chair, and himself as the subject (naturally), can be used to help him and others like him tolerate the disregard of females. I just hope he doesn't go blind." Added Charlson: "The boy later grew up to become the Unabomber, Theodore Kaczynski." Which gave BronxBomber a perfect opening: "Things just blew outta proportion with Ted." Bombs away, folks, and we'll be back next week.

FAIL OR BAIL?

Not surprisingly, the much debated $700 billion bailout of the U.S. financial system was at storm center this week at Propeller. In "Burning Down The House: What Caused Our Economic Crisis?," with 756 props and 304 comments, the membership argued over who was to blame in the first place. FSU92grad fingered the Democrats: "Dodd, Raines, Paulson, Obama and all the other [Democrat] crooks need to be held accountable." Said RedRiverJ: "G-R-E-E-D." Replied tchef: "It's the Republican mantra." Added Will1313: "Fear and greed are the two driving forces of the marketplace... and it is bipartisan. Both sides are equally guilty." Regardless of who was to blame, ADAGUY balked at the proposed fix: "Why the bailout?" Replied Endoscopy: "You want a financial collapse, right? It has more to do with self-preservation than feel-good [tactics] and compassion." Then there was "House rejects $700B bailout," with 92 props and 141 votes. One member, cliff88007, argued that the terminology wasn't helping: "A better sales approach for this plan is needed. It should not be referred to as a bailout program. Instead, it is a government investment in America." There was also a discussion about whether those American who have maintained a balanced budged in their own households should shoulder the burden for those who have not. "Excuse me," said Eagle Eye, "but my husband and I sold our place, paid off our mortgage and all debt.... It is not right to penalize those of us that are responsible with those that are irresponsible." Replied indo06: "Unfortunately this penalizes you as well, no matter that you have paid your bills on time.... We're all in the same boat, responsible and irresponsible alike." Meanwhile, at least one member, bigurn, snorted at the idea of an impending credit crunch: "Just so you know, I put my money where my mouth is: I bought a house today. I financed the 20% down payment at 7% interest, and financed the 80% value at 5.69% interest. It's DOOMSDAY out there, kiddies." Other related stories included "Messages to Congress as High as 300 to 1 Against Bailout," with 108 props and 258 comments," and "McCain Campaign Blames Obama for the Bailout Bill Failure," with 107 props, 457 comments, and 8,317 page views. The latter turned into a predictable exchange of brickbats. Said amervtrn: "This is supposed to be an election for president, not PR rock star. You are hiring the CEO of Firm USA. Who do you want to run the firm, a manager with over 25 years experience or the newly hired stock boy?" Replied obiefrommuskogee: "[McCain] is a doddering old fool. I'll take the stock boy."

BAD MEDICINE

"Medical Costs End 48-Year Marriage" racked up an impressive 71 props, 431 comments, and (hold on to your hats, folks) 179,806 page views. The comment thread turned into a long referendum on nationalized health care, deregulation, and personal responsibility. DCFRaulein was skeptical about the Democratic nominee's plans for universal healthcare: "As a nurse practitioner, I will not be voting for Obama, simply because of his healthcare 'reform.' The reformation will result in the medical field being transformed into a DMV." Replied Tangent001: "It's too bad you have such a skewed impression of universal healthcare. I would think [that] as a healthcare provider, you would welcome removing a profit-minded middleman, who is constantly standing between a patient and decent care for the sake of a profit." Not so, said NeonKelly03: "I work in the cancer field. I can tell you one of the biggest problems with nationalized healthcare: you would have to wait 6 months or more to receive basic diagnostic tests such as a CT or MRI to diagnose any number of different cancers." Meanwhile, jos scoffed at the idea that nationalized healthcare was necessarily inferior: "What do you think Medicare is? It is government-run healthcare, and it is the best-run medical program in the US. It is run for an overhead of 3%, not 18% like the for-profits. Medicare accepts everyone instead of cherry-picking the healthy, and you can't find anyone who has it that wants to give it up." Added MABARKER5678: "Those with insurance don't get it. We're a middle-class family with excellent credit... and we can't afford insurance!" Some members, such as alakazam, still fretted over handing the federal government the keys to the medicine chest: "I agree that there should be a better system for health care, but putting it in the hands of the same people who brought yet another banking bailout, the No Child Left Behind program, and the reprehensible condition of the nation's infrastructure, may not be our best option." On the other hand, there are few more compelling arguments than physical pain, as mgoose811 made clear: "With nationalized health care, I would have had preventative dental care. Instead here I sit with an impacted wisdom tooth, doped up on Vicodin which is barely hitting the pain, waiting for my $1,500 appointment Monday with the oral surgeon." Ouch.

HIGHLY DEBATABLE

The first of three presidential debates also stirred up its share of conversation. "Why McCain Won the Debate," with 88 props and 324 comments, got the ball rolling. For leftylemn, the title of the story was strictly factual: "I am jumping ship. The Republicans are the winning ticket this time. Democrats are too liberal and socialistic this go-round." Engnr agreed: "The debate came down to this. On the stage I saw a little boy and an experienced statesman. There is no question who is ready to lead." Replied PapaWolf: "I bet it's been a LONG time since McCain's been called a little boy. He'd probably appreciate it, too." This sardonic shaft was echoed by somecommonsense, who described the senator from Arizona as "angry, stubborn, mad that he couldn't call a timeout and postpone the debate, unable to be a real man and statesman and face his opponent and stare him down." There was also the flip side of the coin, "Obama Looked Presidential, While McCain Was Angry," with 78 votes and 296 comments. This time, protoham argued with the title of the post: "BO looked like a 10-year-old kid and was lying through his teeth. I can understand why McCain would get upset. He did a great job restraining himself." Goppy shot back: "Obama validated my assessment of him that has been crystallizing since he became the nominee. He is a serious, straight talker, not prone to typical 'old school' ad hominem attacks, and very, very prepared." UnDumbed replied with one of the stranger attacks we've seen on the Democratic candidate (and we've seen plenty at Propeller): "I don't like that purple lipstick that Obama wears. Is the color purple sending a coded message to his friends in Hollywood?" (Replied ISITJUSTME: "Well, tell us what kind of lipstick do you like.") But DeadXXXManXXXTalkin addressed a complaint to both candidates: "I wish those 'bracelet-type' anecdotes would be outlawed. [It's] irrelevant and a cheap attempt at personalization and emotionalism. Transparent and smarmy as all get out."

AND DON'T OVERLOOK....

"New Bible to Be Handwritten by 31,000 Americans" bagged 30 props, 439 comments, and 45,450 page views. The thread occasioned a certain amount of theological pugilistics. Said antibrainwasher: "There is no end to what you blithering religious idiots will believe in." To which sweetone2 replied: "You seem quite angry and in need of some love. So in that spirit, I will pray for you, your soul, your family, and that you may find peace!" (That didn't end the exchange, by the way. Inoit said: "Amen, antibrainwasher!! I couldn't have said it better myself." Answered MadeInMississippi: "You are an idiot, but it's OK.... God still loves you!" And so on and so forth.) The Propeller community sounded off about child abandonment, David Letterman, and a bad word John McCain may or may not have uttered during the fracas in Ole Miss. And finally, there was widespread sadness at the death of actor and philanthropist Paul Newman. Said GregD: "R.I.P. Paul. I'll have some Newman-O's in your honor today." Added chevydog: "A very good actor and not an oversized ego to go with it." But epiphannyy had perhaps the most personal tale to tell in the thread, and it was a testimony to Newman's fundamental decency: "I met him when I was very little, with my dad at the races.... My dad, a former midget sprint driver, had a bum leg and hip. After walking around for hours, we stopped to rest by taking a seat on the back of a parked golf cart. I was only about seven years old, but I knew Paul Newman when he walked up and started talking to my dad and me. Instead of making us get off of his cart, he invited us to take a ride with him around the infield. We spent much of the day with him, and I remember him just being so nice." Perhaps ind06 put it best: "Miss you? You bet I will, old man." But at least we've got some amazing moments to remember him by:

Friends--

I am pleased to announce the release of several enhancements to the Propeller.com experience. These enhancements were widely requested over the past month by you, the Propeller community. We hope that you will enjoy these changes as much as we enjoyed making them.

Firstly, changes to the layout of the home and article pages provide a much cleaner experience. The mascot has been removed from the top of the page and moved to the right side, making way for more story content. The story capsule itself has been reorganized and improved, as the channel name (News, Politics, etc) and the source domain of the story have been added to help those scanning for news to optimize their browsing time. Story images, when they are available, are now visible in the capsule as well. Here is an example story capsule to illustrate:


The Top and Featured members and groups that were featured in a middle column have been moved down the page a bit, and are now laid out horizontally. There is also a new "Meet the Community" module on the right hand side that allows for cycling through featured, top and new members and groups on Propeller. We realize that Propeller is powered by its community, and think this is a great way to highlight the great contributions being made every day on the site. Take a look:


Categories, categories, categories -- we have added a list of categories on the right hand side of both the home and article pages. Thanks to all for helping us fill out our new categories added in September. You may have noticed that the Politics-Left, Politics-Right, and Politics-Neither categories have been rolled into a single Politics category -- you told us that this wasn't the right way to promote diversity of political opinion on Propeller, so we listened. We kept Politics around as a category, as well as Religion and Health & Fitness, and they have been thriving.

We have also upgraded the home page story rank algorithm to have limits on the number of stories allowed per category. We tested this on a beta home page, and it has performed quite well. As part of this initial launch, we'll have the following distribution (subject to change without notice as we tune things): Politics (6 stories), News (4 stories), Health & Fitness, Religion, Arts & Entertainment, Business & Finance, Style, Science & Technology (3 stories each), Family, Sports and Humor (2 stories each).

The Propeller article page has undergone a facelift as well, also moving to a 2 column format. Not only is the space optimized around the story summary itself, but the submitter details and related articles are highlighted better. The "Also Propping This Article" and "Groups Watching This" lists are now found in the right column, as well as the new category list. Here is a look at the improved article area:



And for our friends on the AOL network who come and visit now and then due to great Propeller stories being featured on AOL.com, we have made it easier for you to come by and comment. The "Add a Comment" box on the article page will allow visitors to sign up for a new account while commenting, sign into an existing Propeller account while commenting, or sign in using your AOL Screen Name while commenting. We're hoping that this upgraded comment box will make discussions on Propeller easier to partake in. Here is a closer look:


Over the next few months we will be working on some big integration projects to help spread the word about Propeller and bring in some fresh blood, and we'll be sure to tell you about them when they are ready. We will also continue to improve the Propeller experience -- we are committed to making Propeller the best social news site on the web. You expect that of us, and we expect to reach that goal.

As always, let us know how we're driving -- You can reach our feedback page here.

Tom (tdrapeau)

ECONOMIC APOCALYPSE NOW?

With the U.S. economy in free fall, the Propeller community was quick to pipe up with suggestions, complaints, and prophecies of fiscal doom. "E Pluribus Hokum, or When the Gamblers Bail Out the Casino" generated 109 props and 115 comments, and this sardonic assessment from jovial: "Socialism for the rich. A surprising, factual take on Paulson/McCain sound fundamentals." Not so, said tanglang: "McCain is against Paulson's bailouts. As am I. Obama seems to like them, though." But not2needy wasn't buying: "The thing I will never understand is how Republicans whine and cry ad nauseam about welfare, but have no qualms at all when it comes to bailing out big business to the tune of billions." A similar note of suspicion was sounded by gamahuche: "It strikes me that that a lot of preparation has gone into this. There's no one jumping out of windows 'cos all of those with rooms at the top are prepared to parachute out of trouble." But capecoralM defended the bailout as an absolute necessity: "Call it what you will, but the housing bubble created by long-term Washington policy at Fannie Mae and Freddie has caused this problem. I don't give a s**t who you want to blame, it is what it is. And if this Congress does nothing, there will be repercussions." Another story speculated about what effect the crisis might have on the election: "Economic Fears Give Obama Clear Lead Over McCain in Poll." The post rang up 91 props and 142 comments. In one, buckncindykill blamed the Democrats for the whole mess: "Who has been pushing lenders to make loans to unqualified borrowers for two decades? Democrats again. Still, the message doesn't get out. Could that possibly be because of the media love affair with The Chosen One?" Tangent001 fingered the gradual dilution of the Glass-Steagall Act of 1933 and the banks themselves: "No bank was screaming, "No, we don't WANT to make these bad loans!" They did so because they were allowed to." Will1313 meanwhile had some unkind words for mortgage brokers ("scum" was the nicest epithet he could think of) and shared an inside perspective on the whole racket: "I'm a real estate appraiser. Mortgage brokers that came out of the woodwork during this last run-up had easy pickings. For the most part, I did not do work with them."

PARTY ANIMALS

Meanwhile, the presidential slapdown continues. "Breaking: McCain Seeks to Delay Debate to Focus on Economy" produced more comments than any other story this week: 571. The conversation was a predictable mixture of praise for the Arizona senator's ideals and contemptuous snorts at his showboating. UnusualSuspect fell into the latter camp: "Does McCain actually want to run for office? Will we hear him or his VP pick in any debates this year? Maybe we should suspend the war in Iraq for the next 5 weeks as well, so he can get his act together." But mivan4, sporting a classy, old-school Netscape logo as an avatar, defended Johnny Mac: "He wants to attend to business, not just talk about business!" Replied tchef: "Why can't he attend to business and keep us informed as well?" There were similar reservations by thedolphinlady: "I see a vision of John McCain dressed in his Superman costume, flying to Washington DC to save the day. Dun da da. He will only interfere with the negotiations already going on, [which] are doing fine without him." But amervtrn disagreed: "McCain, as he has done most of his life, puts his responsibilities and duties to the USA ahead of personal gain and personal comfort.... Perhaps someone should explain the concept of leadership, honor, duty, and responsibility to Obama." Another story, "The Palin Effect Vanishes: Obama Leads in MI, CO,MN, and WI," notched 120 props, 424 comments, and a healthy 8,980 page views. JJJJBIRD argued that the current polls were a mere blip: "It's only the first inning. She will be the next VP." Replied mark-stevens: "First inning! There are only 40 days left till the election. How many innings does this game have?" The thread then swerved into a discussion about the reliability of polls, including the ones conducted by AOL. There seemed to be a general consensus that they needed to be taken with a gigantic grain of salt. But Mdiar took it a step further: "If the AOL poll is right and McCain wins Hawaii, I will eat my keyboard right after I apologize to you for dismissing this poll." Would you care for some fresh black pepper on your entrée, sir?

GIRL FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY

What kind of week would it be at Propeller without a gaggle of Palin-related stories? The Republican VP nominee was the focus of several stories, including "Palin Draws Crowd of 60,000 in The Villages." Said Nixie: "In a community of 70,000, she brought in 60,000. Be afraid, Dems. Be very afraid!" Klarissa had a similar thought: "If McCain/Palin get the retiree, military, and the small-business vote? Libs had better be afraid." Replied chuck-the-canuck: "The only votes McCain and Palin will get are the delusional, dumb-as-dirt votes." Another member, mesodude, was equally skeptical: "Cons sobbed and tried to throw dirt in our faces when Obama was speaking before ever larger crowds.... Now suddenly cons want to give us a play-by-play account of the beauty pageant runner-up's fan-club meeting attendance." But Wolfie2007 stuck by the candidate: "Why do ordinary Americans like Sarah Palin? Because she knows what it is like to be one of us." Elsewhere, there was "Is Palin Qualified to Be V.P.?," with 82 props and 189 comments, and "Sarah Palin's Secret Lover Revealed!" (no, it's not the president of Pakistan). The latter story notched 112 props and 383 comments, including this one from automan909: "Everyone sins. The difference with Christians is that Jesus will forgive us for our sins if we ask for forgiveness." Replied Tangent001: "Unless you're a Democrat." To which robear added: "Last time I checked, Jesus wasn't a registered voter."

AND DON'T OVERLOOK....

Our deteriorating relationship with a former ally also got some attention from the community. "Pakistani troops fire on intruding U.S. choppers" rang up 100 props and 109 comments. Said Teagen: "Actually the only president or presidential candidate to support the invasion of Pakistan was Barack. Did you forget?" Replied willottica: "You mean the only one who wasn't hypocritical was Barack. If you recall the context in which he supported an invasion of Pakistan, it had to do directly with the fact that Pakistan was believed to be harboring Bin Laden." Propeller members sounded off about Joe Biden, Josh Groban, and the most expensive house ever to go into foreclosure. And finally, for a well-deserved dose of humor, there was "Evolutionary Acceleration Research Institute Ready to Start 'Squirrel Smasher'," with 98 props and 32 comments. The appropriately named PainGoddess had little sympathy for the beasties: "The last innocent squirrel that I came across ate a hole in my house (roof) and beat up my cat. Tit for tat." Said uncle-dave: "There are no 'innocent' squirrels." Added BronxBomber: "I hope Bullwinkle can come to the rescue." No such luck, Rocky. And that was the week that was!

BETWEEN BARACK AND A HARD PLACE

Slowly but surely, Barack Obama regained his spot in the Propeller Top Twenty over the past week. Which is not to say that the attention was all positive: several posts dwelled on his post-RNC slide in the polls. "What Happens If Obama Loses?," for example, generated 74 props, 396 comments, and 7,118 page views. Kyttea had one answer to the question: "If Obama loses, Oprah will cry her eyelashes off. But he won't lose. People have bought into the whole change thing." UnusualSuspect had another: "What happens? Nothing. It will be four more years of the same.... [McCain] has a 1 in 4 chance of dying in his first term of office, which ain't exactly assuring, considering Tina Fey's lookalike could end up in the big chair." Added Klarissa: "We are a resilient country, and everyone on here really cares. No matter who wins, we will be just fine." A related story, "CNN: Only Racism Explains Obama's Slide In Polls," notched 88 props, 472 comments, and 9,294 page views. Karlyc denied the basic premise of the CNN article: "Some people find it impossible to believe that anyone could possibly disagree with Obama for policy reasons, or heaven forbid, actually like Sarah Palin. We will see a lot more of this race card being played before Election Day." There was a similar response from nostalgia: "They are simply setting up an excuse to use if he loses the election: America is racist." ISITJUSTME begged to differ: "The Palin bump is over. By mid-October Obama will be over 50 percent and the Republicans will be in panic mode. Then expect the expected. Smear and fear." There was also "Another fundraising record by Obama," with 114 props and 79 comments, and "Obama Committed a Felony Violation of the Logan Act," with 66 props and 307 comments. Dionys called the latter article a smear job: "If he violated the law, you can be assured that someone in the DOJ would have charged him by now, especially considering how packed with evangelical Bushites it has become." Wolfie2007 disagreed: "Funny how liberal Democrats will deny the truth even as it stares them in the face. This is really a felony, and if you or I did this we would be on our way to Leavenworth." But hefaa1 agreed with Dionys, and predicted more Republican tomfoolery down the road: "Next they'll have a picture of Bigfoot endorsing Sarah Palin next to the Bridge to Nowhere."

NORTH TO ALASKA

Speaking of which, Sarah Palin still nabbed her shared of the spotlight. "Palin: 'I will see Jesus come back to earth in my lifetime'" racked up 140 props, 534 comments, and 11,999 page views. Many of the comments focused less on the Alaska governor than on the potential resurrection of Jesus. "His followers have nothing to fear," said automan909. "It's you libs that should be begging for forgiveness." Replied cushi: "I'll let God be the judge of that, thank you." At this point this thread detoured into a long debate about the authenticity of religious faith. Several Propeller members suggested that such faith was a self-administered narcotic. Teagen argued to the contrary: "This whole nation was and is based upon faith. A faith that all men are created equal and endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." Replied Radiofreeeuropa: "Most people do believe in some deity, that's not the issue. It's the fringe talk in tongues, pray for a pipeline, root for the end of the world stuff that most find just plain wacky." Meanwhile, "Palin Met By Over A Thousand Protesters In Anchorage" rang up 126 props, 324 comments, and 10,006 page views. Said Jimjn2: "There will always be some people that are against any issue or any candidate. This little group is nothing compared to the thousands that came to cheer her on." Replied ProudBlueTexan: "Next you'll want me to take custody of your $12M inheritance, sitting in a bank in Chad or some place. That's about how convincing you are." There was also "Sarah Palin: Clueless," with 126 props and 478 comments, and "Palin: ABC On The Attack In Televised Interview," with 55 props and 279 votes. Again, the conversation soon moved beyond Palin's round of one-on-one with Charlie Gibson. TheBigTomata expressed some doubt about how both parties were handling hot-button issues: "Abortion, [the Second] Amendment, and now health care are all pawns in politics. Neither party is going to change them, but every election they get tossed out like squeaky toys for the dogs." Meanwhile, Spinward defended the governor's performance on ABC: "They can't handle that she has done an outstanding job in her state and that her approval ratings are 75% among Democrats.... In the end, it reveals the liberals for what they are: losers."

CHURCH TO DARWIN: OUR BAD

The theological debate continued on the thread attached to "Charles Darwin to receive apology from the Church of England for rejecting evolution." The story produced 91 props, 230 comments, and a very healthy 25,133 page views. Said smithichie: "Evolution doesn't say HOW life began, you are free to insert magic if you wish. All evolution says is that once life existed, it began to change over time." BobW51599 then proceeded to upset the Darwinian applecart: "The Church of England must now apologize for not knowing that, on his death bed, Charles Darwin accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. In the end, even Darwin knew his smack was a bunch of hooey!" Replied cleare: "Actually, Darwin's supposed deathbed conversion never happened. And even if he had accepted Jesus as his 'Lord and Savior,' it does not negate The Origin of the Species. The two are not mutually exclusive." Added dissent: "I heard he also accepted Allah, Buddha, Krishna, and the fairies at the bottom of the garden." This led to some back-and-forth about exactly who was present during Darwin's death and alleged, last-minute conversion in 1892. Said laulana897: "You weren't in the room, so how can you say for sure?" Replied Coatl (raising some additional theological questions): "You are not in my house, so you can't say for sure I don't have the resurrected Elvis kidnapped there." (This being Propeller, that wasn't the last word, as Questioner157 threw down the gauntlet: "Nah, Elvis is in Seattle with Jimi, working as a short-order cook. 'Scuse me, while I cook this fry!")

AND DON'T OVERLOOK....

Is Propeller the home of hard news? You bet, which is why we did so well with "Woman jailed for wearing shorts." The story notched 80 props, 299 comments, and (hold onto your hats) 121,989 page views. Dearmouse applauded the judge's decision: "Judge Booth happens to be a very articulate woman. I have seen her in action. She covers several counties and is very fair." So did jillybean425: "I was a witness and had to go to Hamilton Co. Courthouse multiple times and was appalled at what people were wearing. Belly shirts, hats, baggy pants and sweatshirts, and much worse." Another member, csunbean, thought the judge had crossed the line: "A judge judging persons based on their dress is [a violation of] civil rights. What is next? Jailing people with piercings? Tattoos? If you don't stand up for others who have their rights violated, you may be next." But one of our thirstier members, sarahwantsbeer, was having none of this: "This woman is obviously an idiot and she deserved to go to jail for contempt. She contemptuously disregarded the judge's orders about how she was to present herself in court. That means jail time." Elsewhere, Propeller members sounded off about Joe Biden and the 9/11 attacks. And finally, Oprah was pilloried for her liberal bias. Some members were ready to boycott the TV icon, while others defended her right to pick and choose her guests. But mesodude, his tongue firmly in cheek, confessed to being shaken up by this disclosure of Oprah's true colors: "I still am in shock and dismay and shaking my car keys in anger over this! I feel so deceived and used and cheap and easy and worn out and just plain icky all over." Time for a shower and a relaxing game of Pong.

SARAH PLAIN AND TALL?

With the RNC disappearing in the rearview mirror, VP nominee Sarah Palin remained a powerful focus of interest here at Propeller. "Palin won't release 1,100 e-mails" got the most props of any story--132--and generated a long comment thread to boot. There were certainly some skeptics in the house. Said hamy: "Bush and Rove destroyed theirs so that no one could see what we are paying them to do. I guess that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree." ProudBlueTexan cited the famous line from Sinclair Lewis: "When fascism comes to America it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross." But VicRugby questioned the original source: "This Mother Jones article is a series of hints, innuendos, and guesses. The mere fact that Palin provided a list of e-mail covered by privilege demonstrates openness. All political parties, and politicians in power, have this privilege. They all use it. This is not a Republican, Bush, or Palin thing, just as it is not a Democrat, Clinton or Obama thing." A related story, "FactCheck.org Debunks Palin Rumors," racked up 90 props and 380 comments. For the Alaska governor's defenders, this was a welcome post indeed. WHampton said: "Glad to see a post that debunks the lib attack on Sarah. The twisted hater posts were starting to get on my nerves." But AnteUp thought the questions raised in the article were far from resolved: "Another poison apple from the RNC. Go ahead and bite it again--at your own risk!" There was also "Sarah Palin Attended 5 Colleges In 6 Years," with 123 props and 218 comments, and "Palin's Speech vs. Reality," with 101 props and 221 comments. In the latter post, there was yet another pitched battle between the pro-Palin and anti-Palin factions. Said crespi: "She called herself a pit bull. The species known by all to lose control and tear the throats out of children in front of everybody." To which cttoaznochange responded: "You should watch the Michael Vick story on Animal Planet. The majority of his 'killer pit bulls' were kind, nice dogs who were trained to be killers, and the majority were adopted out. The breed is actually... loyal and loving." (There were also some lively stories about what is already being called LipstickGate, including "Obama: 'You Can Put Lipstick on a Pig, But It's Still a Pig'," with 83 props and a whopping 618 comments. Said FairNBalanced: "Obama has said something that is going to paint him in a very bad light." Replied hyperbola: "But not McCain? Who used exactly the same phrase in his campaign.")

COLLISION COURSE

As scientists prepared to switch on the Large Hadron Collider, stories about the so-called "Doomsday machine" percolated throughout the Web. At Propeller, "Scientists receive death threats over 'end-of-world' experiment" racked up 76 props, 385 comments, and a pulse-pounding 119,589 page views. Said fairleababy: "Hey, if they really do bring about the end of the world, it'll be okay. We had a good run." Another member, viperrx5, was less resigned to global apocalypse: "How do you know it won't kill us all?" Replied smithichie: "How do you know you won't die in an accident the next time you bathe? Or drive a car? Odds are far greater to die those ways then by global catastrophe, yet most of us deal with that risk and maintain both our hygiene and our vehicles." And slate also put in a plug for R&D: "Science is very important to all humans. If it weren't for science, I wouldn't be able to argue with the good people on here from around the planet from the comfort of my room." But BertieB wondered whether science itself wasn't all it was cracked up to be: "Every few years, science proves past science wrong. It is usually the 'kooks' who turn out to be right, until, of course, they are proven wrong... later!" Meanwhile, geoguy had only praise for the embedded video of brainbox (and former rock star) Brian Cox discussing the LHC: "What a wonderful talk by Brian Cox! As a former PhD student of Carl Sagan's, I can appreciate Brian's ability to convey an exceedingly complex topic in a very compelling manner."

AND DON'T OVERLOOK....

"$6.2 Billion Scammed from People by Fake Psychics & Bogus Lotteries" generated 103 props and 19 pithy comments. Said chris2930: "I predict you will be rich. Now give me $50 to tell you more." Added markmawn2: "The easiest way to separate people from their money is to put the word free on it." There were popular stories about Wikipidia and the purge at MSNBC. And finally, in this embattled era, it's always a pleasure to laugh. "Web Forum Closed After Sensible Discussion Takes Place" notched 127 props and 95 comments. In the minds of many members, the satirical post immediately evoked a certain social-news site, as ind06 made clear: "BIG CHEESE DECREE # 12876: After discussion, 'Erudite' is now against the Terms of Use. AOL asks that you kindly refrain from Eruditing while on Propeller." Added david_nwpa: "Can we be beneficent and magnanimous too? Are we to refrain from all polysyllabic words or only the word 'polysyllabic'? Heaven help us if civil discussion erupts on Propeller." And then there was RedstateLib's contribution: "Well, I for one left Propeller for a long spell because things had gotten way too civilized, and I could no longer handle being shown such extreme courtesy from friends on both the left and the right." But clearly the most sensible comment came from miklkit: "All Propeller heads are to bow down to AOL headquarters 5 times a day henceforth." Psst--it's that big building on the left, with the beanie-shaped water tank.

In an effort to improve the quality of the Propeller.com home page, today we have added 5 new categories:
You will notice these categories during the story submit process:

"I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a community organizer, except that you have actual responsibility" -- Sarah Palin, speech given at the Republican National Convention, September 3rd

On Propeller.com there have been many reactions to this statement. Member k312121 writes: "I am a community organizer in a large city in San Antonio. To discredit me only made me laugh. I can do this job in my sleep and that is why I have a real job -- at a private university. Obama's use of this title is abusive and irrelevant."

A post "Community Organizers Demand Apology After Sarah Palin's Attack" from thinkprogress.org contains a number of quotes from community organizations unhappy with the nominee's statement. FTA: "The last thing we need is for Republican officials to mock us on television when we're trying to rebuild the neighborhoods they have destroyed. (Community Organizers of America)" In the Propeller discussion, member miklkit reminds us: "Please remember, Jesus was a Community Organizer and Pontius Pilate was a Governor".

The AP picked up the story and titled it "GOP criticism angers some community organizers". Says John Baumann, executive director of PICO National Network, "If people in office were doing their jobs, perhaps we wouldn't need community organizers".

The website "Stop. Think. Vote." has an article (located here on Propeller) that informs us that Candidate McCain, after Palin's remarks on 9/3, canceled a scheduled appearance at the Twin Cities Habitat For Humanity build site. Coincidence? You Tell Us!

The Nation has an article (located here), "Community Organizers Fight Back", which quotes Jacqueline del Valle, a community organizer in the Bronx, "If Mayor Giuliani and President Bush cared more about working people instead of just people who can hire high-powered lobbyists, maybe I wouldn't have so much responsibility. Maybe working people would have an easier time in America today. But that's not our reality, and they don't have to mock us while we're trying to clean up their mess."

Taking us away is "The Republican Hater's Ball", courtesy of YouTube. Kudos to The Nation for finding this and linking to it.

STRAIGHT OUTTA WASILLA

This will be the second of our convention-themed Week In Review features. And with the RNC in full swing, the hottest topic by far was vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin. "Why McCain's 'America's Hottest Governor' Palin VP Pick Is Brilliant" racked up the most comments of any post this week: 612. One member, pastorwadec, voted nay on McCain's selection: "A much stronger choice would have been Colin Powell or Condi Rice. Then the race card could not have been played by either side. This governor adds nothing to an already weak (at best) ticket." But avygonzalez came to Palin's defense: "She has more executive experience then both Obama and Biden combined! It is a great choice. And Obama's judgement again should be questioned!" So did slate, who enumerated some of the key gubernatorial chores: "They have to make and meet budgets, something she has proven to be good at. She's stood up to the oil companies... and decided to keep her child, when advised three times to abort him." But hefaa1 wasn't buying: "Barbie is quite literally a heartbeat away from the highest office in the land. Will Barbie's dream house be the White House? Stay tuned." A related story, "Palin Myths Dispelled," rang up an impressive 503 comments and 79 props. The thread included a detour about Palin's impending match-up with Joe Biden during the vice-presidential debate. "Biden's going to rip off her Barbie head in the debate," predicted nowtellthetruth. But coppercreekranch took issue with that: "I will be watching. And you are talking about a woman who already ripped of some Good Ol' Boy heads in the process of cleaning up corruption in Alaska." Other Palin-related stories with lively conversations included "Sarah Palin Pregnancy" (366 comments, 55 props), "To rebut rumors, Palin says daughter, 17, pregnant" (398 comment, 99 props), and the more pugnacious "McCain/Palin Continue To Kick The Hell Out Of Obama" (355 comments, 62 props). In the latter case, the headline was vigorously endorsed by cgn49: "Watch the polls after the RNC convention. McCain/Palin landslide. America is a conservative country with a few pimples on the East and Left coast."

ELSEWHERE AT THE RNC

While Sarah Palin grabbed the lion's share of the community's attention, there were several other RNC-realted stories in the Top Twenty. "Obama Copycats McCain In Effort To Keep Himself From Looking Like An Ass" racked up 223 comments and 50 props. Said cloud1: "This is a non-story. The statements are pretty general statements and I'm sure [they] have been used by thousands of people." Replied bill2936: "Maybe Obama was reading the wrong teleprompter again." There was also "Amy Goodman and Two Producers of 'Democracy Now!' Arrested While Covering Protests at RNC," with 117 comments and 111 props. "As I have said before, it's become a crime to peacefully demonstrate in this country," said jovial. "You can be arrested or detained just for being in the area of these protests." Klarissa wondered whether the reporter hadn't been pushing the envelope: "Amy was told she had to use the sidewalk, but when she persisted in going across the promenade (or whatever), the cop asked her again to go to the sidewalk.... Today wasn't a day to test the police resolve." Replied Natureboy: "The right of the people to peaceably assemble and demand redress of their grievances is one of the most fundamental constitutional rights. The cops who are beating down protesters are enemies of the people. Nothing that happens to those porkers could be bad enough." And finally, there was "Cindy McCain's Half Sister: 'I'm Voting for Barack Obama,'" with 131 comments and 120 props. For not2needy, this erosion of familial loyalty was a bad sign indeed: "Old Cindy and John would have done well to try to reconcile and make amends to Kathleen before they made this major booboo. When your own family doesn't want to see you in the WH, you must be pretty bad." Several members began piling on Cindy McCain, belittling not only her personality but her physical appearance. At that point, PsychoHosebeast disciplined the peanut gallery: "Gee, name calling is really mature. Let's see a picture of you, then we'll all pass judgment and... laugh at how pathetic you are. Grow up. Idiots like you make perfect targets for [neocons], and with good reason." This got a hearty response from slate: "Thanks Psycho, I'm glad someone that is on the other side of the political debate gets it." That's Propeller for you, folks--first we fight, then we share the nonpartisan thrills and chills.

(Photos: Jennifer Midberry, AOL)

You could feel the electricity when she walked out onto the stage. This crowd had been waiting desperately for Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, and when she finally emerged on the third night of the Republican National Convention here in St. Paul, MN, the hall went nuts.


After almost two full days of nonstop scrutiny and questions about her family dynamic, Governor Palin greeted the convention with an unforced confidence, and, with her speech, seemed to reinvigorate the ticket and the party.

Last night Medea Benjamin and Jodie Evans, the two founders of activist group "Code Pink, Women for Peace," were forcibly removed from the Xcel Center as Republican vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin gave her acceptance speech.

In a sparsely attended press conference at the RNC, Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) and a band of his congressional colleagues resolved to stamp out the furtive and often fraudulent appropriations known as earmarks. As Eric Cantor (R-VA) made clear, they spoke as reformed sinners: "We are all recovering earmarkers." Tom Price (R-GA) recalled that when he first arrived in Congress, he assumed that just a drop of transparency would be the best antiseptic--that the worst offenders would be too ashamed to continue, once their taste for pork-flavored appropriations was exposed. Wrong. "Shame in Washington is different from shame everywhere else in this nation," Price noted. "That didn't work."

All of the participants in this twelve-step process assured the audience that John McCain and Sarah Palin would be the best antidote for earmarking. This raises at least one awkward question, since the Alaskan governor had her own romance with earmarks during her tenure as mayor of Wasilla. According to the Washington Post, she hired a lobbyist to bring in approximately $27 million in federal funds to her town of 6,500. Was she too in recovery? In the video below, you can see DeMint's opening remarks, and his response to a question about Sarah Palin's earlier use of earmarks.

Actor Jon Voight was mobbed by the media when he appeared at the Xcel Center for the Republican National Convention's third day. During an afternoon otherwise filled with chatter and speculation about what Vice Presidential nominee, Sarah Palin, will say in her speech tonight, the Academy Award winner's presence came as a welcome respite.

Despite being squashed into a crowded hallway, Voight looked very much in his element as he took the opportunity to hold court on Senator Obama, Russia, and Georgia...

As predicted earlier, the RNC got back on track yesterday afternoon. Just as I hit the floor, the delegates were standing still for a panoramic convention photo. "Please, don't move," the moderator pleaded with them. This massive game of Red Light, Green Light went on for a minute or so, while the 360 camera did its stuff. Then the delegates were allowed to drop back into their seats and relax. An interlude of New Age music came blasting out of the speakers, followed by Journey's "Don't Stop Believing." Back and forth swayed the placards: "Country First" (in blue) and "Service" (in brown). Even more touching was the profusion of handmade signs up in the bleachers. "Raising McCain," read one. "McCain Is Purpose Driven," declared another, alluding to the candidate's suave performance at the Saddleback Forum. Then came a short video presentation, with rapid nods to the Bill of Rights, the Emancipation Proclamation, Barbara Bush (thunderous applause), and Ronald Reagan (even more thunderous applause). "America is a love story," intoned the narrator, who turned out to be none other than Robert Duvall.