You might've noticed, though, that I rarely start threads outside of Community and Geek. I freely admit that I depend on the writings of other people for my inspiration. Or maybe it's just motivation--some posts just cry out for a response. Some day I'll have a thought of my own and start my very own thread!

(Oh gawd, I just had a chilling thought: Does that make me a reactionary?)

The other very visible pattern is how frequently I respond to Tom. He shows up for me as an archetype, a sort of "EveryWinger" who has the entire Conservative canon at his fingertips. By arguing with Tom I get to argue with all of Conservatism.

In other words, it's simply a matter of efficiency. So many Wingers, so little time...I'm grateful for Tom. I really am.