Or is the fact that I went from an average of 250 hits a day to over 7,000 today a result of links from Ann Althouse, Ace of Spades, Protein Wisdom, and (especially) Instapundit?

(No; that isn't my record. I think I once got a major Insta-lanche that sent me over 10K, though I haven't kept track. These things are unreal.)

Here is my favorite Glenn Reynolds story, and it's been over two years since I told it *: I sat down next to him at CPAC 2006, and we chatted for a few minutes. There was a point at which it became clear that he wasn't sure whether I knew who he was—which, of course, I did. So I introduced myself, and gave him my card. All went smoothly until he decided to interview me for a podcast,and it was just at the moment that he got the mike out (shut up), that I looked at him and said, "you know what? It's happening right now. I'm feeling nervous, because it's you."

And, in one of my favorite B-sphere quotes of all time, he responded, "blogging stars are like bowling stars; no one outside our world cares."

So I laughed, and we went on from there (shut up).

* I see that I've changed a word here and there from when I blogged it at the time. I hate it when my memory goes all non-verbatim like that. Looking back, I did indeed use the word "starstruck."

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You've got six more deadly sins to go; please get back to us in a timely fashion.

—The MSM and The Blogosphere

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Tom Waits, or Leonard Cohen?

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. . . of the Lock.

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I mean, really.

It isn't like my governor . . . . Oh, shit. Never mind.

Carry on.

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Ace has decided that McGreevy's wife is a victim of those three-way encounters—and of her ex-husband's and ex-lover's honesty.

So, he pressures his wife into having these gay-sublimation threeways and then he confirms the story to embarrass her further.

Nevermind the kids. They have kids, don't they? He has to put it out there that oh, not only is your dad gay, but mommy was a whore and daddy and mommy used to have "Friday Night Specials" with their driver/hustler?

And yeah, he pressured her, of course. I can't imagine threeways were her idea; women usually aren't agitating for the kinky stuff.

So she's more madonna than whore. Good to know. I do realize that women tend to be idiots, and any overt expression of sexuality makes a woman into a whore . . . but, really. Did Ace show up at TGIF with a mini-cam? How does he know the whole thing was her boyfriend's idea? From what I've read, this whole thing was a three-way relationship for a while, complete with breakfast on Saturday mornings: that's the kind of thing that both members of the "main couple" generally want—or else, the other one sets limits and makes sure it's strictly for playtime.

From my comments over at Ace's digs:

Aw, come on. (1) This NEVER would have come out if she hadn't played all innocent for the sake of the divorce court.

(2) According to the section edited out of his book, she and the driver made the first moves, and McGreevy just joined in.

(3) The idea that a woman who plays around is a "whore" rests on the sexual double-standard.

(4) If my generation survived our own parents' sexual hijinks, then kids are a lot less delicate about sexual matters than people might suppose.

This whole idea that the children are invariably hurt when there is an infidelity really bothers me—it was one thing to say that Hillary Clinton, e.g., was the victim in Bill's philandering. She might or might not have been (depending on what she knew and when she knew it)—but when people start dragging the kids into this and talking about Chelsea as if she were betrayed by her father . . . what, did he swear an oath to be faithful to his DAUGHTER?

I know, I know: infidelities destabilize marriages, and children are hurt by divorce. But that is a matter of the parents(s) [it's usually both] making their own arrangements, and taking that risk. For instance, would you condemn a parent who took on the risk of allowing his/her child to ride a bike, just once, without a helmet? Life is full of risks, and it's the parent who should decide these things.

I just wish we could go back in time to the 1950s and acknowledge that there is a part of life (adult sexuality) that is reserved for grownups. And despite the flawed way adults conduct themselves in these situations, it DOESN'T summarize their abilities as parents. In fact, it may have nothing to do with their parents at all.

Unless we are going to suggest that only perfect people should be allowed to have kids.

Or unless we're going to sit around wringing our hands that the human sexuality is being discussed these days with such casual brutality. In which case . . . well, we've all got blood on our hands. No?

And it's we who should shut up, and stop making society so much less safe for the children.

(I know, I know: this sounds personal. And it is. For all my parents' faults, I don't blame them for how they treated each other while they were married. I blame them for how they treated me: that's much more to the point, isn't it?)

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Dan Collins takes Andrew Sullivan on over Obama's "Wright Stuff."

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. . . as Attila the Hub used to call it back when he was in the drinking game.

Drive safe. Treat others as decently as you can manage. Say a prayer for those of other religious faiths.

Hope that the Irish economy will serve as a model for the rest of the world.

(And if you have a child today, please don't name him "Patrick," as Cousin Kevin did with his second-born. I love my cousin Patrick, but that's just over the line, like my friends whose kids' names alliterate, for crying out loud.)

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people are going to start mixing up the McGreevy and Spitzer scandals. Which would lead to some who are only sort-of paying attention to believe that Spitzer is gay.

And that McGreevy was the worst hypocrite on planet Earth.

And that Mrs. Spitzer had three-way sex with her husband and "Kristen."

And that Mrs. McGreevy really didn't know her husband was seeing prostitutes.

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Ola Brunkert.

Oddly enough, the song of ABBA's I remember most isn't "Dancing Queen." It's "Money, Money, Money," and Evan turned me onto it, back when I was doing more thematic compilation tapes.

And I'd like to state, for the record, that I do consider drummers to be real musicians. They are more than "timekeepers," dammit. And, yes: I do think of Ringo as a "real Beatle." Not just a lucky guy; he worked as hard as the rest of 'em.

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. . . on the Bear Stearns bailout:

There's an argument, of course, that successive Fed interventions, starting with the Russian bond crisis, have turned bankers into ever-greater risk takers, making each crisis bigger and more expensive than the last. The thinking goes that we need to draw the line here, whatever the cost, because if we let the financiers go on their merry way, eventually they'll create a wave that will swamp the Fed's power to intervene. Possibly so, but from what I hear, the people on Wall Street are pretty much scared right down to the tips of their Gordon Gekko underoos.

In some sense, right now it's the Fed's job to manage that fear--to scare them enough to ratchet back their risk profile, without scaring them so badly that they hunker down inside their weekend house and refuse to buy or sell anything. That's very tricky, and since in the long run we'll all be dead, I'd rather the Fed err slightly on the side of cheering them up. Perhaps Helicopter Ben should start pumping anti-depressants into the Wall Street water supply.

Or we could simply provide each Wall Street trader with the stuffed animal of his or her choice.

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1 from what I hear, the people on Wall Street are pretty much scared right down to the tips of their Gordon Gekko underoos. And rightly so. This fear hasn't quite made it's way into the general population yet. Perhaps we should send Darrell to Wall Street with a couple crates of Norman Vincent Peale books.

Posted by: Desert Cat at March 17, 2008 07:03 AM (B2X7i)

2 Ahem . . . everyone has to play footsie with the boundaries, huh?

Posted by: Attila Girl at March 17, 2008 07:21 AM (Hgnbj)

3 Skating the edge of the abyss, yep. That's a hobby of mine.

Posted by: Desert Cat at March 17, 2008 07:57 AM (B2X7i)

4 Trust the MSM, go with the flow, and you'll always buy high and always sell low.

Posted by: Darrell at March 17, 2008 09:23 AM (7w5Lr)

5 Hey I agree that there are going to be some *fantastic* buy opportunities coming up in the next 24-36 months. In the mean time, any dead cat bounces will make good opportunities to ditch the last of any dollar-denominated equities you might be holding. In fact, getting into commodities about 6 months to a year ago (when I first started making nervous noises) would already have paid off handsomely. The time to start buying again may be about a year into the next administration when everyone is wringing their hands over what a horrendous mess the *previous* administration left. But I don't expect real estate to recover for at least 3-5 years. There's still a lot of downside yet to wash out of that market. And I'm running myself ragged trying to get my houses ready to put on the market. So far Tucson has not suffered the same deep losses as elsewhere, but I'm not counting it out before the end. Again, there will be bargains to be had later.

Posted by: Desert Cat at March 17, 2008 05:05 PM (B2X7i)

6 Not to dissuade you Darrell, mind you. We need people like you to be buyers in the market at this time. Trust me, we desperately do.

Posted by: Desert Cat at March 17, 2008 05:06 PM (B2X7i)

7 I've got a nice little 2 bedroom bungalow going on the market at the end of the month. Recently updated, located in a neighborhood with a lot of renovations and new infill construction. Great starter home, or investment property. $140k. E-mail me for details.

Posted by: Desert Cat at March 17, 2008 05:10 PM (B2X7i)

8 Torture me, why don't you, DC? You know I'd rather be buying than selling right now.

Posted by: Attila Girl at March 17, 2008 07:12 PM (Hgnbj)

9 The world market is making an adjustment based on the prospect of a real Socialist sitting in the White House come January 2009. This is only a start. Their mouths say "It's about time!" Their eyes and heart say "Oh shit! What are we going to do now?" I wouldn't be surprised if McCain starts seeing campaign contributions with lots of funny looking stamps on the envelopes.

Posted by: Darrell at March 17, 2008 08:16 PM (FwqGj)

10 Not in California you wouldn't. You're doing the right thing by going rental for now.

Posted by: Desert Cat at March 17, 2008 09:41 PM (DIr0W)

11 Actually, we are going to get a little condo, but the net effect is to divest somewhat from the R.E. market.

Posted by: Attila Girl at March 17, 2008 09:47 PM (Hgnbj)

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So, Barack Obama is a beautiful blank canvas.

Which would make him a lot like that other brilliant politician of our age—what was his name? Ah, yes: Bill Clinton.

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. . . about truth, fidelity, and betrayal, by a friend of mine. If you leave a commet, please keep it clean—and respectful.

It's quite a story.

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. . . has a rather excellent post up on FISA Surveillance, and the blind spots at The New York Times.

I was going to link it yesterday morning, but my computer was acting up. And then I had to go condo-shopping. And then I had to eat pizza, and sleep. And wake up to the sound of a windstorm moving all my junk around on the balcony.

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I feel stupid—and contagious.

No, no: not Nirvana. And not, for crying out loud, Paul Anka. Tori Freakin' Amos.

And, just for the record—I do, indeed, have enough guilt to start my own religion. With plenty to spare.

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How much time did I spend, in my twenties, trying to get it out of my boyfriend why it wasn't gay for us both to hop into bed with another woman, but it would be if we got into bed with another guy?

"If there are two men in the same bed, it's gay," he told me. "End of story."

Thank goodness Governor McGreevy didn't see it that way. Oh, wait . . .

Via Insty, who's downright tabloid-ey lately. Oh, wait . . .

P.S. Did you see the pix? Bunk.

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1 And New Jersey still voted Democrat.

Posted by: BillyHW at March 16, 2008 09:23 PM (FhMJq)

2 - Your b/f's contentions were manifestly silly. Manage can run the table in preferences, depending on how many cards of the same suit, and which doors swing in how many directions. - I, of course, am only repeating what I've read, and have not a shred of first hand knowledge on the subject..........?........really.......well its true! - Good day to you Miss!

Posted by: Big Bang Hunter at March 17, 2008 04:33 AM (k9TnY)

3 Little Miss Attila: Your rather self-absorbed boyfriend meant it wouldn't be gay FOR HIM to be in bed with two women. Best regards;

Posted by: Ruy Diaz at March 17, 2008 04:37 AM (ffrsX)

4 I don't know about other guys' problem with MFM three-ways, but my problem with them is the fact that our reproductive organs are both protruberant and delicate. The rest of the man is markedly less so, and real life sex (as with real life violence) is far more confusing and complicated than any carefully choreographed scene you ever see on TV or in the movies. What you end up with is either a very careful but boring sexual tryst, or at least one set of mashed nads. You milage may, of course, vary.

Posted by: Tatterdemalian at March 17, 2008 04:55 AM (j8zCH)

5 Because we don't like to share our women, but we want as many of them as possible. Gay is just an excuse for the above.

Posted by: seguin at March 17, 2008 07:44 AM (NXtju)

6 Oh, please. Everyone knows that women aren't "gay", they're "lesbian". That's why it's "gay and lesbian association." So two women together can't be "gay". :-)

Posted by: Greg at March 17, 2008 10:23 AM (tyA9D)

7 ......let alone the fact that a dude seeing another dude's ballsack from astern would surely require years of therapy, or a well-lit twig thrust into the cornea just so. Unless of course, the seer was, well, you know, gay.

Posted by: alppuccino at March 17, 2008 11:00 AM (YknXf)

8 Well yeah, your boyfriend was right, that's just the way it is. Just as there's really no such thing as a male bisexual (he's gay); or a man who's bi-curious (he's gay), or a guy who "experiments" in college (totally gay). And whereas randy girls these days will often snog with each other at a party or on the dance floor to impress the guys, you'll note that MEN most certainly don't do this (unless they're gay).

Posted by: Mike at March 17, 2008 11:42 AM (nM6k1)

9 Gay!

Posted by: Attila Girl at March 17, 2008 11:47 AM (Hgnbj)

10 Latest research - men are hardwired AC or DC, women aren't (it's social conditioning). Therefore men are either straight or gay, but women are inately bisexual. That explains it all.

Posted by: bud at March 17, 2008 12:20 PM (nv1SZ)

11 Am I the only hetersexual male in the world who is turned off by the concept of trying to satisfy two women at once? And girl-on-girl action doesn't do anything for me either.

Posted by: Lev at March 17, 2008 12:24 PM (0suEp)

12 "And girl-on-girl action doesn't do anything for me either." Definite sign you may be gay.

Posted by: JD at March 17, 2008 12:38 PM (SJqd2)

13 Lev: There's one other guy like that. My high school sweetheart was bothered by lesbianism. He sort of had this fear that it would affect the . . . supply line.

Posted by: Attila Girl at March 17, 2008 01:03 PM (Hgnbj)

14 I bet I've done two men and a woman 3-ways 40 to 50 times in my life, and I never, never, never touched or kissed a man, let alone had sex with one. Never wanted to, never talked about it, never considered it. In fact, the idea makes me want to puke. But, there were instances wherein a woman wouldn't "do" me or a buddy alone, but was delighted to have us both, and that was fine by me. And I've found that the fantasy was common and intense in a significant number of women. I was happy to be a part of that fantasy. I don't give a damn about seeing some guy naked (hell, I've spent half my life in gyms), but sending some babe up a wall has always had a powerful appeal for me.

Posted by: Kevin at March 17, 2008 02:24 PM (ihRHS)

15 Well, Kev--according to some men, if you care about the woman's pleasure, that's gay, too. I assume that this apparent paradox is hashed out somewhere in the world's locker rooms . . .

Posted by: Attila Girl at March 17, 2008 02:43 PM (Hgnbj)

16 A man's boner should be between him and his woman/women. Another dude seeing your boner is gay.

Posted by: alppuccino at March 17, 2008 05:04 PM (BYezr)

17 Well, Kev--according to some men, if you care about the woman's pleasure, that's gay, too. Uh oh...

Posted by: Desert Cat at March 17, 2008 05:13 PM (B2X7i)

18

Posted by: Attila Girl at March 17, 2008 07:14 PM (Hgnbj)

19 What do you call a man and two women? Menage a trois. What do you call two men and a woman? Gang bang. Gay gang bang. It's gay for a naked man to be in bed with another naked man, no matter who else is present, UNLESS: the bed is very, very large (large enough so that the men rarely even glimpse each other), located in the Playboy Mansion, and has many, many women on it.

Posted by: jb at March 17, 2008 09:30 PM (HrVHr)

20 P.S. It's gay for two women too. Good gay.

Posted by: jb at March 17, 2008 09:30 PM (HrVHr)

21 Have you noticed how much your traffic (at least as measured by comments) has increased since you stirred the pot last week? There's a lesson in here somewhere...

Posted by: Desert Cat at March 17, 2008 09:47 PM (DIr0W)

22 Yeah. It seems to be something like "get in the gutter and stay there; you'll end up there anyway." Actually, I think my little mini-blogwar on gender and bodybuilding is incidental to today's traffic, which is of course due to the Instalanche--and subsequent links at Protein Wisdom, Ann Althouse, and Ace of Spades. A cynical person remark that "there's no such thing as bad publicity." I myself, however, am not a cynic--only a skeptic. So I'll reserve judgement

Posted by: Attila Girl at March 17, 2008 10:17 PM (Hgnbj)

23 Swordfighting bad. Donut-bumping good.

Posted by: John at March 18, 2008 06:13 AM (UBPMC)

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Well, it turns out that there are nice places out there in our price range, though if I want to live in a neighborhood that doesn't feature gang tags, I'm not getting my own office. I'll either have to share one with Attila the H, or carve out a small workspace in a corner of the dining room.

My forbears in the covered wagons . . . used rice-paper screens for that purpose, I'm pretty sure. They coped. Note to self:

On days that there will be open houses, or showings of the house to realtors and/or buyers, do not—

• fry fish in the kitchen;
• leave old furniture lying around outside;
• have a broken doorbell, thereby forcing the buyer's agent to knock on a heavy "screen" door (the security type, made of thick steel);
• leave the bathroom filthy;
• leave overripe fruit in the kitchen;
• cram twice as much furniture into the space as it was designed to hold;
• leave the drapes closed, and the lights off; or
• leave the television on.

The dress-rehearsal is on Friday, when our agent will come by with the papers for us to sign in the afternoon. I'm planning on losing my heroin virginity that very morning, just to be safe.

When we got home I informed my husband that he should order pizza. He did so, and then informed me that my life would be simpler if I wouldn't think about politics and economics quite so much.

"Just blog about . . . recipes, and stuff like that," he told me with a wink.

The scary part is that for just a moment that sounded pretty good.

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