Saturday, March 06, 2010

Good-bye Bree.

It is with a heavy heart that I remove Bree Palin from my blogroll.

As many of you know Bree has closed down her site and is working on a big project that requires her full attention.

She did NOT get chased off or threatened (as was the case with Audrey) so do not worry about her.

Bree became one of my confidants and we e-mailed each other and shared information often. (I shared the picture of the ruffled ear baby with her at least two months before I posted it. THAT is how much I trusted her!) I will very much miss seeing her blog on the left side of my page when I log onto my computer every morning. And I am confident most of you will too.

I just received an e-mail from Bree. This is the part she said I could share:

There is nothing mysterious or sinister about it! I'm just off on a completely different project that has my head in a completely different place - completely non-Palin-related. That combined with the four kids, two cats, two guinea pigs, giant dog, and the husband, and it is just time for me to go :)

I really just felt more comfortable with deleting it than leaving it out there hanging. I realize that is going to be difficult for some people to understand. But the blog has a lot of my writing and thoughts and more than a few careless thoughts I'm sure. I think I've shared a lot of myself on the blog - this is just the line where I stop - and I'm most comfortable with deleting it.

I am more than confident that the other blogs can keep an eye on Palin, and I really think that the more she gets out and about the more the MSM is making her an even bigger joke as well.

It is like having to leave a really great party - the only reason I was reluctant to quit was the great company on my blog. I'm just going to go back to being a fan of the other blogs!

Good luck Bree! We are going to miss you.

99 comments:

  1. Anonymous9:51 AM

    I will miss Bree as well. She brightened many of the dreary days with her amusing and hard hitting prose.

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  2. BAustin9:59 AM

    We'll miss you Bree - glad it was nothing sinister to cause her to delete the blog hope to see you soon!

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  3. Anonymous10:02 AM

    Divide and conquer.. Pretty sad!

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  4. MaineMom10:05 AM

    Thank you for posting this, Gryph - my head has been spinning since I saw that Bree's blog had been removed, and I had been imagining all sorts of sinister things. Thanks for putting my mind at ease. I join you and I'm sure all of the bree palin followers in wishing the best to Bree. Hers was a wonderful blog and -- like IM -- one of the few I visit several times a day, almost every day. I will also miss the happy team of like-minded commenters -- many of whom I enjoy almost as much as the blog's owner. I hope those who aren't already part of the IM or Palingates families will migrate to one or both. I do wish Bree had left up some of the wonderful postings that help provide a good historical overview of the babygate saga. I know we can still access Audrey's good works at PD, but Bree had some good, up-to-date photos that continue to educate newcomers to the issue. One thing I hate to admit that I will miss is the link to the Swag Hag's tweets. I refuse to venture into unfriendly territory to read them. Any suggestions on where to go for those?
    Thanks again, Gryphen -- and thanks for keeping the pressure on. We need you to keep up your search for the truth -- and I am 100 percent behind you.
    MaineMom

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  5. I will miss Bree. I have always thought blogging could become very enervating after a while; I think it must be harder than a "regular" nine to five job. I hate to see a blog that has added so much to what we know go away. But I understand why someone would want to focus their energies differently. I hope the "Blue" blog doesn't go away (it was the first Alaskan blog I came upon. In fact, it was my introduction to the blogosphere) but if it does I would understand. The landscape has changed, people gather information via blogs, but the people behind them have lives that are much more.

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  6. Anonymous10:21 AM

    Anon at 10:02, you got that one right. I can hear the cheers from the C4P loud and clear. It's just too bad that whatever happened between the anti-Palin bloggers could not be worked out.
    Sad day.

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  7. I'll miss Bree's blog. It was a place I could leave playful snarky comments about Ms. Palin and not be chased off. Your blog was the 2nd Alaska blog I came across - Diva's was the first. I'm behind both of your decision's. Keep up the great work!

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  8. Anonymous10:24 AM

    Not too hard to figure out who the problem child was. It leaves a glaring hole in the blog roll. That makes me sad; however, I totally support your reasons for doing it. What a bummer! Are some of us eating our own?

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  9. emrysa10:30 AM

    definitely will miss bree.

    gryphen, please request that she burn you a disk of all the photo comparisons she made throughout the tenure of her blog. those were great and I hate to think they would disappear with her blog. especially the ones where she compared pregnant celebs with palin at exactly the same points in their pregnancies. very powerful visuals.

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  10. crystalwolf aka caligrl10:32 AM

    This post makes me very sad & confused.

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  11. Drama Drama Drama! Herein lies the problem with Libs and Progressives and Dems time and time again.

    I suppose there is something to be said for the one-mindedness and zero dissent of the Rethuggies.

    ugh

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  12. Anonymous11:00 AM

    Going to miss Bree's blog as I really enjoyed her writing style. It is a difficult job to keep a blog fresh with ideas and handling the comments. Gryphen, please continue to expose this woman. Thanks to all the bloggers.

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  13. Bummer all around.

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  14. Tyroanee11:07 AM

    The part that is hard to swallow is not being able to share that wonderful site with others- Bree had done such a wonderful job with the baby-gate pics, the evidence was so compelling and overwhelmingly convincing... hmmm miss the daily chuckle of the pics on the right flashing Pay-less not pregnant- Priceless!

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  15. Anonymous11:07 AM

    Being a visitor to Mudflats, IM, Bree & PalinGates, I have to say I'll miss checking in on Bree's blog and reading the comments. However, I'm happy my other 3 favorites will remain. Don't give those C4Peers even one single thing to crow about. Just keep on moving forward. :-)

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  16. What makes me sad is that even if there isn't anything sinister about Bree leaving and the other "thing" that is going on, Palin will claim this as a victory for her- that SHE is dismantling the effort to bring her down. See? There really IS nothing to see here- move along. Which is not the case.

    I would just ask all AK blogs dedicated to exposing the truth about Palin (of which you are all desperately needed)to keep going, even if you aren't all working together in harmony. I don't want to see public infighting because I don't want to see C4P crowing about it for one, and its distracting from the mission for two.

    You guys are providing an invaluable service and I want you to know your hard work is appreciated.

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  17. Anonymous11:12 AM

    Hy Gryphen.
    Don't you think that the more money she makes the more powerful she will become, and the more time that goes by to expose 'babygate', 'housegate' etc, the harder it will become. It is awful to sit by and see her with another book deal, another speech gig, and so on. She is a 1/2 term quitter governor of a sparsley populated state who has asbsolutely nothing to contribute to society....it is painful to watch her.
    Thanks

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  18. park it11:12 AM

    I hate it when the adults are in an ego struggle, wtf is this about anyway? Nice try 'splanin and all, but I don't get it all.

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  19. I will miss Bree and her topnotch blog. Whatever her new project may be, she'll do a wickedly brilliant job.

    It's too bad catfood didn't get to the blog in time to comment and send us off with a smile.

    Good luck, Bree! Enjoy!

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  20. Anonymous11:31 AM

    kellygirl: “I suppose there is something to be said for the one-mindedness and zero dissent of the Rethuggies”

    I strongly suspect your understanding of Sarah is as deep as your grasp of a ‘monolithic’ Right. Do you think Born Again Christians get along with Dominionists? Or Catholics? Do you think anybody likes the Libertarians? Do you think patriot militia groups get along with the Turner Diaries militia groups? Do you think the Bush people get along with the Reagan people? Do you think the Ross Perot types who can format a spreadsheet have long talks with the Meghan McCain types about Redbull versus tea? The Facebook/Twitter era has made Balkanization laughably easy. Everywhere. That’s one reason why Sarah is magic—a mother loves all her children and Sarah’s embrace is wider and warmer than the cold-finger manipulations of the trend-mongers. Sarah’s embrace brings the nation together. When you see that, when you come to understand that in your heart, there will be warmth and togetherness for you, too.

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  21. Anonymous11:37 AM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  22. Anonymous11:48 AM

    This is how she wins.

    rp

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  23. 10catsinMD11:52 AM

    I read all the blogs that I can. But let's just live and let live. AKM gets the broadest exposure, especially since she posts to Huffpo.

    Those who have blogs own them and have every right to accept or reject. But I will keep reading and commenting everywhere. Hope everyone does the same.

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  24. Anonymous11:54 AM

    I dunno, Kelly, the R's seem to eat their own young on quite a regular basis. Just witness the Teabaggers dissing JDH from AZ, the dude running against Palin's old BFF.

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  25. Ripley in CT12:16 PM

    *clapping*

    Thanks Gryph. Bree said you were one of the good guys :) Not that I had any doubt about that.

    You Alaskan bloggers (and local celebrities *waving at Shannyn*) that are actually IN Alaska are the true heart of the "movement". Thank you for that.

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  26. Anonymous12:26 PM

    Plagiarism, as defined in the 1995 Random House Compact Unabridged Dictionary, is the "use or close imitation of the language and thoughts of another author and the representation of them as one's own original work.

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  27. Wha-? Sorry to hear about the trouble...this announcement makes me sad. I hope sometime in the future things can be resolved between everyone. :-(

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  28. I see TWO missing blogs from the blogroll; one from a while ago (yesterday?) and one from earlier today.

    Since I had another browser window open earlier today, it's easy to see who's newly missing.

    I think everyone who regularly reads here and comments, too, would have been better served if you had just quietly removed the "offending" blog link from your blog roll without any comment from you.

    Sometimes you have a tendency to give too much information, Gryphen.

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  29. Anonymous12:47 PM

    Bree had a well put-together blog that was fun to read. I will miss her, but am glad she has a full life.

    Thanks to all who continue.. I'm sure it takes a lot of energy and time, and I am so grateful to all who share their lives and thoughts with us.

    Gryphen, this is your blog, and if you needed to "let someone go" that is your call. The internet is a big place, and that "someone" has plenty of room to play in their own sandbox.

    Cheers to all!

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  30. fromthediagonal12:51 PM

    ... unfortunately we see, once again, the old saying: "The Revolution eats its own Children".
    This is precisely why I am not a joiner...
    None of us are without ego, and eventually conflicting egos shall clash. This seems to be the case here. I shall reserve judgment until later...
    Please keep digging... all of you!
    This case is larger than egos!

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  31. nikogriego12:57 PM

    I was wondering why the singular tense has been followed by the plural tense in this post, even though it is the same person. For example, this post is replete with things like "...one of the contributors to this site. From accusations that they were passing themselves off as an Alaskan blogger..." (one/they) and "...this person decides on retaliation for my decision, I would remind them..." (this person/them), and "...but this person betrayed my trust a very long time ago and, though they were on my blogroll, they..." (this person/they, they)

    "This person" is singular; "they", "them" is plural. This is simply sloppy English. Why not either identify the person as "he" or "she", or say "he or she", or "he/she", and "him" or "her", instead of "they" and "them" when you mean one person.

    That said, I am sorry to see Bree go, and hope that her work will remain accessible to those who can use it or simply want to enjoy it again. She had a lot of good visual evidence presented in comprehensible formats.

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  32. Anonymous1:00 PM

    I am glad to hear that Bree's reason for leaving was a positive one.

    As to the other blog, wasn't it a little silly to say you weren't going to name names when it is very clear whose name was taken off. I for one never thought for a second that they were from Alaska since they made it clear they were not.

    I personally feel you are overdoing it in the drama department but then you often go down that road.

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  33. Anonymous1:04 PM

    What Bree said: "I'm most comfortable with deleting it"

    What Bree meant: "My attorney said I needed to get rid of it."

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  34. GermanGoodness1:04 PM

    I will miss Bree as well. She had such a fun, light-hearted blog; it was always a pleasure to read her posts.

    Bree, I hope that when your big project is finished you can at least post your delightful insight here at IM. Best wishes to you and good luck with that monster project!

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  35. Anonymous1:07 PM

    I love your blog, Gryphen, but you have to know that this biatch fest between bloggers is exactly what Sarah Palin wants. Remove the blog from your preferred list but let's not draw attention to it.

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  36. I am sorry to see Bree go. I really enoyed her clever blog, but I understand life happens, and not always on the schedule we set.

    However, I must know--WHERE IS CATFOOD? I'm in withdrawal.

    =(^.^)=fdWhereR U WeMissUAlso2

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  37. Anonymous1:20 PM

    Good luck to Bree. She did great work. We'll miss her blog but nobody is irreplaceable. If the 'bots think that our resolve and interest in exposing SP is waning, they should think again.

    The reality is that the country at large has seen the light on the foolishness and mendacity of Mrs. Palin. This fact is reflected in the polls and is due in large part to the tireless work of MANY bloggers and the posters who follow these blogs. Palin makes it easy for us, of course, because she's a walking, talking demonstration of pathology. We just have to point it out to those who aren't paying much attention.

    Not only will we continue to point out her hypocrisy and ethical problems but we will REDOUBLE those efforts through supporting all the blogs that we each feel accomplishes the goal of bringing down this divisive, vindictive woman. Power to the people of the blogs!

    Keep up the good work, Gryphen!

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  38. Amen to that Kellygirl. So Sad.

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  39. Anonymous1:25 PM

    Oh puhleeze. The Republicans wrote the book on insider drama. The conservative movement is about as fractious as they come. That's why Sarah Palin can't find true refuge with any of the various factions, and why she is seeking out an entertainment career.

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  40. Anonymous1:26 PM

    @ 10:02
    "Divide and conquer.. Pretty sad!"

    I agree ~ and again, silly sarah thinks that she's gotten away with it all....

    Tick tock.

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  41. To the Editor:

    No worries. Don't get caught up being too insular. Most people (i.e. me, but I'm pretending I reflect a majority) go right to your site for updates on all things Private Citizen Palin. You do the best job you can, do what you have to do, and don't worry about anything else.

    The people who know you and the product you generate respect you. The people who don't respect you--screw 'em. It's a big planet out there, so you're not going to reach everybody. Focus on reaching the people who are receptive to you & your message. As for the people who aren't: drop them like they're hot.

    Bill Abendroth
    Samsara Samizdat

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  42. Anonymous1:36 PM

    I'll put this here:

    In perhaps the worst possible development for the radical left since the discovery of Karl Rove's now infamous "Weather Machine," Governor Palin's recently exposed top secret "laugh track" machine appears to also have even more dastardly powers than were originally feared.
    In addition to altering the space-time continuum, and reprogramming the master computers at NBC – to cause laughter during Sarah's monologue to appear where none had been before, and send well-intentioned jeers and "groans" from her wannabe stalkers into the abyss – this mysterious device apparently also exerts some kind of irresistible mind control powers over the loyal fans of "American Idol" megastar Adam Lambert, causing many of them to actually like the producer of the upcoming new "Alaska Valley Days" TV series, Governor Sarah Palin.

    Or, at least, that's what the Kos Kids would like you to believe.

    Many of those wacky ultra-left "conspiracy-mongers" who post at such online cesspools as the Daily Kos, Huffpo and DU have been foaming at the mouth all week about Sarah's "rock star" performance during for last week's taping of "Day Two" of Jay Leno's return to the traditional 11:35 pm time slot for the "Tonight Show."

    Since I was actually in the studio audience last week when Governor Palin made her "comedy debut" – with a small band of "Palin palm print"-bearing FReepers (and FRiends) who had crashed the party with the intention of acting as "Ed McMahon" to Sarah's "Johnny Carson" – I call BS on their widely-reported, but easily-debunked, "laugh track" conspiracy theory.

    In my not so humble opinion, however, the REAL "back story" behind last week's studio audience, which has naturally NOT been covered in the "State-Controlled Media" – was that a huge percentage of that relatively "pro-Palin" audience last week were "glamberts"– that is, hard core fans of "American Idol" singer Adam Lambert, whom many music lovers view as a contemporary reincarnation of Elvis. (Or, perhaps Liberace.)

    In this thread, which will serve as the "after action" report for our recent Leno FReep, I intend to explore this strange – and very unexpected (to me) twist – on the controversial "big tent" philosophy of the new Republican party. And that strange new twist is, many Adam Lambert fans support Sarah Palin!

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  43. @ 10:41

    Oh well, we can handle a little drama. If nothing ever happened at all or changed it would be a little dull after all.

    I think that the way you and Bree cooperated Grpyh was a fantastic example of how an ad hoc group can work together and move forward in trust.

    And just to be clear, you Gryphen have always been the absolute top dog at helping and promoting other people who have wanted to add their voice to the chorus against the type of bad government Palin represents. Bloggers whom you have given a leg up by putting on your blog roll are grateful to you, readers appreciate finding new and varied sources of info, and most importantly you use the internet to the full extent of its capacity when you do so. You will always be much admired for demonstrating this genuine generosity of spirit. THAT is how a real leader inspires others.

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  44. Anonymous1:57 PM

    Be careful here, Gryph. Most of us read all the blogs with a common purpose, and that is making sure sp and her ilk are exposed and kept in constant scrutiny. Letting disagreements and territorial rights get in the way of keeping good information, regardless of its source, is the most important task at hand. Be careful...be full of care before you make big decisions. This is about the common GOOD, not pettiness.

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  45. Martha Unalaska Yard Sign2:04 PM

    This is blog land! Enjoy reading the blogs you like, and remember this is a very subjective venue for an author. It's why they blog - they give something of themselves in each post which a traditional journalist cannot do, or has a much trickier time of doing.

    We are here at the behest and permission of the blogger. Please act accordingly, as you would in public if you were invited into a room of interested strangers waiting to hear you speak, or you them. Anything else is inconsiderate.

    I agree, forget the drama as guests here. The bickering is very much on the level of the person who most likely brought us all together on these blogs. Don't be that Twit, or anything like her.

    Gryph is an emotional guy and lets more of his feelings into his blog than many I've read. I like that because it's his very own style, and I can read or ignore - just like everyone else.

    This is Gryph's blog and he does what he sees fit for the moment. There are manners which should be observed here and to set them aside is childish.

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  46. Anonymous2:19 PM

    That loser Palin is in Calgary tonight...or Texas North as I call it.

    Come get her once she's done!

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  47. Anonymous2:43 PM

    Ditto, crystalwolf.

    Don't know quite how to feel about it all yet.

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  48. Anonymous3:12 PM

    Have you decided to shut down too? Hope Palin didn't get to you to.

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  49. ManxMamma3:49 PM

    Thank you Gryphen for the further info. I'll miss Bree but I know it will be good for her.

    I've felt there was some tension with the other blog for a while. You've always been my go to guy and will remain so! Please don't leave us!

    PS - Catfood come here!

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  50. Forever Anonymous4:02 PM

    Gryph, I used to come here and hit the links from here, as if it were my home page. You were providing that comfort for me, I'm not in Alaska, I'm not in the USA and can't understand what the problem is about a blogger being part of the "Alaskan bloggers" or not.

    I wish you had unlinked the offending site when the offense was directed at you.
    I also wish your friend would have so actively and unambiguously professed her support for you.

    The unlinked site has a protocol to comment that I'll comply with just to let them know I support their cause. It was to the cause, Gryph, you were linking me to.

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  51. Anonymous4:09 PM

    Well this anon poster is going to ignore all the sillyness and continue on the mission of destroying SP every chance I get. I just love posting the evidence and links when something new pops up. Just keep it up everybody. :-)

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  52. Anonymous4:13 PM

    Sorry about the big kerfuffle.

    Re Anonymous 12:26: I'm a little unclear what brings up the dictionary definition of plagerism here and now. There was a question of two blogs on the same topic, and how much credit was due. While the first blog said it was an "exclusive" (which is true to the extent they reported it first), the second blog, which appeared a few days later, was based on (and quoted extensively from) the same, publicly posted team sponsorship information, to which AKM added her own conclusions. Maybe some mention was due (in an update, vs. just in comments) but if they didn't read each other's work, there's plenty of authentic voice, developed independently, in each post. Didn't see no plagerism.

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  53. Anonymous4:18 PM

    I'm really confused about why a couple of blogs (one now "dead, but another one still much alive) had to be removed from your blogroll.

    I thought we were all fighting for the same goal--to take this grifting narcissist down.

    Color me sad.

    Older_Wiser

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  54. Anonymous4:27 PM

    A week ago I would have shrugged off this power struggle between you bloggers as breaking a lot of wind over nothing. Bree changed that. I didn't even realize I had an emotional investment in her blog. I didn't even realize that was possible. She was like fresh air and sunshine, and I was ready to kick arse if she was threatened. So I can understand the strong emotions.

    The Palinbots know your identity. You're the one whose arse is on the line.

    That carries a lot of weight with me.

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  55. Anonymous4:27 PM

    Don't ever believe the comments you read folks. Believe the blog poster. That's my advice.

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  56. @ Anon 11:31 - WoW!
    If that is satire: You are brilliant :clap:

    if that is serious: yikes!

    either way, thank you so much for the laugh!

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  57. Anonymous4:37 PM

    I'm trying to be a neutral observer on yesterday's little spat. The blog that will remain unnamed aggressively accused another blog of borrowing its work. Today tbtwru is taking the high road and preaching teamwork and reconciliation. That's really cool, but they aren't apologizing for possibly jumping the gun or being to aggressive in its accusations. My feeling, is that the teamwork sentiment reads a little hollow. I still think all the blogs have much to offer, but tbtwgu came down slightly in my rankings. Nothing that some hard work and success cannot overcome, though.

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  58. Anonymous4:46 PM

    Always enjoyed Bree's style and blog and I will miss her greatly. Each of the blogs have a different style and I enjoying visiting several of the blogs daily. Thanks Gryphen for your good work.

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  59. Anonymous5:08 PM

    I hate it when the parents fight :)

    I won't take sides, but will say that SP wins a bit when we fight amongst ourselves.

    I will read each and every - all of them - blogs that are devoted to the demise of SP and will also read other blogs that may not focus on her but may provide a different viewpoint.

    Please, let's remain friends and blog-neighbors and keep our focus on SP.

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  60. Anonymous5:09 PM

    I am behind you all the way and I know all the blogs will continue to fight the fight. I also felt uncomfortable when somethings were said or the forcefull way things were reflected on. I was thinking I should back away at some points because they were putting everyone in a more lititious situation. I then thought it wasn't for malice but because of over zealousness for the topic. I do agree with you that they have done some good work.
    Now back to work everyone!!!

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  61. Forever Anonymous5:34 PM

    Really Gryphen, I'm mad at your decision, really mad.

    The more I think of it, the more unreasonable it seems.

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  62. ENOUGHwiththetrainwreck5:59 PM

    i like all the blogs - they each provide a unique perspective even on the same exact topic. some blogs i just read and never comment. other blogs i comment a lot. when i go to a blog regularly, i try to hit the paypal button from time to time cause i think it is just like subscribing to a good magazine. i agree with someone else that said they used IM as a "home page"..i do a bit of that myself. but it is what it is and blog wanderers know how to find other blogs, so i respect IM's position and will carry on continuing to read-learn-post as best i can. thanks to gryphen. thanks to all the unsung heroes that invest time, energy, and emotion every single day to keep the story alive and evolving.

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  63. Mac And Cheese Wiz6:20 PM

    Good Luck, Bree! Whatever your new endeavors are, I have every confidence you'll go far and wish you all the best!

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  64. Basheert6:27 PM

    Ah Gryphen - "don't feed the trolls" and yet you chose to get in the middle of something that had nothing to do with IM?

    This is not you Big Guy.

    Maybe you jumped too quickly? Especially since you know most of us?

    Perhaps you can answer to me personally. What is gained when the blogs argue? Who wins? Think about it Gryph. Who is winning now?

    Everyone has chosen to ignore the kerfluffle - we all have a common goal. To expose the lies and weirdness of The Palin.

    Namaste.

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  65. Anon@11:31: "Sarah’s embrace brings the nation together. When you see that, when you come to understand that in your heart, there will be warmth and togetherness for you, too."

    To paraphrase the concluding words of Orwell's 1984 (IIRC): "He loved Big Mother."

    No opinion on the conflict, but I will say that I, too, was using Gryphen's webroll as a "Palin Home Page," and I'm sorry to see the absence of what is, and I expect will remain, an important Palin-investigating website.

    BTW, I prefer not to say "anti-Palin," although these blogs and their followers hope to facilitate her disappearance from American politics. Despite the mean-spirited comments that do appear, these blogs are not about causing harm to SP, but discovering and publicizing the harm she has done and continues to do to others, including misleading the American people to exploit the divisions among us. She is making a very nice living by feeding a substantial minority of Americans, who mistakenly believe she embodies their common-sense conservative values, the political equivalent of sweet, nutrient-free and potentially carcinogenic junk food.

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  66. Can't we all just get along? There is strength in numbers. If your goals are the same, it seems silly to unfriend them. I hope you change your mind. I love reading both of your blogs even when your stories collide. I also hope Bree comes back eventually. Let Palin be the soap opera, not y'all.
    Love from SC!

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  67. No you are not crazy I did indeed remove a portion of this post and rename it. I said what I felt I had to say, I have been in contact with the other party to state my reason, and I do not feel leaving it up will do any thing positive for either of us.

    I wish them well and hope they achieve great success, but my decision is final and if that upsets anybody enough to leave this site then I will have to live with that.

    I have too much on my plate to spend any more time on this.

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  68. :clap: let's keep it civil

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  69. Anonymous6:54 PM

    Sorry to see Bree move on. She did really good work. My main concern is that her research and findings remain avialable to the public...i.e. historic archives.

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  70. Anne NC6:59 PM

    Anonymous @ 1:36, your post in regards to Daily Kos and the laugh track being added comes a bit too late to be believed. Daily Kos didn't invent a story, they received info the very same day it happened right after it was shown on television. In fact, the poster who let everyone in on the laugh track had already tweeted along with several others that Palin had bombed. He didn't make it up as she does when there are stories she doesn't like. He was telling the truth. 30% of the country does not want her as President, although that may not translate to that amount disliking her, I'll wager it's darn close.

    Again, Palinbots, too little, too late. Just like the pretend letter from the Silver Spoon. The easiest way for them to reach everyone if they wished to would have been to put that on the SS website. Instead, Crazies4Palin would have us believe they sent it to a Palin website rather than a legitimate news organization.

    As long as people with this ridiculous, slow-witted, and narrow minded thinking are representing or attempting to represent Palin, especially Rebecca Mansour, who is just downright mean and nasty, she will never be taken seriously in any field. But, hey, RAM is probably cheap, willing to work for a smile and a wink from the ex-guv, and maybe some of the grifted loot, also, too.

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  71. Kevin said, "BTW, I prefer not to say "anti-Palin," although these blogs and their followers hope to facilitate her disappearance from American politics. Despite the mean-spirited comments that do appear, these blogs are not about causing harm to SP, but discovering and publicizing the harm she has done and continues to do to others, including misleading the American people to exploit the divisions among us. She is making a very nice living by feeding a substantial minority of Americans, who mistakenly believe she embodies their common-sense conservative values, the political equivalent of sweet, nutrient-free and potentially carcinogenic junk food."

    Well said!

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  72. I DO hope this gets solved amicably. And I DO believe that is very possible.

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  73. Purple Alaska7:12 PM

    Thanks for no longer feeding the trolls, Gryph. Let 'em eat locusts!

    8~}

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  74. Anonymous7:19 PM

    I'm saddened that Bree is no longer adding information to her site. I'll miss her.

    I'm even more disappointed that the site is no longer up. Honestly, I feel that she does a great disservice to the Palin-investigating bloggers. The information she had collected was a vital importance in this battle to unveil the grifter.

    If Bree wanted to scrub some of her personal writings but still leave the blog up, that would have worked. We need that information to be available. By taking it down completely, Palin wins this round.

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  75. Yes! Let's only have real Alaskan bloggers as "the true heart of the movement"!

    But will we only let real Alaskans read them?

    LOL!

    How about: let's value intelligent commentary, thoughtful reflection and the tenacious pursuit of the truth wherever we find them.

    Carry on, everyone. We need you all.

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  76. Anonymous8:02 PM

    Let's move on...I really don't give a rats ass what went on behind the scenes....it wasn't my business, nor my battle. The bottom line is...integrity and class. Time to move on and get back to business. Seriously.

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  77. Anonymous8:15 PM

    I like the amended post better Gryphen. Onward and upward!

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  78. Anonymous8:19 PM

    Sorry, but I'm pissed.

    Bree no doubt needed to stop. I understand that completely.

    But I am pissed that the site is gone. It wasn't just her writing that is gone. Many of us contributed comments and I often refer back to old posts to refresh my memory.

    I just do not get why she would delete it completely if there wasn't a bigger reason.

    Sorry. That's just how I feel about it. That's the second site that I have given time to that just stopped. But at least Audrey's is still there.

    Jennifer

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  79. Anonymous8:22 PM

    I agree with Phils words of wisdom....move on, and let's keep the blogging lines of communication open and positve. If they can divide you, then they have won....and quite frankly....would you even give them that credit? Hell no! I don't care if you have to kiss up and make up....whatever! But get it together and help keep us informed and let us help you get the word out to the voting public. All ego's aside mind you?

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  80. Rationalist9:02 PM

    You know, guys, Bree said she was going to go back to being a regular poster on the blogs. She'll be weighing in. And I suspect that if there's a way to post the information she's compiled without leaving all kinds of personal information out there, she might consider it.

    Honestly - in the heat of discussion, I've revealed details of my personal life on these blogs that in a more circumspect moment I might probably regret. So I get where she's coming from.

    But I'll miss her blog too! I was SO bummed last night when I went online and saw it was gone.

    So, Gryphen, let me just say how grateful I am that you are keeping the ball moving down the field. If the truth about Palin never makes it to the mainstream, it won't be for lack of effort and commitment on your part.

    Thanks!

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  81. Anne NC10:07 PM

    Bree, I wish you and your family happiness, peace and the best of luck with wherever life is taking you. Thank you for sharing so much of your time and work with us on your blog. I certainly understand and respect your reasons for taking your blog down. I only wish everyone else could do so.

    Bree has no obligation to anyone who posted on her blog. If you post something that you think you might want to refer back to, keep a file with those posts and other relevant posts on your own PC. It has become invaluable to me when I'm looking for certain info.

    In the future, if we should need certain pictures from Bree's blog, there may be a chance she'll share them with us. However, we have no right to them. Bree put in hours and hours of work maintaining her blog and if I hadn't stumbled across it, I don't know how long it would have taken me to determine the depths of Palin's lack of integrity and honesty.

    Thanks to Gryphen for filling everyone in on what Bree is doing.

    I'm personally amazed and very thankful for the amount of time the bloggers spend keeping us all informed. We owe them a debt of gratitude that can never be repaid. If it hadn't been for them, Palin might have been on her way to an unimpeded victory in the pursuit of the GOP nominee for President. These Alaskan bloggers have grouped together and stopped her in a manner that would not have happened with the MSN.

    Thank you to all of you, it is so little for such an important thing you all have done.

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  82. Anonymous12:04 AM

    To link, or not to link that is the question. I believe we are all tapping into a contemporary reality and our thoughts will tend to coalesce. There is room for all to consider contemporary issues. The links have been conveniences for the reader. A very nice gesture of the host.

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  83. Anonymous1:40 AM

    I read all the blogs and it seems from reading that not only have some trolls been at work but also some hacks may have happened.

    The Seeofpee may have been at work this weekend trying to turn blog against blog.

    The whole thing never made any sense. When a big story happens all the blogs cover it.

    $arah standing in front of the Mystic brand is a big deal. Why aren't we all over the place getting this story out.

    Or did someone with a lot of money pay some hackers to distract us? Just askin'

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  84. ManxMamma4:14 AM

    Glad to see the amended post. Keep up the great work Gryphen. I will always start my day with you.

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  85. LoveAndKnishesFromBrooklyn4:19 AM

    I'm a little late to all this, but just wanted to say that I appreciate all that those who are dedicated to making sure that a certain winkin', wavin', hand readin' imbecile never makes it to an ultimate position of power. I read all the blogs when I have time, but always tend to come to IM first. I regret that I can't always comment as I'm trying to absorb everything on all the posts (including the great comments) as quickly as I can. As a "lurker," I'll miss Bree's blog as well; am puzzled as to why she didn't leave everything up, but that's her option. Thanks, Bree, for all your hard work, invaluable info and dedication over the past couple of years.

    And to Gryph--Keep. Up. The. Good. Fight. Thank you!!

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  86. Wilderness Lover6:02 AM

    Very good points, Anon 1:40. I am thinking the same thing.

    Gryphen, you obviously have much more information about what has gone on here than the rest of us, but from an outsider's view, it appears there has been some serious troll action going on. I hope you won't let these recent events sidetrack you from the mission at hand.

    Divide and conquor has always been an effective battle strategy, and if successful, Sarah and her trolls win the war.

    I too am wondering why more has not been made about "Mystic-gate." Once again, whenever something truly damaging surfaces, Sarah somehow uses something silly like writing on her hand or grifting in the Oscar suite to distract people from the issues that could really hurt her. People like you have the power, through your blog, to keep the pressure on her.

    Gryphen. thank you for your hard work. We all know how important it is to bring Sarah Palin down before she lands herself in a position to truly damage our country. Keep up the good fight!

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  87. I'm not certain what is going on with the blogs--but I am certain that it is imperative the Gryphen keep up the good work.

    After November 2008, aside from Greta's "exclusive" interviews of the Palins, I thought that little miss Wasilla had crawled back into her hole and was no longer a factor in American politics.

    A few weeks later, I happened across Palin's Deceptions and the Immoral Minority. So, by the time little miss I wanna be governor... no VP...no governor...resigned, I was as up to speed as possible on who, exactly, this woman is, who shares her proverbial bed and who spoon feeds her the mush that she regurgitates.

    Sarah Palin is the personification of "void." She is devoid of ethics, rational thought and truth.

    The clearest example of her found anywhere else in nature is a "blackhole." Sarah Palin isn't content with spending her dark little life off somewhere where others are not bothered--she loves being a blackhole and a magnet to everything and everyone like her.

    The hope is, I suppose, that as time passes, more and more of the people who hold her up as a mirror of themselves discover that they do not like the reflection that they see and begin to seriously question her, her behavior and her motives (and the motives of those who keep thrusting her on the American scene).

    In the meantime, it might be worth our while to remember that the MSM is not a person. The MSM consists of corporations. It's purpose is not to present truth, but to secure the largest viewer shares and pay healthy dividends to stockholders.

    Also, in the meantime, it is up to individuals to search and report whatever information they can. Individuals like Gryph have become the investigative reporters of the twenty-first century.

    So, if anyone, troll or otherwise, thinks that it is good sport to go after the bloggers and pit them one against the other, I have only one suggestion: Go start your own blog and prove him, or any of them, wrong. Of course, my guess is, that won't happen. It is so much easier, and takes a lot less time and effort, to get sucked into the manufactured Palin blackhole.

    But, I prefer the daylight out here in the real world, thank you very much.

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  88. Anonymous8:45 AM

    "My main concern is that her research and findings remain avialable to the public...i.e. historic archives."

    Kind of how I feel about it. She's entitled to do as she wishes, of course, and I don't care about the few comments I posted there, but there was some really good work done there and now it's not available. I know that it's bandwidth, but I wish it could be posted on somebody else's blog as archival work, appropriately credited to maintain her privacy, and available to people who want to read it.

    It's a shame to waste it.

    Ivyfree

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  89. Anonymous8:53 AM

    There is good reason to say that Bree was threatened. You can hide this by deleting it but the message will get through eventually. I just don't get why all the secrecy about it.

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  90. Bree, if you're reading this, I am sending you a virtual corsage to wear to the virtual farewell banquet I'm throwing in your very real honor.

    Your pretty peach page with its perpetual slideshow was the site I sent many a family member who thought I was ca-ra-zy.

    If you could help Gryph recreate it on his site, I'll gladly send more folks his way.

    Good luck on your newest adventure!

    :)
    Punk.

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  91. Anonymous4:19 PM

    Although I'm sad to hear about the drama, I'm not surprised these quote unquote problem children have been problems for a lot of people it's a well-known theory that they sent the other John McCain the info out to "out" Audrey once the PD team was no longer working harmoniously. Personally I believe this is probably true. I know they have harassed and intimidated other anti Palin/pro babygate bloggers to the point of having an extremely negative impact on the lives of many people.

    I can't really get into too much detail because of confidences I've sworn to keep...but suffice it to say it I am sadly disappointed in these two people and disgusted that their desire to be the only "big game in town" has overridden the common decency and humanity that Sarah Palin herself lacks.

    Gryphen, I used to be so concerned about your source; a source I feel certain misled you on purpose... but now I think you're clear-eyed and clear-headed. I for one am proud to endorse you and proud to direct others to your blog. While I do not discount the need for an outside-looking-in perspective, I as a native Alaskan am pleased to get my local news and satire from a beloved local who has been covering Alaska politics for years.

    Regarding Bree: what can I say, I do think she was intimidated or threatened into closing her blog. Why put up a good-bye post if she wasn't going to leave it up? Perhaps it is just a gut feeling...but I strongly feel Bree was made to close up shop. I hope I am wrong.

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  92. Stace4:37 PM

    I admit it, I am completely lost! I was visiting family over the weekend so this is the first time I've been to IM in a couple days...I have no idea what is going on regarding dissenting blogs. Can someone fill me in? :-)

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  93. anon at 11:31am said, "Sarah’s embrace brings the nation together."

    Oh, sure....except she'll only embrace it if someone passes her a wallet full of cash at the same time.

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  94. "it's a well-known theory that they sent the other John McCain the info out to "out" Audrey once the PD team was no longer working harmoniously."

    This is not a well known theory and it is complete moosecrap as are the further speculations of this poster. Please do not allow this fabrication to sit in your comments without also posting this response.

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  95. Anonymous10:15 PM

    In response to the "anon" commenter all I can say is that many of the people in the former Palin Deception Team now work closely with Patrick and I at Palingates.

    I think that that fact speaks for itself.

    Furthermore I'd like to know why those anti Palin bloggers and pro babygate bloggers who have been so intimidated and harrassed by us have not come forward. If any of them are reading this I would invite them to do so.

    We have shared a lot of information with anti Palin bloggers and writers.For example we were the first to send out copies of pages from Palin's book which we were fortunate to get hold of. Many anti Palin bloggers used that material successfully as they were able to get stories out ahead of the book's release. I can count numerous examples of ways in which we have co-operated with other blogs. But I won't.

    This makes me feel extremely depressed. We have no need to think that anyone has to be "the only big game in town". We certainly do not care for it. Our one and only aim is to have a blog that contributes to bringing Sarah Palin down. She is our target. Not other bloggers.

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  96. anonymama10:36 PM

    Helen, actually, I have heard this "theory" myself and while I cannot say "yes that IS true" or "no that is NOT true" definitively...I have seen evidence compelling enough to make me admit this "theory" IS entirely possible. I'm not sure if the OP and I are privy to the same "confidence" but I CAN say with absolute certainty that if all the behind-scenes intimidation tactics of a certain member of "that" team were to be publicly known, people would have been MUCH less charitable to them during this whole recent disaster.

    Something I would like to clarify and something the OP should have said too IMHO, none of what I've seen/heard/know has even a remote connection to the blog OWNER...only one of the subsequently added team members.

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  97. Hannah_bell11:59 PM

    I strongly and emphatically echo Helen.

    Gryphen, you are breaking my heart, dude!!

    How could you post a comment so heavy on malicious lies and so light -- make that so NONEXISTANT on evidence or truth?

    It's obviously, painfully obvious to the rest of us --many whom have considered ourselves IM loyalists-- that this is a palinbot of the worst kind -- the kind who seeks out a tiny, nearly imperceptible chip in the veneer of unity and exploits it with the intent of heaping upon us all discord, lies, confusion, and hurt feelings.

    I feel that I have been a very loyal and outspoken advocate for you, Gryphen. When JC made you his personal blogosphere bitch, I spent hours detailing your virtues despite knowing for a FACT that I would never change or open his mind even a little bit. I feel that I am one of countless many who has earned and deserves your respect.

    So I --respectfully-- ask that you remove that horrible post filled with the worst kind of lies-- the kind that can cripple a grassroots movement just by taking a tiny root-hold. If even ONE person is put off palingates because of what this (ANONYMOUS!! OF course!) divisive palinbot is spewing -- then it is a dis-service of magnitude I cannot even put into words.

    Gryphen, please remove that post. Please do not allow more posts by this troll. Thank you, Gryphen.

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  98. Okay this subject is officially dropped. I allowed some comments to come through that I probably should have simply blocked so as not stir things up again.

    However this is a conversation that needs to happen in another place and not here. Any further conversation on this topic will be rejected.

    Let's get past this unfortunate incident.

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Don't feed the trolls!
It just goes directly to their thighs.