Task #1: Bill at INDC Journal claims to have originated Latinized moonbat species names [UPDATE: song_and_dance_man volunteers for this task]
July 19, 2007
Here’s an email I got from Bill at INDC Journal:
“I noticed this line under “moonbat:”
“LGFers occasionally analyze the behavior patterns of various moonbat
’species’ as if they were actual animals, and even give them satirical
Linnaean taxonomical names, such as moonbattus berkeleyensis.”
I believe that my work with the species originated any latin fauna
classification naming system for moonbats with these posts:
http://www.indcjournal.com/archives/000331.php
http://www.indcjournal.com/archives/000343.php
Your etymology of the word should probably reflect that.
If I’m mistaken and there are earlier references, feel free to provide
them and correct me. Thanks.”
As you will see, his links go to posts dating to April 28 and April 30, 2004. What we’d need to do is see if we can find any usage of a faux-Latin moonbat Linnean classification name for a moonbat “species” used in a comment on LGF prior to April 28, 2004. If we can find one, then we can discard Bill’s claim. If we can’t find one, then we can add Bill’s claim to the definition.
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1.
song_and_dance_man | July 19, 2007 at 2:10 pm
I will take this one as my first task. Wish me luck.
2.
zombie | July 19, 2007 at 2:13 pm
Great! Good luck!
Kind of an unusual task — may involve some creative ’searching.”
3.
song_and_dance_man | July 19, 2007 at 2:15 pm
I took it since it was the first. Lot of work to do and I’m going to miss not posting as much on LGF as I normally do in my spare time, but this excites me.
4.
zombie | July 19, 2007 at 2:22 pm
Well, hopefully it shouldn’t consume TOO much of your spare time. With nine editors going at it, we should have this wrapped up lickety split.
Don’t let the dictionary cut in to your LGF posting that much! An hour here, an hour there — you’ll hardly notice it.
5.
zombie | July 19, 2007 at 2:24 pm
Heh. You look like a young Richie Valens in your avatar.
6.
song_and_dance_man | July 19, 2007 at 2:57 pm
I was about 21 in that pic. You should see the full blown version. Blue Green glitter jacket, gold scarf aorund my neck, Rings and necklaces, ruffled shirt, tight pants and hardpacked long hair.
Those were the days.
7.
song_and_dance_man | July 19, 2007 at 5:01 pm
I will post my findings here as a research repository.
~~~~
According to an article by New York Times language maven William Safire, the term was first used by the famous science fiction author Robert A. Heinlein in 1947.[1] Heinlein used the term in a 1947 short story, “Space Jockey”, as the name of the third stage of a rocket bound for the moon.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moonbat
Moonbat is a political epithet popularized in 2002 by Perry de Havilland of Samizdata, a libertarian weblog. Contrary to some speculation, de Havilland has stated it was not originally a play on the last name of George Monbiot, a columnist for The Guardian, regardless of the fact he and Mr. Monbiot have appeared on the BBC together expressing politically opposed views. The term was originally rendered as ‘Barking Moonbat’, suggesting that certain issues seem to trigger a reflexive response from some people much like wolves howl at the moon (i.e. the term evokes the traditional association between the moon and insanity).
http://www.chrisabraham.com/2006/07/moonbat_definit.html
Barking moonbat
noun. Someone on the extreme edge of whatever their -ism happens to be.
(coined by Perry de Havilland)
Usage:”Definition of a ‘barking moonbat’: someone who sacrifices sanity for the sake of consistency”
-Adriana Cronin
Although the term (often rendered simply as ‘Moonbat’
is very popular with conservative and libertarian bloggers who appropriately use it to describe the Chomskyite Left, it was always intended as a much more ecumenical epithet and has been correctly used to describe certain paleo-conservative and paleo-libertarians views. (also see ‘idiotarian’).
Note: Contrary to some speculation and entries on Wikipedia, Perry de Havilland has stated it was was not originally a play on the last name of George Monbiot, a columnist for The Guardian, as he was using the term long before he met or had even heard of Mr. Monbiot.
http://www.samizdata.net/blog/glossary_archives/001981.html
~~~~~
Moonbat on LGF was first used by Charels
http://littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/?entry=3066#c0004
Laurence Simon wrote:
What the heck kind of universities give out doctorates for kooks like these?
Apparently, if you can believe Dr. Moonbat, Stanford.
~~~
It’s looks like Bill at INDC Journal didn’t do his homework.
If you guys like what you see I will put in a form worthy of the LGF dictionary
8.
song_and_dance_man | July 19, 2007 at 5:03 pm
One more thing; what do you as LGF’ers think a moonbat is?
It will help with my summation.
9.
zombie | July 19, 2007 at 5:43 pm
Looks pretty thorough to me, s&d!
One thing, though: Bill at INDC Journal didn’t claim he coined “moonbat” itself, but that he came up with the idea of giving faux-Latin Linnean cliassifaication names to supposed moonbat “species.” Did you find any evidence of someone using a faux-Latin name before April 28, 2004? (I presume there must be many.) If so, just post one, so that at least LGF can claim priority in this sub-genre of moonbattism.
What do you other admins have to say?
10.
song_and_dance_man | July 19, 2007 at 6:05 pm
#11 Paladin :: Mon, Jun 30, 2003 at 4:57:37 pm
#10 History 101 No wonder you’re just 101. Can you say “Moonbat?”
11.
Tommy | September 17, 2007 at 12:41 am
Please find the Flickr “Moonbats” pool link here…
http://www.flickr.com/groups/moonbats/pool/
Add your Moonbat photos!
Thank you!
12.
song_and_dance_man | September 17, 2007 at 12:58 pm
http://littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/?entry=3287#c0014
Placing this post here for reference. First use of the term at LGF by Charles.
13.
song_and_dance_man | September 17, 2007 at 1:29 pm
This task is complete. The Dictionary has the corrected info now.
Thanks to whoever did it.