1 Another Big Soap Opera in the 'sphere. I feel something like heartburn.

2 Tell me about it.

3 Stop it! Stop it right now! We are at war both here and abroad. No time for silliness. No time for political maneuvering to get a leg up on the competition. Try going six months without mentioning each other's names. Or even one. All parties are wrong on this one. Over the years, I've gotten a few offers. Job offers. Invitatations to join consulting groups. Party invitations. When I'm not interested, I send a polite note declining the offer and wishing them well. I do not publish a letter making fun of their names. "Open Sores Media. Swapping semen for pus, bodily fluids-wise." Then act offended when someone calls me on it. "It's just an oft-heard joke!" Yeah, in enemy camps. I do not publish personal communications, either--like the original offer. I also don't attack people that turn down my offers and maybe say some nasty things about me. "Sorry you feel that way" is all that's necessary then. Drop it. We all had 'friends,' particularly at school, that decided to strike out on their own by using us as a stepping stone. Life goes on. Defend yourself by succeeding. Defend your actions by just addressing criticism without mentioning names.

4 I mostly agree with you, and I know that sometimes Goldstein feels he needs to defend himself unnecessarily, but Althouse is over the line on this one: she simply will not concede that she unfairly painted the PJM parade-livebloggers as callous/malicious. In the original dispute between her and PJM/Goldstein, she had a point. In this latest incident, she doesn't, and it's clear that she's just being nasty toward anything/anyone related to PJM. I'm afraid there are a lot of people out there who are used to being the smartest person in the room, and that doesn't work in the blogging world: it's a bigger pond than many are used to.

5 We need you all. Our country needs you.

6 I'm afraid there are a lot of people out there who are used to being the smartest person in the room, and that doesn't work in the blogging world: it's a bigger pond than many are used to. (raises hand) The first time it happened is when I went to engineering school. Much to my amazement I found myself in the midst of people at least as smart as I was. Again it has happened in the blogosphere. I'm just fair to middlin' here and not the exception as in the rest of the world.

7 Bummer, ain't it? Of course, there are some non-brilliant bloggers out there, but I don't read them that much.