First. F&D, you suck.

um... how is this a follow up to her original story? Seems like a DQ

Normally the breakdown loser contestant does not make it to the final four.

I don't care who F&D is, only that her writing is bad

Expose Barack Obama's economic agenda with the definitive bumper sticker of the '08 political season:

I'LL TAKE YOUR DOLLARS AND GIVE YOU CHANGE. www.obamatookmydollars.com.

1 commenter quote then a desperate plea that she is actually qualified to do this job? FAIL

F&D breaks down crying after only 3 weeks on the job? She doesn't have the stones to be EIC

I guess she didn't have enough to make this a 2-day feature and decided to talk about herself instead.

sounds like a farewell post to me.

1- that's why she made this post all about her...

Absolutely terrible.

F&D can't hack it as a lawyer, and now it's apparent she can't hack it as an EIC.

F&D, your train has departed.

The fact that you are double Harvard does not impress me. If anything, it makes me even more disappointed in your previous dismal posts.

10- agree. It looks like we have another Arnie Becker...

When in doubt make the story all about you. Oh wait this isn't that Narnia site...

You know, I was going to vote for you just because I didn't want to vote for 2xHarvard guy. Now that I know you both are, I'll have to vote for him because his posts are just better.

Call me crazy, but I enjoyed the post. Not too bad, a little self-depreciating humor makes for a good, light read.

Then again, SEN didn't bother me either. I guess I'm out of touch with the "common" ATL poster.

And by the way, end this already, Lat. This is a total f'ing joke. Your website has really taken a hit. Just hire somebody competent (NOT the two remaining candidates) and be done with it.

And, of course, suck it.

This smacks of desperation. "Pick me, I'm smart too!"

"Finally, I have to address the reader accusation that I am an anti-Semite. I have to admit, this one is true. Those schmucks in my mishpocheh give me nothing but tsuris."

No mad props for this? All these damn Jewish whiners on the board...

Start a personal blog if you want to get stuff off your chest, otherwise post about BigLaw or something of relevance to ATL

Monkeys can be funny too, sometimes.

Since when does ATL post blogger confessionals? This contest has officially jumped the shark. Do not let this clown take over.

Seriously, this is more appropriate for a diary then ATL

I must say that the picture of catwoman is not very heimish. Maybe a sheitel would work better

I don't think F&D is bad at all - you guys are HARSH!!

Finally, I have to address the reader accusation that I am an anti-Semite. I have to admit, this one is true. Those schmucks in my mishpocheh give me nothing but tsuris.

- This made me laugh - very Jackie Mason...

Voted off the island.

I, for one, was not at all interested in your character. I'm still not. Stop wasting my time.

What an afwul topic.

The "best" stories of C&F woe F&D could come up with boil down to: they asked me to provide more information before they granted my application.

So the people who staff the C&F review boards are HS-educated bureacrats who insist on making sure all the boxes are checked before approving your application to sit for the bar.

Did you expect the C&F office drones to be double-Harvard grads who did their honors theses on the triviality of seat belt laws and impact of press coverage on Howard Dean's 2000 presidential campaign?

Extra, extra! Low-level bureacrats are often inflexible when it comes to completing forms!

Next up: bears use woods as toilet!!

I agree with 10, as well. This is a farewell post.

17, this is not self-deprecating humor. It is smug indignation directed at the readers (which, by and large, we may deserve).

Sophist = EIC. Now one of two things will happen: 1) readership will plummet, or 2) every Sophist post will be accompanied by 200 commenters complaining about how much this site sucks.

The only thing I have ever cared about was that you aren't a very good writer... no vote for you

It got weird, didn't it?

This was the famous final post that was supposed to tip everything in her favor? It's just a rewrite of her bio and not at all related to the feature. EPIC FAIL.

WHHAAAAAAAAHHHHH. WHHAAAAAAAHHHH.

Echo 16 verbatim

What happened? F&D picked such a bad topic she couldn't fill two posts on it so she decided to tell us her life story? This is the worst thing I have ever seen on ATL

You don't see Sophist whining when we started picking on him... I don't think F&D has a thick enough skin to be the next Lat.

What a terrible taste to leave in voters mouths....

The topic was character and fitness examination horror stories. It might have been funny if F&D provided a SINGLE example of someone whose application was denied for unfair or unusual reasons.

The're no crying in blogging!

Weak sauce. This isn't an episode of Dr. Phil.

Ok, now I am starting to feel bad for F&D. You can tell she has basically given up with this post and just thrown in the towel. We should stop being so mean to her. She knows she isn't going to win at this point. I mean, come on, she's just a girl.

Let's just move on, vote her off tomorrow, and wish her the best of luck going forward. She can quietly revel in the fact that Sophist will probably cause this site to waste away to nothingness anyway.

No one can replace Lat. Everyone knows that people come to a blog because of the blogger, not out of some loyalty or affection for the site itself. Once Lat leaves, there will be no reason to keep coming back. Any one of these contestants that really wanted to become a professional blogger could have (and still can) start their own blog. If they were any good, the readers would come.

I liked you better when I thought you were Miss Alli. I thought it meant that you might be funny.

Wait, how does this post prove F&D is qualified to be EIC? Oh.... it doesn't.

It's ok that you suck, F&D. You went to Harvard so whatever you choose to try to do next, you'll get an undeserved leg up on the competition. Eventually that undeserved leg up will help you land a job. I guess my only advice is that you steer clear of anything involving writing. Because, again, you suck.

Thanks for the memories.

Didn't someone yesterday say that "you're only as good as your last post"? In that case, you lose. No question about it.

Ditto #2.

F&C could stand for f'ing crap????

Miserable and that avatar is awful - it makes me pissed off before I even read a post so its tough to dig out of that hole.

As Dean Wormer said in Animal House, "ZERO POINT ZERO!"

"Monkeys can be funny too, sometimes."

I just wish they'd stop posting comments on this blog...

F&D, you're still my favorite bacterium. But you kind of know that you just fell off the beam there, right? Those are going to be some major deductions, and the start value on this post wasn't very high to begin with . . .

I am now leaning toward F & D.

In addition, to all of you who sniggered at my earlier posts re: F & D's alma mater: I told you so.

There were 2,000 votes in the last round, but less than 200 readers who commented after each post.

Therefore, the comments do not necessarily reflect the way the vote is going to go.

I for one am predicting a close contest, but an F & D victory.

Lat, make an executive decision as the new head honcho and just end the competition. Let Sophist has his run of the place tomorrow. This was pathetic.

I like the anti-semite part, but the rest screams "I am a whiny Jew."

Dear 51: I could not disagree more.

"I told you so"? What, are you 12?

You guys are rough. I like F&D. Maybe she can be a regular contributor or something.

I'm getting a little verklempt.

Is F&D one or two persons?

If singular, we really need to use "FD" vs. "F&D" as "&" implies plural.

HTH

I think this is the bio she wishes she had posted the first time. Too bad it's the end of the contest.

Canada's National Post thinks this site has jumped the shark.

http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/legalpost/archive/2008/07/29/atl-idol-ho-hum.aspx

Am I reading this wrong or did she just ADMIT TO BEING AN ANTISEMITE?????!!!! She needs to be immediately disqualified. I know there are a lot of other antisemites on this site, but I will NEVER visit this site again if it's actually run by an ADMITTED antisemite! I am beyond offended.

57: frolic AND detour is a legal term of art. "fd" would make no sense.

Best single line of the competition - "I feel like a bacterium that survived a three-week penicillin bath." Awesome. Both competitors have come up with good posts today...

And 60 aka UBER-RETARD, ever heard of sarcasm? Seriously, how dumb can you be?

Double Harvard isn't s*hit!

I have a trifecta Harvard, BA, JD, (seperate )MBA, b*tches!

And yet you're still an d-bag, 63.

Is it just me, or has F&D skipped directly to the farewell post?

Lat don't leave. This ATL Idol has been a free fall for ATL in general. And these "contestants" pushed it off that precipitous cliff.

No, 62, look at her post: "Finally, I have to address the reader accusation that I am an anti-Semite. I have to admit, this one is true."

She ADMITTED TO BEING AN ANTISEMITE!!! You must be one too if you're seriously going to be an apologist for this kind of hate.

-#60

Lat don't leave. This ATL Idol has been a free fall for ATL in general. And these "contestants" pushed it off that precipitous cliff.

61: How about "fad", then, whereby the "a" replaces the "&"?

62, aka UBER-RETARD, ever heard of irony? Seriously, how dumb can you be?

-60

Dear 63:

Unfortunately, however, you are not among the final two ATL Idol contestants.

Given that we will wind up with a highly qualified EIC no matter what--both finalists being Harvard-Harvard and all, my vote is going to F & D.

What a testament to the (much maligned) ATL selection process that the two finalists are BOTH HLS graduates.

Amazing.

PS: I hope the former Marin and Alex voters swing to F & D.

This post just put the detour in "F&D"

Anyone know why Hillary has insisted on appearing on the list of nominees at the convention? Seems pretty inane to me. Will it really boost her place in the history books in any way? Seems like a very short term ego boost (and just a confusing and dumb media story) to me. Any Clintonites want to explain how this helps her and the Democratic party in the short or long term?

Is this just b/c she's not getting the VP slot?

72 to EIC!!! That joke was HILARIOUS!

lat, you have got to be dreaming if you think this blog will have anywhere near the traffic it has had while you have been editing it. these so-called finalists are fucking awful!

#60, you need to press on the links and look up her Yiddish. She's telling you she's Jewish and antisemetic in the sense that her idiotic family drives her crazy. It's a joke dear.

"I have a B.A. and J.D. from Harvard"

And now you're in a blogging competition. Oh how the mighty have fallen, eh?

What does the EIC gig pay anyways? Who is the owner of ATL? I would think they would want a quality EIC, if this place is generating any income.

None of the canadates are stellar and hard to believe that any of the are double Harvard grads.

76, here's a little help from Wikipedia:

Irony is a literary or rhetorical device, in which there is an incongruity or discordance between what a speaker / writer /actor says or does, and what he or she means or what is generally understood.

- 60

63: And through all that no one ever taught you that there is "a rat" in "separate"?

77: good point. I wonder why.

70 = Thunder Choad Sword Swallower.

F&D not telling people about her Harvard degrees would have been an awesome ploy if she had been cranking out the best posts and the H bomb just turned out to be an extra little surprise, like icing on the cake.

But instead, it's more of a last, desperate "BUT WAIT, I GOT MY HAND STAMPED!"

Dear No. 60:

Obviously, you see an anti-Semite around every corner.

I am a Jew, and I am voting for F & D without reservation.

As to the prior commenters who cited Wikipedia as “proof” that F & D’s use of the Yiddish word “Shyster” was “anti-Semetic”, see here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shyster

The definition has since been edited, and then approved by a Wikipedia editor known as “Eliyak”—whose area of expertise includes “Judaism” and “Israel”. Eliyak also helpfully added the link to the glossary of Yiddish expressions, of which shyster is one.

Obviously, Yiddish words are not “anti-Semitic”. (Talk about an oxymoron.)

Last, F & D was called “TTT” and “anti-Semitic”. Therefore, it was and is hardly “whining” to set the record straight.

I'll vote for whichever candidate first promises to run a weekly story about TRUCK NUTZ.

84- I'm sure plenty of bad thing have been said about Sophist too, even one of the judges called him a racist, but at least he didn't turn ATL into his own personal confessional... thats not what ATL is about

Horrible writing, but hardly anti-semitic. This might as well be her farewell post.

Terrible. Just terrible.

I think Lat should choose me until a better candidate comes along with four Harvard degrees.

-Harvard: BA, JD, MBA

22- Monkey are ALWAYS funny.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHUjV4rPukk

89: Why no MA and LLM? Slacker.

That one girl confessed all her personal dumb stuff here a couple weeks back (under a pseudonym). That became exactly what ATL is about because she got CRUCIFIED on the golden cross of reader comments.

Awesome. Bring her back.

84, my post was a joke. You missed it. Thanks for coming out.

- 60

77 wrote:

""I have a B.A. and J.D. from Harvard"

"And now you're in a blogging competition. Oh how the mighty have fallen, eh?"

The same derision applies to Sophist as it does to David Lat.

I do not care WHY David Lat decided to put his Yale degree to use as the EIC of this site. I am just glad he did.

I am also glad we have two finalists to follow in David's shoes who are also graduated from top 2 schools.

Like, you would be happier if the only persons interested in the job were Ave Maria or Cal. Western grads, or what?

No, really, what is your response? Because you are completely full of it.

Simple Jack luvs hims some monkeys. Simple Jack clapping.

I forgot to add: I am the only person so far who can demonstrate my high powered intellect. I have three documents proving my superiority.

-Harvard: BA, JD, MBA

94: because he got outed as the blogger behind beneath their robes and asked to leave his prestigious employment as an AUSA (or somesuch) in Newark.

Old news #59. The post is dated July 29.

Besides, who gives a flying F what Canada thinks, eh?

Dear David Lat:

Please contact me and send me the EIC offer package. I am well versed in law and business as demonstrated in my Harvard triplet.

3eliteharvardeg2008@gmail.com

-Harvard: BA, JD, MBA

Truck Nutz and monkeys to 190.

Harvard/Yale Education = TTT in real life

Harvard can kiss my ass, because ain't nobody out there can beat a Triple Eagle.

Wow. You commenters are great! You never fail to give me a good chuckle. And yeah, I'm laughing AT you ducks, not with you!***

Day after day, the vast majority of comments show beyond doubt that y'all get your self-worth from the "prestige" of your school and your firm. Yet, now that the blogger does it, you clowns are actually calling her out for it!!!! Good God, the irony is too much!

Please, keep 'em comin! I need you guys!

(***except fraternity lothario - that shit is actually pretty damn funny)

Can't we, as illustrious representatives of the legal community, have a memory just a bit longer than the latest blog post? Doesn't anyone remember the "Welcome to Skadden" Sith lord or God's lack of minimum contacts w/ the State of Nebraska? Those were the best un-Lat things that have happened on ATL for a long time.

I continually fail to comprehend why people who hate ATL so much continue to read the blog and comment on it in negative and unconstructive ways. Such posts only reflect on the damaged brains of the posters.

Guys from my high school used to get four degrees from a has-been, #2 law school all the time, it was no big deal.

Dearest 97:

I said I did not care why David Lat decided to edit this site.

However, since you brought it up, no, David Lat was ALREADY blogging with he was "outed" to the US Attorney for whom he worked at the time (as the editor of Beneath Their Robes), and he was explicitly told that he WOULD NOT BE fired.

Moreover, David Lat did not go from the US Attorney's Office to this site.

First, he was the founding editor of the insanely successful Wonkette--which at its peak had over a million page view a month--and ONLY THEN was wooed away to start this blog from scratch.

To suggest that David Lat wound up here by default is simply ignorant, if not moronic.

for real, it's just a bunch of a cappella groups and ultimate frisbie teams.

102: I am sorry your grew up poor and went to a state school. Not everyone can have three elite degrees from the country's (and world's) premier school.

-Harvard: BA, JD, MBA

Thunder Choad says, "Leave David Lat Alone! Just leave him ALONE!"

He is Thunder Choad's friend.

103: I am sorry you work at a AMLaw 50 (100?) Firm. I no doubt will make partner at a AM Law 5.

Also, you sound a bit self-concious about your state school background. Perhaps you should take a better look at your non-pedigreed self.

-Harvard: BA, JD, MBA

106, David Lat was most certainly not the founding editor of Wonkette. That was Ana Marie Cox, who's gone on to Time and other MSM gigs. Lat had that job for a few months, though he shared blogging duties with some kid who was actually much funnier.

She just won my vote with that last line. Way to not back down. Freaking hilarious.

105: I assure you that the legal and business world view Harvard #1, despite US&WR.

-Harvard: BA, JD, MBA

I am a UVA triple threat. Do I count?

um... did anyone else notice her inability to use the blue box properly?

104 - thanks for the reminder. i forgot how much i hated those.

103: I forgot to add:

It is amazing how the human ego works. When we cannot achieve something or gain access to an elite institution/firm, we trivialize it.

I wouldn't know personally, since my elite degrees open doors into an elite and very prestigious world, but your statement has given me insight into commoners.

103: I forgot to add:

It is amazing how the human ego works. When we cannot achieve something or gain access to an elite institution/firm, we trivialize it.

I wouldn't know personally, since my elite degrees open doors into an elite and very prestigious world, but your statement has given me insight into commoners.

-Harvard: BA, JD, MBA

Dear 111:

You are correct, my bad. Lat did not "found" Wonkette" he simply edited the blog while it grew.

But my point, that Lat did not leave the US Attorneys office to blog here because he was "outed" as the editor of Beneath Their Robes remains intact.

"Cox was succeeded on Wonkette by David Lat, the author of Underneath Their Robes, a blog about the federal judiciary, and Alex Pareene, a 21-year-old dropout from New York University and Gawker intern/guest editor in New York who moved to DC for the Wonkette position.

"n June 2006, Lat announced his decision to leave Wonkette. His slot was to be filled by guest editors until August 2006, when Gawker blogger Ken Layne joined as permanent guest editor."

Frolic & Detail to EIC!!!!!

Gentlemen at my preparatory academy frequently delivered anonymous encomia to this rake, despite etiolated dopplegangers recently peddling counterfeits of the Lothario’s works. Though not a conspicuous event, such blandishment was welcome.

~ Fraternity Lothario

Lothario: Harvard grad?

-Harvard: BA, JD, MBA

Dear 120:

You sure can talk some shit!

Fraternity Lothario = UVA grad with a really large popped collar.

I love Harvard BA, JD, MBA. That is.... unless he's serious. Every Harvard grad who's ever worked for me was lazy, drunk, and grossly incompetent; veritable heathens who weren't prepared to do anything other than felate and/or suckle at the teat of the nearest person in power. I understand that an entire department is devoted to the subject there, but have typically ended my inquiry at confirmation of it's existence.

They would also pretend as if their athletic teams were relevant, something I never really understood since they simultaneously claimed to abhor athletic events in general. Be all that as it may, Harvard is definately TTT in the real world. Nice comment 102.

Re: It is a horse race

Now that Frolic and Detour has outed herself as a Harvard Law graduate, the tiny edge**that Sophist attained in the last round on the strength of his Harvard degree has been erased, and we shall see:

1. Will the Alex votes go to F & D or to S?

2. How about the 20% who voted Marin last go around, will they stay with the female candidate?

3. Will some of the Sophist voters who--let's face it--went the safe route because they like this site due to Lat's Yale pedigree reevaluate?

This race could go either way now.
__

**Last round voting saw Sophist at 33.3%, a tiny margin above Frolic & Detour who garnered 31% of the vote.

PS TO 124: If harvard is "TTT in the real world" then there really is no teir system, and therefore the very term TTT has no meaning, right?

Which is fine witjh me, since I abhor the expression.

FROLIC & DETOUR, FROLIC & DETOUR, FROLIC & DETOUR, FROLIC & DETOUR

Not ending a block quote after the quote has finished = epic fail.

As people on my mock trial team used to say: if you can't trust her with the little things, you can't trust her with the big things.

125-

My whole point was that any discussion based on tiering is really kind of dumb. People are lawyers, not law schools. Thank you for understanding this basic principle.

Yours,
124

25: How do you know that's not a sheitl?

Did people really vote for Sophist because of the double Harvard thing? Seriously? I voted for Sophist because the posts were better than everyone elses. It wouldn't even matter to me if Sophist had not even gone to law school. I vote on quality writing, not LSAT scores.

Hey, I actually had that rare beast, client contact, today so I am coming a little late to the party. What the hell happened here? Did F&D decide to quit? How was this the assignment? And really, WTF?

The choice is so clear. I can actually see enjoying ATL with Sophist (so long as Lat is around,) but F&D has pretty much made a joke of herself at this point.

This site would last a month with her in charge. Unbelievably terrible. She wrote 14 posts in three weeks and one of them was good. How the hell will she be able to handle posting 14 times in two days?

She'll be shell shocked by the second week. We need to vote and tell our friends to vote for the Sophist if this site is going to have any chance.

106/119: good lord, its called a short answer. why so trigger happy? i'm sure that soul searching in the wake of his sister's suicide played into his saga as well but that didn't belong in a QUICK recap. clearly the outing is the event that sets everything else in the chain in motion. and "asked to stop blogging while still employed and encouraged to explore any full time blogging opportunities" is to "asked to leave" as a cold offer is to a non-offer.

Anonymous posters on my legal blog used to brag about their pedigreed past all the time. They were no big deal.

--David Lat

125 - The margin was only that close due to strategic voting to get rid of Marin.

Fraternity Lothario = UVA's revenge

131- I had client contact as a summer associate. I am better than you.

Double Eagle

Dear David Lat:

If I send you my Harvard BA, JD, & MBA transcripts can I take over EIC today? Otherwise we can go through the formalities.

-Harvard: BA, JD, MBA

Late to the game here, but I'm with 16 and 35. The fact that F&D chose to safely out herself at this late stage in the contest only shows that she was afraid to take the "double-Harvard" heat from the beginning. In this case, if I have to chose one of these two, I'll at least take the one who was upfront about it and wrote better posts.

125, "Will the Alex votes go to F & D or to S?"

We supported Exley, then Alex, because either of them would have been ready on Day One. We haven't decided whether to support F&D or S because we don't know which one offers Change We Can Believe In.

What we do know is that they have to give us a roll call vote at the convention and make us feel respected and valued. We'll go with whichever candidate showers us with more love and attention.

-HRC & WJC

125 -- Why would I vote for a female candidate just because I'm female? That is a terrible way to choose. And I certainly don't like the suggestion that F&D's girly fluff is a representative of the way I think.

127: "as people on my mock trial team used to say..."

Wow! You did mock trial!?! Did your team go to the regional semi-finals, and everything? OMG!!! You must be a totally kick-ass trial lawyer!!!!!

No go get back to your document review, slug.

127: "as people on my mock trial team used to say..."

Wow! You did mock trial!?! Did your team go to the regional semi-finals, and everything? OMG!!! You must be a totally kick-ass trial lawyer!!!!!

No go get back to your document review, slug.

Okay. This is getting ridiculous. Aren't we supposed to be sharing our opinions through these comments (and or snark/flame abilities)?

F&D's supporters (question whether it's just F&D herself) are basically using the anonymous feature to act like they are objectively evaluating what's going on here, but what they are really doing is basically making campaign ads. Isn't it bad enough that F&D skipped her assignment today (did a dog eat it?) and then decided to do something outside the rules.

Clearly, F&D has figured out that she is not the most talented person here (she probably did the 4th best jobs with her posts, but if you count Exley's farewell, she's 5th). As such, she just decided to game the system. She sensed the anti-Marin sentiment, coined the term Marinhead and then used it to go from a VERY, VERY distant third (did people see the voting before this campaign got rolling? Sophist had 44%) to second. Then, she dropped this oh I'm really Harvard+Harvard and acted like it was a big reveal or something and that it should somehow change how we feel about her.

Why does she want us to change how we feel about her? Because she knows she has failed. All these "campaign ads" basically admit that Sophist is more talented and has performed better. (I particularly loved the "it should all come down to the last post" and then her crying, whining and not doing the assignment--maybe she thought the other post would go up first--not that it should matter.)

I've been following this for 3 weeks because I love this site and even though I disagree with Lat's decision to chose this way (ummm, it doesn't allow you to search for more people if you don't like the first batch, it knocks down the contestant's credibility even if they could do the job just like American Idol does, it seems lazy, etc.) I am paying close attention because I want this site to have the best chance of suceeding after Lat moves up. I think Sophist has giving us some funny jokes and a lot of reporting (which makes things long, but actually provided information that isn't anywhere else) and I feel his tone is the closest. So, he's the one I want and I encourage you guys to vote for him. Maybe I am an optomist, but I think it might be fine if the site is a tag team of Sophist and Lat with Kash and the others jumping in.

All that being said, I think it is ridiculous how F&D is just flat out campaigning. Maybe I should not be offended, but I am.

20--"No mad props for this..." No, why would there be. It's not funny or appropriate.

26--"Too harsh...Jackie Mason" Are we too harsh? Did we make you cry and post a confessional? Jackie Mason? That's your standard of humor. Wow. I thought only Daddykins liked Jackie Mason.

55 Is the best because here F&D tries to get a back up job if she loses. I love it.

71--"double Harvard after all...we've got two qualified people...I hope Marin and Alex voters will vote for F&D" This is the most blatant campaign ad yet (but, oh there is more) by F&D. Hey, here's an idea, why doesn't everyone just vote for who they think will do the best job and who has done the best job with the posts? I know you don't win if people do that F&D, but jeeeezus, what to try to hide the ball.

And, now we come to 125. What the hell? "It's still a race people, don't just ignore me, here's my path to victory." It's a frickin' get out the vote ad. "If you voted for Sophist just because he had the credentials, now you can vote for me" (because I hid them from you because I wasn't comfortable being real, but then got scared and tried to boost my credibility because nothing else I had done did). Oh, and then the women thing. That's just awesome. Most of the times candidates try to subtly play on his or her similarities to the electorate that they are courting, but this basically just cae right out and said "I'm a woman, if you are a woman, you should vote for me." Of course, us at ATL are a lot of things and one of the things we are is disappointed in you and scared of you running the site. And, in the end, that's the way people are and should vote: who is most likely to do the best job. And, sorry, you are not it F&D, despite all your anonymous posts. Maybe you can get a job for Obama or McCain. Therein lies your talent.

This farce is almost over. I hope to god Sophist can handle this job or, at least, be 80%.

Wow. I just wrote a lot. Sorry. I just want this to keep going and keep going right and I am pissed that Lat's stupid idea was made even more stupid by F&D's blatant campaigning. Arggh.

143, deep breath, okay? Go bill some time or refresh your mind wrt your kids faces.

104, links or it didn't happen.

#143: F&D is not posting these comments. I am, because I am everywhere and will destroy you.

--FLAVIA

So let me get this straight: F&D is actually back in the running (after being the “not Marin”) candidate. Why? Because she’s H-squared as well? I thought H-squared was grounds for d-baggery. Now, as long as it is paired with a flaky “I couldn’t actually follow up my lame post, so decided to whine instead” ending, the double Harvard thing is retroactively making up for the weak writing? Wow.

143, would Lat really let the contestants themselves post comments as "guest"? I doubt that the comments are from F&D or Sophist, but from people who like their work (or dislike the other contestants' work more) and want to see them get the EIC job. Sort of like you, 143.

These are clearly coming from her. It's anonymous. I mean, maybe she's sending them to a friend or something, but it's clearly right from her mouth. It's all coordinating. Notice how she had that post where she said she was a "class action attorney" and then someone said in a comment "hey, way to show you aren't that F&D." I didn't have any idea what they were talking about until I read today's post, but now I realize that was the start of an organized "campaign" to "prove" that she wasn't this other lady. It's hilarious on one level, but it's also pathetic on another and it pissed me off. She is posting her own comments and coordinating her posts to match up with comments that she is going to write. Don't get me started on the fact that she probably went and changed Wikipedia over this. She "Xed" out an encyclopedia to try to win this thing! Ha.

-143

143: Dude, seriously? Anyone posting support for F&D must herself be F&D?

By that logic, you must be Sophist b/c you voiced support for Sophist.

So now we all know NOT to vote for Sophist b/c you, Sophist, have revealed yourself to lack reading comprehension and analytical ability. And to be a bit of a d-bag besides.

Here's hoping that your current state was brought on by being chained in a war room for 24 hours with 50 boxes of documents, and you'll revert to normalcy once you get some sleep.

Jesus 143 get a grip. People aren't going to decide based on this stuff. There are 3 voters in this: 1) Sophist fans 2) F&D fans and 3) people who read all of their posts and decided one of them did a much better job (that would be Sophist BTW).

149-- I agree 143 has been working too hard and is a liiiiiittle too invested in this, but after I slogged through all his/her comments, I have to say I think s/he has a point...

150, you are right (I need to chill), but I hate this whole damn system, so when I see that someone is trying to get people to vote based on gender or try to get people to vote for any reason other than who did the best job, I get pissed. And, yeah, I haven't been at a computer all day, so maybe that's part of it.

-143

150 gets it right. Anyone who is voting based on the comments rather than the posts is an idiot. Just read the posts and it will be obvious who should win. In my mind that's Sophist. If you disagree, so be it.

143 -- I'm with you. F&D's blatant attempt to win back the vote of Marin's dog by playing the Jew card pisses me off.

153: I disagree

143 is obviously Sophist.

Agree with 156. Who else even cares about this contest (other than to think, in passing, that it's a terrible idea that will lead to a terrible result regardless of who "wins"), much less cares enough to post a 1500-word conspiracy-theory diatribe?

Am I reading this wrong or did she just ADMIT TO BEING AN ANTISEMITE?????!!!! She needs to be immediately disqualified. I know there are a lot of other antisemites on this site, but I will NEVER visit this site again if it's actually run by an ADMITTED antisemite! I am beyond offended.

158, why would an antisemite need to be disqualified?

I think I'll vote F&D. I guess it might not matter if the Sophists all show up to vote, but I'll give it a shot.

158 - Let me help you understand (because I know it is difficult for your).

[SARCASM BUTTON ON]
Finally, I have to address the reader accusation that I am an anti-Semite. I have to admit, this one is true. Those schmucks in my mishpocheh give me nothing but tsuris.
[SARCASM BUTTON OFF]

Now, wasn't that easy?

160 - Let me help you understand (because I know it is difficult for you).

[SARCASM BUTTON ON]
Am I reading this wrong or did she just ADMIT TO BEING AN ANTISEMITE?????!!!! She needs to be immediately disqualified. I know there are a lot of other antisemites on this site, but I will NEVER visit this site again if it's actually run by an ADMITTED antisemite! I am beyond offended.
[SARCASM BUTTON OFF]

You're right--that was easy.

Thanks, 161. Hey 160, please also see nos. 60, 62, 70, 76, 79, 84 and 93.

158 - your post sounds uncannily familiar. Hmmm, wait, did you post EXACTLY THE SAME THING four hours ago at post 60?

You are obviously a Sophist tool whose first attempt at saving your badly floundering candidate by crying "anti-Semitism" failed miserably. So here you are again, trying it all over with the dinnertime crowd. Nice try. Not. If you can't recognize blatant sarcasm, get your ass off of ATL.

Hey 163,

Please see 161, 162, and indeed, re-read 60 with 93 in mind. Don't fall into the same trap as 84. We've all gotten drunk and made an ass of ourselves at least once in our lives. Cleverness is your enemy.

Hmm... F&D posted something that wasn't toilet paper and suddenly Sophist is "badly floundering" ? Is this a creative writing seminar?

Hey 164, even a good joke usually isn't funny if it's told twice - verbatim - in a single routine. And 158's "joke" wasn't funny the first time.

166 = 160

166 = an anti-Semite

I vote for 154 to take over for Lat.

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