This week’s story is about pie. It was inspired by snazzybird’s comment in my last rescue roundup: “My 16-year anniversary is coming up in a couple of weeks. This place has been a haven for me, from the first day I found my way here. … If nobody has ever compiled and curated a ‘Daily Kos Pie Recipe Book,’ I really think it should be done.”
Her request stems from the Community’s habit of popping a pie recipe into comment squabbles to divert acrimony, or as a comment on ridiculous behavior. Here’s a Banoffee pie recipe from 2005, an avocado pie recipe from 2010, and Thanksgiving pie fight story from 2015.
On June 3, 2005, an advertisement involving a pie fight appeared on Daily Kos and instantly sparked a response in Community members, and from kos himself. This was a foundational moment in our history and, 16 years later, we still reference “pie fights” often. In fact, most DK polls include a “pie” option. Since that pivotal event, we’ve embraced the pie fight principle.
Although I haven’t compiled the requested recipe book, I’ve curated a brief history of our pie fight origin story, discovered a reason to toss a banana cream pie at Meteor Blades, and created a pie fight poll.
The classic Daily Kos pie fight began on a Friday with a video ad that kos addressed two days later, before tossing a giant pie into Community faces.
Let’s stop here a moment and give you a chance to view the ad, if you haven’t seen it, so you know what horrors (delights) readers endured (relished). You have to click over to Vimeo to watch it.
Community member boudicca, as suits her name, was the first, but not the last, to denounce the “advert whose sole purpose is to fulfill testosterone-fueled adolescent fantasies.” The Community response, however, wasn’t just about half-naked women smearing pie goo all over each other. Kos kicked open a second confrontation.
I deleted the edit that kos made later, after being called out for two particular words. He crossed out women's studies and added an update.
Despite this, over the next few days, dozens of stories ranted about the ad, kos’ statement, and sexism, from intentionally provocative—“Is feminism anti-male?”—to more analytical stories. “It is not about the ad - read what the women are saying” delineated a core issue: “It seems that women feel that their voices are not being heard and that the most important issues to women such as abortion rights and access to contraception are not being taken seriously.”
One week later, the ad vanished, but the arguments behind Daily Kos’ original pie fight still underpin our interactions: Is the ad sexist, or is the problem that we can’t take a joke? The arguments about the ad were heated and, as happens with divisive topics, some people took kos’ advice and left in a huff. Others stayed to fight it out, and continue to represent their positions 16 years later.
Pie fights now are part of the Daily Kos DNA. I searched comments over the past month for the words “pie fight,” and found 42 results. Some are lighthearted fun, like this one from Cheers and Jeers, and many rehashed old primary wars—no I’m not going to link to those—while several (here’s one) were in a story asking for a longer period to recommend comments.
In 2017, Meteor Blades wrote an entire story asking for trouble. In “Time for a Daily Kos pie fight,” he extolled the delicious pies his grandmother made and sold to a diner.
Fighting words! Sure, it’s been four years since MB’s post, but I’m going to be disputatious about pie right now. Bananas in the U.S. have the same taste you get in your mouth when, while filling your car with gas, you accidentally breathe in the fumes. Eaten in the tropics, bananas are exquisitely flavorful, but those sold in the U.S.—picked far too early, shipped in refrigerated containers, and then ripened in ethylene-infused rooms—those bananas taste like gasoline and are disgusting. Period. Don’t @ me.
Meteor Blades didn’t include a poll in his pie fight story, so I’ve added one below. I’ve given everyone a chance to toss or vote for their favorite kind of pie, including banana cream because, puhleeeeez, I’m an enlightened progressive.
This week’s stories include three Rescued to Recommended and two that are the first stories rescued for those authors. I sorted these nine rescued stories into several categories to illustrate that, 16 years after our original pie fight, we are still enthusiastic about fixing social ills like sexism and racism, seeing the political realities in our personal life experiences, analyzing government actions, and taking a break together to enjoy nature and art.
Community Spotlight’s mission is to ensure that the best stories from the Daily Kos Community aren’t overlooked. We encourage members who write excellent stories with original views to keep writing by promoting work that isn’t receiving enough attention. We further support a healthy Community by not rescuing topics and specific stories designed to provoke bitter comment battles, although we relish strong arguments presented fairly and backed up by credible sources.
Good news: You don’t have to search to find our rescued stories! The nightly News Roundup, an Open Thread published six days a week at 7:30 PM PDT, includes links to each day’s rescued stories.
Reminder: The numbers in parentheses after each author’s name indicate the year they joined Daily Kos, how many stories they’ve published, and how many we’ve rescued.
‘Just Listen,’ or losing my friend to the alt-right manosphere by BayAreaKen (2005-188-?) Rescued to Recommended
What do you do when an old friend joins a misogynistic cult? BayAreaKen’s response was to tell us what he learned about the cult from a decades-long friend who traveled the world to “discover himself … fully swallowed the ‘red pill’ and is (in my opinion) trying to become the titular head of the Manosphere.”
If Clara Schumann had only been a man! by niftywriter (2017-159-?)
Maria Anna Mozart, Fanny Mendelssohn, and Clara Wieck Schumann were accomplished musicians and composers in their own right but have been largely overlooked because of their better-known male relatives or spouses. Maria and Clara were expected to keep house and raise children (and in Clara’s case, that meant raising seven children pretty much on her own while touring relentlessly to support her family after her husband died in a mental asylum). Fanny had a more supportive environment, but was limited to performances in private salons with her famous brother, Felix. Their stories highlight the fact that in the world of art, and every damn other world, men have ruled and still do.
The Supreme Court’s Texas abortion ban decision is their 21st century Dred Scott by dickkscott (2020-38-1) First rescue
Dickkscott “spouts off about something that could never ever physically happen to him” and concludes that “once again, faced with a major choice between elevating equality for an historical minority or moving further away from the promise that all are created equal, the Supreme Court got it wrong. There is no science to back up the underlying Texas anti-abortion argument. There is religion. There is misogyny. There is bigotry and racism.” The recent SCOTUS decision stands alongside the worst ever made—a ruling that people of African descent were not citizens and did not have the rights and privileges afforded to citizens.
‘We’ on 9/11 and the mythic unity of 9/12 by The Geogre (2011-129-55)
The author describes the 9/11 disaster shared by people who experienced it through daily life, instead of via television. Like The Geogre, they lived and worked in the toxic physical aftermath, “the orange glow in the sky every night and the horrible smell that came in through every window every day.” People whose experience came through the TV “did not see the bicycle covered in ash chained to a lamp post ... did not have so much frustration with FEMA and a stunned government’s ability to identify the dead, catalog the dead, and notify the kin that they constructed … mortuary boards modeled on ride-share bulletin boards. They did not walk past the impromptu chain link fence of ‘Missing’ pictures every day after crossing the Brooklyn Bridge.”
My COVID-19 experience: A contagion story by AnneofGreatHope (2004-25-?) Rescued to Recommended
AnneofGreatHope paints a vivid picture of how fast and extensively coronavirus can spread when an unvaccinated grandfather decides to take two grandsons to a waterpark run by people who sued the state over COVID-19 restrictions. “I had misgivings and I told them to my daughter. She had misgivings, too, but wanted her son to have a fun experience with his cousin, W, and his grandparents.”
Écrasez l’infâme! by chresmologue (2013-2-1) First rescue
This well-cited and detailed story looks at the consequences of moving security and enforcement agencies into the Dept. of Homeland Security. The agencies become “largely insulated from the more open and public-oriented ‘service’ agencies of the departments in which they had formerly been incorporated.” As a result, they create “an incubator of toxic culture. Paranoia, obscurantism, us versus them attitudes toward the citizens, and a general belief that ‘we’re the Good Guys, so whatever we do is a Good Thing’ have been running rampant in DHS, and in ICE in particular.”
Ignore the critical race theory drama: Instead, support minority-owned businesses by JeffersonWasaLiberal (2015-18-4)
The author asserts that we need to encourage diversity, and to “really make a difference, it’s important to support the source. Instead of going to Walmart for a piece of wall art, support a minority artist (and benefit from a real product made in America and not mass produced). With that in mind, here are the most impactful ways you can do your part for these economy-growing, community leaders.”
Star Trek open thread: Chakotay and Torres by Alonso del Arte (2015-923-44)
The author celebrates the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month and the three Latinx in Star Trek. “It wasn’t until Star Trek: Voyager came around that there was a Star Trek series with a Latino in the main cast. Actually two: Robert Beltran playing Commander Chakotay, and Roxann Dawson playing the half-Klingon Lt. B’Elanna Torres. For Torres, it’s the Klingon half of her DNA that she struggles with. The human part of her DNA is not cause for concern.”
Dawn Chorus: They grow up so fast! by lineatus (2007-283-13) Rescued to Recommended
Working from home gave lineatus time to clear out weeds and non-native trees from her backyard, which improved habitat for birds, including raven neighbors who nest and live across the street. Using photos and narrative, lineatus shares her season with ravens through nest-building, chick feeding, and fledging. “They are still a constant presence in our lives and I’m grateful to have had the chance to get a more intimate view of their family life this year.”
Her request stems from the Community’s habit of popping a pie recipe into comment squabbles to divert acrimony, or as a comment on ridiculous behavior. Here’s a Banoffee pie recipe from 2005, an avocado pie recipe from 2010, and Thanksgiving pie fight story from 2015.
On June 3, 2005, an advertisement involving a pie fight appeared on Daily Kos and instantly sparked a response in Community members, and from kos himself. This was a foundational moment in our history and, 16 years later, we still reference “pie fights” often. In fact, most DK polls include a “pie” option. Since that pivotal event, we’ve embraced the pie fight principle.
Although I haven’t compiled the requested recipe book, I’ve curated a brief history of our pie fight origin story, discovered a reason to toss a banana cream pie at Meteor Blades, and created a pie fight poll.
The classic Daily Kos pie fight began on a Friday with a video ad that kos addressed two days later, before tossing a giant pie into Community faces.
Let’s stop here a moment and give you a chance to view the ad, if you haven’t seen it, so you know what horrors (delights) readers endured (relished). You have to click over to Vimeo to watch it.
Community member boudicca, as suits her name, was the first, but not the last, to denounce the “advert whose sole purpose is to fulfill testosterone-fueled adolescent fantasies.” The Community response, however, wasn’t just about half-naked women smearing pie goo all over each other. Kos kicked open a second confrontation.
I deleted the edit that kos made later, after being called out for two particular words. He crossed out women's studies and added an update.
Despite this, over the next few days, dozens of stories ranted about the ad, kos’ statement, and sexism, from intentionally provocative—“Is feminism anti-male?”—to more analytical stories. “It is not about the ad - read what the women are saying” delineated a core issue: “It seems that women feel that their voices are not being heard and that the most important issues to women such as abortion rights and access to contraception are not being taken seriously.”
One week later, the ad vanished, but the arguments behind Daily Kos’ original pie fight still underpin our interactions: Is the ad sexist, or is the problem that we can’t take a joke? The arguments about the ad were heated and, as happens with divisive topics, some people took kos’ advice and left in a huff. Others stayed to fight it out, and continue to represent their positions 16 years later.
Pie fights now are part of the Daily Kos DNA. I searched comments over the past month for the words “pie fight,” and found 42 results. Some are lighthearted fun, like this one from Cheers and Jeers, and many rehashed old primary wars—no I’m not going to link to those—while several (here’s one) were in a story asking for a longer period to recommend comments.
In 2017, Meteor Blades wrote an entire story asking for trouble. In “Time for a Daily Kos pie fight,” he extolled the delicious pies his grandmother made and sold to a diner.
Fighting words! Sure, it’s been four years since MB’s post, but I’m going to be disputatious about pie right now. Bananas in the U.S. have the same taste you get in your mouth when, while filling your car with gas, you accidentally breathe in the fumes. Eaten in the tropics, bananas are exquisitely flavorful, but those sold in the U.S.—picked far too early, shipped in refrigerated containers, and then ripened in ethylene-infused rooms—those bananas taste like gasoline and are disgusting. Period. Don’t @ me.
Meteor Blades didn’t include a poll in his pie fight story, so I’ve added one below. I’ve given everyone a chance to toss or vote for their favorite kind of pie, including banana cream because, puhleeeeez, I’m an enlightened progressive.
NINE STORIES FROM 1 PM PDT SEPTEMBER 10 TO 1 PM PDT SEPTEMBER 17, 2021
This week’s stories include three Rescued to Recommended and two that are the first stories rescued for those authors. I sorted these nine rescued stories into several categories to illustrate that, 16 years after our original pie fight, we are still enthusiastic about fixing social ills like sexism and racism, seeing the political realities in our personal life experiences, analyzing government actions, and taking a break together to enjoy nature and art.
Community Spotlight’s mission is to ensure that the best stories from the Daily Kos Community aren’t overlooked. We encourage members who write excellent stories with original views to keep writing by promoting work that isn’t receiving enough attention. We further support a healthy Community by not rescuing topics and specific stories designed to provoke bitter comment battles, although we relish strong arguments presented fairly and backed up by credible sources.
Good news: You don’t have to search to find our rescued stories! The nightly News Roundup, an Open Thread published six days a week at 7:30 PM PDT, includes links to each day’s rescued stories.
Reminder: The numbers in parentheses after each author’s name indicate the year they joined Daily Kos, how many stories they’ve published, and how many we’ve rescued.
Sexism still exists
‘Just Listen,’ or losing my friend to the alt-right manosphere by BayAreaKen (2005-188-?) Rescued to Recommended
What do you do when an old friend joins a misogynistic cult? BayAreaKen’s response was to tell us what he learned about the cult from a decades-long friend who traveled the world to “discover himself … fully swallowed the ‘red pill’ and is (in my opinion) trying to become the titular head of the Manosphere.”
If Clara Schumann had only been a man! by niftywriter (2017-159-?)
Maria Anna Mozart, Fanny Mendelssohn, and Clara Wieck Schumann were accomplished musicians and composers in their own right but have been largely overlooked because of their better-known male relatives or spouses. Maria and Clara were expected to keep house and raise children (and in Clara’s case, that meant raising seven children pretty much on her own while touring relentlessly to support her family after her husband died in a mental asylum). Fanny had a more supportive environment, but was limited to performances in private salons with her famous brother, Felix. Their stories highlight the fact that in the world of art, and every damn other world, men have ruled and still do.
The Supreme Court’s Texas abortion ban decision is their 21st century Dred Scott by dickkscott (2020-38-1) First rescue
Dickkscott “spouts off about something that could never ever physically happen to him” and concludes that “once again, faced with a major choice between elevating equality for an historical minority or moving further away from the promise that all are created equal, the Supreme Court got it wrong. There is no science to back up the underlying Texas anti-abortion argument. There is religion. There is misogyny. There is bigotry and racism.” The recent SCOTUS decision stands alongside the worst ever made—a ruling that people of African descent were not citizens and did not have the rights and privileges afforded to citizens.
The political is still personal
‘We’ on 9/11 and the mythic unity of 9/12 by The Geogre (2011-129-55)
The author describes the 9/11 disaster shared by people who experienced it through daily life, instead of via television. Like The Geogre, they lived and worked in the toxic physical aftermath, “the orange glow in the sky every night and the horrible smell that came in through every window every day.” People whose experience came through the TV “did not see the bicycle covered in ash chained to a lamp post ... did not have so much frustration with FEMA and a stunned government’s ability to identify the dead, catalog the dead, and notify the kin that they constructed … mortuary boards modeled on ride-share bulletin boards. They did not walk past the impromptu chain link fence of ‘Missing’ pictures every day after crossing the Brooklyn Bridge.”
My COVID-19 experience: A contagion story by AnneofGreatHope (2004-25-?) Rescued to Recommended
AnneofGreatHope paints a vivid picture of how fast and extensively coronavirus can spread when an unvaccinated grandfather decides to take two grandsons to a waterpark run by people who sued the state over COVID-19 restrictions. “I had misgivings and I told them to my daughter. She had misgivings, too, but wanted her son to have a fun experience with his cousin, W, and his grandparents.”
We still analyze
Écrasez l’infâme! by chresmologue (2013-2-1) First rescue
This well-cited and detailed story looks at the consequences of moving security and enforcement agencies into the Dept. of Homeland Security. The agencies become “largely insulated from the more open and public-oriented ‘service’ agencies of the departments in which they had formerly been incorporated.” As a result, they create “an incubator of toxic culture. Paranoia, obscurantism, us versus them attitudes toward the citizens, and a general belief that ‘we’re the Good Guys, so whatever we do is a Good Thing’ have been running rampant in DHS, and in ICE in particular.”
Ignore the critical race theory drama: Instead, support minority-owned businesses by JeffersonWasaLiberal (2015-18-4)
The author asserts that we need to encourage diversity, and to “really make a difference, it’s important to support the source. Instead of going to Walmart for a piece of wall art, support a minority artist (and benefit from a real product made in America and not mass produced). With that in mind, here are the most impactful ways you can do your part for these economy-growing, community leaders.”
We still know how to relax
Star Trek open thread: Chakotay and Torres by Alonso del Arte (2015-923-44)
The author celebrates the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month and the three Latinx in Star Trek. “It wasn’t until Star Trek: Voyager came around that there was a Star Trek series with a Latino in the main cast. Actually two: Robert Beltran playing Commander Chakotay, and Roxann Dawson playing the half-Klingon Lt. B’Elanna Torres. For Torres, it’s the Klingon half of her DNA that she struggles with. The human part of her DNA is not cause for concern.”
Dawn Chorus: They grow up so fast! by lineatus (2007-283-13) Rescued to Recommended
Working from home gave lineatus time to clear out weeds and non-native trees from her backyard, which improved habitat for birds, including raven neighbors who nest and live across the street. Using photos and narrative, lineatus shares her season with ravens through nest-building, chick feeding, and fledging. “They are still a constant presence in our lives and I’m grateful to have had the chance to get a more intimate view of their family life this year.”
| COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT is dedicated to finding great writing by community members that isn’t getting the visibility it deserves.
An edition of our rescue roundup publishes every Saturday at 6 p.m. ET (3 p.m. PT) to the Recent Community Stories section and to the front page at 9:30 p.m. ET (7:30 p.m. PT). |