More upsets in Elite Eight action as the competitor who had become favored to win it all goes down in defeat. The four survivors of today’s competition have a long weekend to rest and strategize before next week’s final two decisive rounds!
East: (2) @joshuafoust vs. (12) @stcolumbia
Judges: 2-2 (50% of judges’ votes each)
Popular vote:
@stcolumbia: 160 (64%)
@joshuafoust: 91 (36%)
A judges’ split leaves this one in the hands of the public, where once again 12 seed @stcolumbia shows an advantage, advancing to the Final Four.
South: (1) @dandrezner vs. (2) @BlakeHounshell
Judges: 2-2 (50% of judges’ vote each)
Popular vote:
@dandrezner: 167 (60%)
@BlakeHounshell: 113 (40%)
Another judges’ split, and the final one seed left in the competition advances to Monday’s competition.
North: (3) @will_mccants vs. (12) @smsaideman
Judges: 4-0 for @will_mccants (100% of judges’ vote)
Popular vote:
@will_mccants: 159 (64%)
@smsaideman: 89 (36%)
A great competitive run comes to an end as @will_mccants takes the judges’ votes and the popular vote to eliminate @smsaideman.
West: (2) @texasinafrica vs. (4) @jeffemanuel
Judges: 3-1 for @jeffemanuel (75% of judges’ vote)
Popular vote:
@texasinafrica: 268 (51%)
@jeffemanuel: 262 (49%)
A celebrity endorsement by the man they call the Man They Call Jayne ends up being the difference in this match, as it tips at least one judge away from popular-vote winner @texasinafrica. A very active voting day for both contestants ends with a victory for @jeffemanuel.
The Final Four will be contested Monday, with (12) seed @stcolumbia taking on (3) seed @will_mccants and (1) seed @dandrezner facing off against (4) seed @jeffemanuel for spots in Tuesday’s Championship round. Be on the lookout this weekend for an announcement of next week’s judging panels as well as an update on the bracket pool scoring!
Now for the judges’ ballots:
@azelin
In the morning I asked the Elite Eight participants why I should vote for them. Half did not answer. Seriously?! The Elite Eight and you’re not pandering. I digress…
@stcolumbia v. @joshuafoust:
I usually root for the underdogs, but in this case I have to go with @joshuafoust. Not only does he provide fierce commentary and get in epic Twitter battles, but he also shows awesome pictures of food he cooks, which I wish I could always eat. If this was a blog competition @stcolumbia may have had a shot, but this is Twitter Fight Club. Enjoy the final four @joshuafoust.
@dandrezner v. @blakehounshell:
Neither of these old curmudgeons decided to pander to me. Points taken away from @dandrezner for not even following me. I like @dandrezner’s tweets, but I’m simply a Middle East/North Africa guy whereas he focuses on IR/Poli Sci type stuff. Have to back the MENA folks. As such, @blakehounshell I send you to the Final Four (also, when am I getting my own FP blog?).
@smsaideman v. @will_mccants:
This was easily the best fight of the day. Some real virtual punches were thrown. At the height they were arguing about what role they would have in my future book (as a reviewer or blurber). Much of the contest saw @smsaideman on the defensive. Further, @smsaideman was not following me until today, which although is some good pandering I feel it was already too late. Cinderella has to end at some point, which is why I go with the beard and Islamicist vote for Mr. Jihad @will_mccants. Plus @will_mccants owned the “legal” expert Gossip Girl earlier in the week.
@jeffemanuel v. @texasinafrica:
I had originally given the win to @texasinafrica for pandering well, dropping knowledge, and since she defeated me and I wanted her to carry on since it would give my loss more cred. Then in a late hail mary @jeffemanuel gets the win with a huge celebrity endorsement: @adamsbaldwin. What the Chuck?! Yeah, that just happened. Way to pull out all the stops, @jeffemanuel!
Winter is coming…”
@brianfishman
It’s too bad that defeated contestants in March Madness do not go on to referee future rounds. It might increase sportsmanship, as contestants would have an incentive to cultivate their defeated foes. On the other hand, the specter of a defeated opponent serving as a judge has not reduced the rancor in #TFC2012. Are the stakes too low? Too high? Maybe decorum would break down even further if these rules were not in place? I don’t know, but it sounds like a thesis for some Game Theory obsessed blogger.
On to the judging, which I only agreed to do after being assured my decisions could be utterly arbitrary.
@joshuafoust v. @stcolumbia
@stcolumbia is the only contestant in the Elite Eight that I was not already following, which either speaks to his poverty as a contestant, or mine as a judge. Guess which one I’m going with? On the other hand, he defeated @abuaardvark, albeit partly because he was trying to throw the contest, but still. Defeating perhaps the overall number one is no small accomplishment. On the other hand, we have @joshuafoust, a prolific tweeter on all sorts of issues, only some of which I care about. Truffles and pugs simply don’t get me going. Still, he’s antagonistic, and I like that. Winner, @joshuafoust. @stcolumbia, come back when you’re in graduate school.
@dandrezner v. @blakehounshell
This one is surprisingly easy for me. @blakehounshell is one of my favorite twitter feeds. I actually learn things here and that’s the point. Plus, @blakehounshell seems to reflect flesh and blood Blake Hounshell. (I can picture that avatar chain smoking cigarettes on L Street.) Despite my immense respect for @dandrezner’s work on zombies, the tweets jump around a bit too much for my taste. @blakehounshell wins.
@will_mccants v. @smsaideman
Normally I would just vote against @smsaideman on principle; he being Canadian and all. But in this case there are compelling reasons to vote against @will_mccants, namely his work with the beard mafia early in the tournament, a cabal of Bond-villains that included the @tweetsintheme, who vanquished me from this tournament. Plus he tweeted that video of me in the Fat Boy Slim video. In the end, though, this has to be a protest vote against @ggreenwald. Man knows enough about terrorism to be the teacher’s pet on the first day in an Intro to Terrorism class and runs around stating the obvious like the ideas are new…all the while denigrating everyone that actually showed up to class the second day. With apologies to @smsaideman, who never had a fair shot here, I regretfully go with @will_mccants, whose beard chauvinism is not so obnoxious as @ggreenwald.
@texasinafrica v. @jeffemanuel
@texasinafrica only followed me today. Poor form, though she did come on strong by offering a bribe of scotch. (She’d have done better offering tequila.) I don’t know anything about Jeff Emanuel (or scotch), but based on @jeffemanuel, I think I’d like him. So that’s a good start. @texasinafrica is awfully useful for me though, because her expertise adds a lot of value. I don’t know much about sub-saharan politics. She does, and I learn things. But you’ve got love @jeffemanuel’s resigned support for Mitt Romney. He embodies the frustrated conservative, but politely and without all the exclamation points. Plus, his avatar is better. In a close one, I go with @jeffemanuel.
@peterjmunson
Today’s Elite 8 deathmatch was a well-played contest. These professionals pretty much did what they do every day – not too much in the way of gimmicks or attack tactics. Unfortunately for me, there weren’t any serious attempts to win over the judge. What is more, I’m not overwhelmed with wit right now, so I’ll get right into it.
@joshuafoust (2) vs. @stcolumbia (12)
Both of these gentlemen are smart tweeters and bloggers, strong and informed in their opinions. Joshua Foust does this as a professional wonk, Dan Trombly does this as a student, meaning that this is not really a sideline gig for either, but the handicap tilts the field slightly in favor of the undergrad. Foust took the edge on edginess in his interactions, but Trombly seemed to engage more substantively and to take the advantage on substance and volume. I’m looking forward to seeing where he goes after he graduates.
Victor: @stcolumbia
@dandrezner (1) vs. @blakehounshell (2)
This was a not-particularly bloody battle between two heavyweights. Honestly, you would barely have known there was a fight on, except for Drezner getting the Fletcher mafia tweet. They did what they do every day, which is put out a lot of relevant information and links. Follow both. Tough call but…
Victor: @dandrezner
@will_mccants (3) vs. @smsaideman (12)
This, in my opinion, was the best-fought and most interesting match-up. I am not sure if I want to give Saideman a handicap advantage for continuing to Tweet while on vacation or to penalize him to participate in what one of my friends called “the lamest thing I’ve ever heard of” while on vacation. His tweets on butter beer, capes, and the like, though, were a refreshing break in my Twitter feed. I also appreciated his attempts to suck up, however he was a step behind McCants.
Will McCants started the fight off with a strategic coup, claiming to have my book Iraq in Transition on his nightstand, while also touting a Cleveland connection (my town). I was happy that he pushed out a link on the book to 3,816 followers, but didn’t really believe him. I called him out on it during an afternoon tweet calculated to hit more of an audience and he actually produced a picture of my book on his nightstand. In all, the fight was good-heartedly nasty, with insults and compromising pictures slung back and forth. In this, I really want to vote for Saideman, the underdog who spent the day on vacation with his family, but I have to say that McCants brought the game. Follow both of them, but…
Victor: @will_mccants
@texasinafrica (2) vs. @jeffemanuel (4)
This was another contest of relatively quiet professionals. Jeff Emanuel handily defeated me in round 1, but I held no grudge and noted that he was quick to get in an RT on my shameless request for followers from the Elite 8 contestants on Wednesday night. He is a prolific tweeter and retweeter, plus he acknowledged the contest with a number of well timed self-promotion tweets asking for votes.
Laura Seay (@texasinafrica) is relatively new to me because I don’t focus on Africa. It seemed, though, that she offers a lot of good material that is not as easy to find as the never-ending tales of woe in the Middle East that I follow. She did offer several times to suck up, but didn’t seize the initiative creatively like McCants did in the other bout. An early #FridayFollow was a nice touch.
Overall, the edge goes to Emanuel for self-promotion, tweet volume, and the legion of loyal followers that spread the word to vote for him.
Victor: @jeffemanuel
@zackbeauchamp
Twitter Fight Club judging has the highest aspirations towards honor, impartiality and intellectual rigor. The sacred trust put in the judge to ascertain the truth approximates our highest ideals of our justice system. We are, in short, Henry Fonda:
What this video tells you about…aww, fuck it. Twitter Fight Club judges are actually more like this:
With pretensions and self-regard entirely shattered, let’s move on to the actual matchups – all of which were unfortunately fantastic. I say “unfortunately” because instead of being able to spend five minutes thinking and an hour writing a terribly nasty decision about how one of these tweeps fails at life and should probably pursue a career in the lucrative adult movie theater janitorial field, I had to make actual, fairish decisions. Ah, well. Bear in mind my judgingcriteria while you read these:
(2) @joshuafoust vs. (12) @stcolumbia
So the two people I’ve probably fought the most on Twitter, and I can only send home one of them this week? What is this, Flavor of Love?
Nah, they’re both great, and I’m genuinely sorry to have to decide. @joshuafoust was, despite being a higher seed, forced to fight an uphill battle, because @stcolumbia spends so damn much time putting stuff out there that even someone as prolific and entertaining as @joshuafoust is in a tough place. While one might get the impression from that comment that @stcolumbia’s feed is something like this:
It’s actually chock full of intellectual goodness, entertaining fighting, and historical knowledge-dropping. To overcome the barrage, @joshuafoust probably needed to match it in quantity or pick a fight with someone (as is his wont) and take a decisive victory. Unfortunately, @joshuafoust decided to pick yesterday to start kicking his pugilism habit. @stcolumbia advances.
(1) @dandrezner vs. (2) @blakehounshell
One would assume the battle of Foreign Policy honchos would have had the same effect on the blocks of DC surrounding the offices as the alien weapon in Independence Day did:
And yet the city stands. Aside from a (poorly) veiled threat to destroy @dandrezner’s blog, this fight was extraordinarily civilized. Not only did both spend the day tweeting interesting articles and having it out with their followers, but each even urged me to vote for the other one. Tough.
But in the end, this one’s gotta got to @dandrezner. Not only did he hit two of my pet topics by flagging an article that uses Game of Thrones to point out realism’s descriptive deficiencies, but he engaged in more of the sort of sustained arguments/conversations/snarkfests that makes Twitter a place for fight clubs than @blakehounshell. So Dan, enjoy your victory with a song (that you tweeted):
(2) @texasinafrica vs. (4) @jeffemanuel
On almost every metric, this was a perfectly matched fight. Both tweeters developed interesting ideas, found interesting articles, engaged in interesting arguments with other tweeps, and demonstrated the highest respect for each other. Awesome, but also hard for me.
But then I remembered – I promised that pandering would be tiebreaker in tough cases. And boy, did @texasinafrica pander, while @jeffemanuel oddly seemed to care about his dignity. She made many, many, many promises, but the one I’ll take her up on is babysitting my niece and nephew. The shirt I’m wearing that Friday night:
(3) @willmccants vs. (12) @smsaideman
Hands down today’s best-fought match, with both sides making excellent use of clever barbs and judge pandering. To be honest, either of them probably would have beaten any of the other remaining contestants with these performances. But – there can be only one.
By a hair’s edge, it’s @will_mccants. I was all set to vote for @will_mccants at the outset of deliberation – his promise to back me all the way next year nearly won it on promising me #TFC13 and giving me credit for all my boss’ work went a long way – but reviewing their feeds side-by-side, the two tie on arguing with each other, pandering (Whedon tweets!), and all-around hilarity, but Steve just barely, barely spend more time than Will on argument on natsec substance. I swung my vote.
Then I remembered the trap Will baited Steve into about the bizarre pronunciation of my last name. A thing of strategic beauty that played brilliantly on Steve’s background – it just couldn’t go unrewarded. But congratulations to both on a fight well fought – it was like this, only exactly as awesomely nerdy:
The high seeds advance in six of today’s eight contests, but two one seeds fall, as just three more days of competition remain before the 2012 TwitterFightClub champion is crowned!
Sweet 16 Results
East: (1) @abuaardvark vs. (12) @stcolumbia
Judges: 3.5-0.5 for @stcolumbia (87.5% of judges’ vote)
Popular vote:
@stcolumbia: 268 (66%)
@abuaardvark: 141 (34%)
The prolific Twitter output and higher recent engagement of dark horse @stcolumbia is enough to dispatch (1) seed @abuaardvark.
East: (2) @joshuafoust vs. (11) @naheedmustafa
Judges: 2.5-1.5 for @naheedmustafa (62.5% of judges’ vote)
Popular vote:
@joshuafoust: 177 (64%)
@naheedmustafa: 98 (36%)
@naheedmustafa’s edge in the judges’ vote is not enough to overcome the popular advantage enjoyed by her opponent. @joshuafoust ekes out a narrow victory here.
South: (1) @dandrezner vs. (4) @DaveedGR
Judges: 3.5-0.5 for @dandrezner (87.5% of judges’ vote)
Popular vote:
@dandrezner: 151 (55%)
@DaveedGR: 122 (45%)
@DaveedGR had a light Twitter day at the wrong time. Despite protestations of a busy schedule, @dandrezner brought enough content and snark to impress the people and especially the judges.
South: (2) @blakehounshell vs. (14) @astridhka
Judges: 2.5-1.5 for @astridhka (62.5% of judges’ vote)
Popular vote:
@blakehounshell: 174 (60%)
@astridhka: 114 (40%)
In a whisper-close contest, higher seed @blakehounshell manages to squeak past @astridhka by the narrowest of margins thanks to his better showing in the popular vote.
North: (1) @attackerman vs. (12) @smsaideman
Judges: 3-1 for @smsaideman (75% of judges’ vote)
Popular vote:
@smsaideman: 154 (53%)
@attackerman: 139 (47%)
The @attackerman has stayed aloof from the competition, and this round it finally took its toll, as the underdog @smsaideman continues his run, taking three of four judges and the popular vote.
North: (3) @will_mccants vs. (7) @AzmatZahra
Judges: 2-2 (50% of judges’ vote to each)
Popular vote:
@will_mccants: 195 (59%)
@AzmatZahra: 135 (41%)
Both competitors had the full court press on today, but @will_mccants advances on the strength of his advantage in the popular vote.
West: (4) @jeffemanuel vs. (8) @tweetsintheme
Judges: 2-2 (50% of judges’ vote to each)
Popular vote:
@jeffemanuel: 127 (51%)
@tweetsintheme: 122 (49%)
In the closest match of the day, @jeffemanuel pulls off a victory on the basis of his very slight edge in the popular vote.
West: (2) @texasinafrica vs. (14) @laurenist
Judges: 3-1 for @texasinafrica (75% of judges’ vote)
Popular vote:
@texasinafrica: 205 (62%)
@laurenist: 125 (38%)
In a match that gave all of the judges fits, both competitors gave their all, tossing off content, quips, and bribe offers all day long, but in the end the high seed prevails. @texasinafrica still looks dominant heading into today’s Elite Eight.
Elite Eight Match-ups
Today’s matches will be judged by:
@azelin
@brianfishman
@peterjmunson
@zackbeauchamp
The panel’s judgment will count for 40% of the vote, with each judge representing one-fourth of that total, meaning that the public vote is worth 60% of the total. Judges and voters alike are encouraged to look at metrics such as: knowledge base; quality of argumentation; innovative thinking; humor, snark, facility with quips, and charisma; and responsiveness to followers. Contestants’ full bodies of work on Twitter are fair game, but any work outside of Twitter should not be considered, and once again everyone is encouraged to make their decisions in their own way. The winners move on to Monday’s Final Four!
Polls are open until midnight, and remember to get out the vote! Now, without further ado, your Elite Eight!
Read on for the Sweet 16 judges’ ballots.
East and South
@AdamWeinstein
(2) @joshuafoust vs. (11) @naheedmustafa
This one is hard, because I have a deep personal bond with both Josh and Naheed. I mean, as personal as you can get in years of Twitter debates and commiserations. Which isn’t really personal at all, but it’s pretty darn virtually personal. Hell, I think I know what Foust has eaten every night for the past decade, owing to his prolific tweeting. We get it, dude. You like Swiss chard.
Also, these two are both excellent muckrakers, ready to call out stupidity when it’s warranted — and both do it with a lovely balance of wit and righteous fury. Like I said, it’s a tough decision.
On the other hand, this is pretty easy: I work for Mother Jones, and there’s a minority Canadian woman competing against a white dude. Being that they’re both brilliant, on teh Twitterz and off, I have no qualms about breaking this Gordian knot with some hardened lefty affirmative action. Naheed gets the nod. And it’s not just because she shares my obsessions with social justice and The Kids in the Hall. I swear.
WINNER: @naheedmustafa
(1) @dandrezner vs. (4) @DaveedGR
Dammit, stop giving me these hard choices between people I dig. When I was a policy debater in college, there was a word that we cunning linguists uttered only in hushed murmurs in the dark corners of tournament rooms, for fear its vocalization might summon the spirit it invoked: “DAVEED.” He was a rockstar then and now, always willing to remind you when your argument is non-inherent, non-topical, and lacking in internal links and significant harms. He is as well a sensitive and empathetic voice from the other side of the proverbial aisle. He is an amazing person, in tweet form and everywhere else.
But as far as I know, he’s not into zombies or the Bosox. And he’s never tweeted me any hilarious quotes about Stratfor or comely TV models. Besides, I warned Daveed that I’m a fiat abuser. Drezner takes it in a photo-finish.
WINNER: @dandrezner
(2) @blakehounshell vs. (14) @astridhka
I cannot live without Blake. I could block everything Middle Eastern in my RSS and TV feeds and still know more than most Florida-based professors of IR theory and comparative politics just by following Blake’s twitter feed. He is smart and, apparently, permanently unable to sleep or stop working. I definitely sympathize. Hell, he moves around the world so much, I have no clue where he’s at till he tweets it.
But! I hate the Steelers and their idiot QB. I’m not big on Yalies. I’m looking for an upset pick. And I’m pretty sure that Blake won’t need my help, because he’s kind of a beast in this bracket. Astrid is a do-gooder with a dry wit and a keen sense of the possible in disadvantaged corners of the world. Also, she gets extra points for actually being in those corners right now, and for having a tweet-voice with a slight edge that I recognize as similar to my own.
WINNER: @astridhka
(1) @abuaardvark vs. (12) @stcolumbia
WHOA. George Washington professor vs. George Washington student? Is that for real? Marc Lynch is a badass Middle East expert. Dan Trombly is a bit more of a generalist. Both are passionate, fun on the Twitter, and prone to long bouts of intelligent discourse. But lately, I see Dan wading in more to argue it out with his peers - on Twitter, on his blog - and I like that. He’s hungry. And he’s my pick.
I apologize for not writing another epic yarn, but I did not have the time or the favor of the Muses today. They are fickle mistresses. Yet, I’ve been called upon to judge and judge I shall.
In the case of @abuaardvark versus @stcolumbia there was really no contest. @abuaardvark does not follow me. If he did, he would know that I requested a signed copy of contestant’s books for their votes. Now I’ll have to order his book from Amazon like some kind of pleb and hope he visits Quantico on his book tour. @stcolumbia on the other hand, regularly converses with me on twitter and I’ve had the pleasure of meeting him twice now. He’s just as impressive in real life, and intoxicated, as he is on twitter.
Winner: @stcolumbia
In the case of @joshuafoust versus @naheedmustafa I had a great deal of difficulty. @joshuafoust is a legendary twitter pugilist and writes a super smart blog. But, I love an underdog, and @naheedmustafa never backed down from the formidable @joshuafoust for a second. She kept a lively offensive going for much of the day. But, Canada. Canada. They beat us in a scrap once, when we were a young nation and the Marine Corps was busy. Still, I’ll give this one to her. Although I will remind you, Canada, that a wise man once said that the result in war is never final. We will come for you.
Winner: @naheedmustafa
In the case of @dandrezner versus @DaveedGR we have two published authors who also failed to heed the call for signed books. Also, they both author fantastic twitter feeds. (Their twitter feeds are also not autographed.) As difficult as choosing between these two feeds is, one contestant went for the comedic jugular and the other decided to keep his tweets light in the interests of sportsmanship and mercy. Mercy is weakness. War is not sport. This one goes to @dandrezner
Winner: @dandrezner
In the case of @blakehounshell versus @astridhka, I fear my vote may not matter. @blakehounshell has a whopping 36,447 followers who he has appealed to for votes. I cannot abide this populism. I’m a firm believer in a ruling class, especially since I rule.
Winner: @astridhka
@drfarls
(1) @abuaardvark vs. (12) @stcolumbia
This was an interesting matchup from the start. @stcolumbia came onto the court with a lot of underdog energy, and decided to use it to engage in an epic twitter battle with…. some guy who wasn’t @abuaardvark. Unfortunately for him, @abuaardvark embarked on a Dukakis-esque “Rose-Garden-while-not-in-the-Rose-Garden strategy” leaving himself vulnerable to defeat by the cagey-but-strategically-challenged undergraduate. In the end, @stcolumbia should pull it out, and continue his Cinderella run. But will midnight soon chime?
(2) @joshuafoust vs. (11) @naheedmustafa
This was a close, well fought battle on both sides. @naheedmustafa came to play, demonstrating no underdog jitters. @joshuafoust took the fight seriously, not looking ahead to the next battle. Both employed a sophisticated array of funny, snarky, and substantive tweets. In the end, I’m only human; @joshuafoust promised cookies for everyone if he won, and anyone who knows me will understand that such an offer is virtually impossible to resist. In response, @naheedmustafa offered only freedom. Eh…. I’ll take the cookies.
(1) @dandrezner vs. (4) @DaveedGR
@DaveedGR opened strong, going hard on the zombie angle. Tenacious defense by @dandrezner put an end to that, and Drezner owned most of the rest of the day. Perhaps @DaveedGR was exhausted after the epic battle with @InkSpotsGulliver? In any case, the “fake faculty meeting” and the scurrilous attacks on Glenn Greenwald ensured a colossal victory for @dandrezner, who today resembled the Kentucky Wildcats bringing their A game. @DaveedGR shouldn’t hang his head about anything, other than being savagely beaten.
(2) @blakehounshell vs. (14) @astridhka
@astridhka put up a good fight, but was simply overwhelmed by the MLRS-esque barrage of @blakehounshell. Touching on virtually ever subject conceivably related to foreign policy and national security, @blakehounshell turned in what amounted to a normal twitter day, not even taking the “let’s bash Glenn Greenwald” low road. A dominating performance to set up a classic Elite Eight matchup.
@elsnarkistani
@elsnarkistani missed the deadline. Consequently, all of his votes will be split evenly between contestants.
West and North
@dianawueger
Oh my stars, this was tough. This is a great set of tweeters - they all get Twitter as a communication platform, and they play to its strengths and to their audiences. And because my ballot’s late and because I refuse to engage in too much group hugging, I’m keepin’ it short and sweet:
(1) @attackerman vs. (12) @smsaideman - I’m busting my own bracket here, but I’ve been so impressed with Saideman’s Twitter output both recently and… less recently? What’s the word here? Whatever. This sorta comes down to whether you prefer high-output vs. low-output, and I’m rewarding high output here. But only here.
(3) @will_mccants vs. (7) @AzmatZahra - So yesterday I had a minor breakdown over my soul-crushing PhD rejections, and both of these individuals were sympathetic AND had helpful suggestions. This is one of my favorite parts of Twitter - that incredible, brilliant people are easy to access and take time from their lives to help you out. But in the end, Will’s depth of knowledge is enough to drown in, and also.
(4) @jeffemanuel vs. (8) @tweetsintheme - Justifying this choice is nearly impossible. Just… I don’t know. Follow them both. They can both win TFC as far as I’m concerned. Jeff’s holding a rifle in his avatar. I… I can’t read or write.
(2) @texasinafrica vs. (14) @laurenist - So it comes down to this, does it? While my twin in panda hattery remains the gin in my tonic, TexasinAfrica brings news I would never otherwise find, real insight born of both experience and study and the willingness to share it, and a true fighter’s spirit. This woman awes me on a daily basis.
@RogueAdventurer
Another (almost) all-nighter saw some of the best matches of the competition. The games will only heat up from here, and demand participation and engagement from all competitors. Good luck to everyone moving on to the 8!
Match 1 – @attackerman vs @smsaideman
I found @attackerman’s strategy of ignoring his opponent and tweeting very little to be pretty unimpressive. Whilst he displayed one TFC-worthy counterstrike early on, there was sadly little to follow. @smsaideman, on the other hand, hit back with a variety ofreferences, and also covered some very interesting content, ranging from Afghanistan to the recent “is there such as thing as a ‘terrorism expert” debate. He also had time to organise a game of Ultimate for ISA 2012 (yes, it’s a hippy’s game, but still) and play some Junta with his students. @will_mccants also had some insightful thoughts on the nature of the two competitors’ avatars. At this stage in the game it is not acceptable to simply rest on your laurels and hope to slide to victory. For me, a clear win for @smsaideman.
Winner: @smsaideman
Match 2 – @will_mccants vs @AzmatZahra
Both contestants came out of their corners swinging, with @will_mccants typecasting his opponent as an ‘internet goliath’, then engaging in some very comprehensivepanderingto the judges. His allies then showcased the strength of their bond with him. @AzmatZahra hit out with a charming photo posing alongside Katniss (I had to google the reference, but I’m sure other judges appreciated it), before both contestants settled in to tweet some interesting content on the AfPak region, intel gathering procedures, academia, and – of course – the nature of terrorism experts (@AzmatZahra was kind enough to defend her opponent earlier). @will_mccants suggested we TFC judges drink like Orson Welles, and that resonated very well with the panel, no doubt. @AzmatZahra did promise to cook for any judges who made it to Boston (that Instagram link contains the delicious pun, “If only every day could be koobide”), and backed that up with another good foodie tweet – both winners for me. Unfortunately, these just weren’t enough to take the edge off @will_mccants sustained efforts, and my vote, narrowly, goes his way. Need to chuck in a special mention for AzmatZahra’s new profile pic - awesome stuff.
Winner: @will_mccants
Match 3 – @jeffemanuel vs @tweetsintheme
This proved to be the gentleman’s match of the round, with both contestants focusing on tweeting good quality content on a range of topics. @tweetsintheme covered Mali, the Tolouse shooting, Afghanistan, Boko Haram, and facial hair, whilst @jeffemanuel looked at an even broader range of topics, from WMDs in South Afric, to domestic politics. @jeffemanuel was certainly the more prolific tweeter, and whilst I would have like to see a little more interaction between the contestants, both interacted extensively with followers. Both competitors finished the day by thankingtheir opponents honourably. This was a tough one for me, but I am awarding a narrow victory to @jeffemanuel.
Winner: @jeffemanuel
Match 4 – @texasinafrica vs @laurenist
This match was the trickiest to adjudicate of the day’s line up. Both competitors epitomised TFC in my mind – they balanced funny with smart, snarky with respectful, and threw in a whole lot of pandering, vote-buying, and non sequitur references. Both contestants tweeted about a wide range of content, and also laid a number of solid Tweet-blows on each other whilst putting themselves up. My favourites, from each competitor:
This has certainly proven to be one hell of a tough match to judge. Whilst I don’t want to arbitrate on the ‘leggings are pants’ debate, today’s match is awarded, by the finest of margins, to…
Winner: @texasinafrica
Well fought, ladies!
@stephaniecarvin
Methodology: In the interest of fairness, I looked at tweeting over a 24 hour period and evaluated based on 1) national security content 2) snark 3) impact. I have honestly tried to be as even handed as I could.
That being said, this was a bloody hard bracket to judge. Congratulations to all of the contestents for making it this far and, for those of you playing at home, if you’re not following all 16 of these guys, you’re missing out.
@smsaideman vs @ATTACKERMAN
Disclosure:
I have met @smsaideman once in London where I bought beer, we are friends on facebook and heis a co-blogger @duckofminerva. He has also promised me coffee two weeks from now in Ottawa and I have followed him on twitter for some time. \
I have never met @attackerman, but I very much appreciate the fact he re-introduced me to Alphaflight. And that’s freaking cool. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha_Flight
Bribes: Uh, coffee from @smsaideman?
Content:
@smsaideman
A decent mix of security links and #tfc12 pandering – which is good. It is very clear that he is in it to win it. While he may only have 1.3K followers to 18K, he has a steady stream of content on international and Canadian security/defence issues. Bonus: He is even organising an ultimate match for the Nerd Prom that is the International Studies Association annual conference in San Diego. https://twitter.com/#!/smsaideman/status/185078362702749697
Summary Haiku
Fighting the good fight
He battled his opponent
He’s the Prof who lived
In my opinion, this was the David and Goliath match of the North & West. @smsaideman is the snarky but loveable family man/Professor that likes Harry Potter and @attackerman seems to have a lot of tattoos and like the crazy punk music: http://spencerackerman.typepad.com/
The difficulty here is that while @smsaideman was definitely playing to win, @attackerman broke a major news story about the FBI “bending the rules” when it came to the way it trained CT officials. The Twitter Fight Club rules state that we are not to judge work outside of twitter feeds – but these were some tweets leading to an impressive story. http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2012/03/fbi-bend-suspend-law/
Summary Haiku
May not tweet a lot
But breaks major news stories
On his twitter feed
Verdict: @smsaideman, you know I loves you. But getting cited in the Guardian and NYT in the same day because you broke a major CT scandal kind of wins. Sorry. Winner is @attackerman
Don’t hate me.
@AZMATZAHRA vs @WILL_MCCANTS
Disclosure:
Azmatzahra is someone I have only followed recently. We have never met. However, I am always highly impressed with the NatSec Ladiez.
I met Will McCants last summer. He is very tall. As someone who is 5 foot 2.5 inches on a good day, that impresses me. I have followed him on Twitter for a long time and he is tolerant of my terrible Persian.
Bribes: Azmatzahra did not tweet me today. @Will_McCants tweeted a link to my book AND my Mom. That’s right @will_mccants tweeted my Mom.
Summary haiku:
This tweeter is cool
Good combination of tweets
Except Hunger Games.
@WILL_MCCANTS is hilarious. He has been one of my favourite tweeters for a while. Will also gets dumped on regularly for reasons I do not quite understand, as @abumuqawama rightly notes, “I find it hilarious and depressing that these guys keep going after the least Islamophobic terrorism specialist in America”.
Unfortunately, while Will McCants was hilarious today – there was not as much security content as befitting a #tfc12 fighter. We need the best of both worlds.
Summary haiku:
He is very tall
And he’s awesome on CT
But not today, eh?
Verdict: Going on the basis of content, I am going to have to award this to @azmatzahra.
I’m so sorry Will. I adore you. You may think of me as the Glenn Greenwald of #TFC12, but I will buy you a beer next time I am in DC and you can curse me out in Persian. :-/
I feel so sad now.
@JEFFEMANUEL vs @TWEETSINTHEME
Disclosure: I have followed both twitter accounts for some time. I have not met @jeffemanuel but I have vague recollections of meeting @tweetsintheME last Washington after about 4 cocktails. Hence the vague… I think?
Bribes: None, so far as I can tell.
Content:
@Jeffemanuel – this man tweets A LOT. Still, somehow he makes it all very interesting. He also takes flack from the left and right which plays into my sympathy vote. Or maybe he will be singlehandedly responsible for Barack Obama winning in November. https://twitter.com/#!/jeffemanuel/status/183587453469339650
Today’s feed had a lot of the Supreme Court’s decision on healthcare (which I confess, as a liberal Canadian, I cannot understand for the life of me – seriously: Get some goddamn healthcare, America. Seriously.) Gingrich, But dude also had his twisticuff trousers on - taking on left and right on twitter as public content and the @will_mccants haters.
That being said, there was not a lot on what I would consider to be security/national security issues today. There were some interesting RTs and replies, but, quite frankly, I want less on bizarro-US politics or GOP infighting, and more on… national security.
Summary Haiku:
Lots of twisticuffs
But what’s up with the healthcare?
More security!
@tweetsintheME
Despite being Tweets in the Middle East, there was an excellent range of tweets on North Africa, (Mali, Nigeria), the fallout of the shootings in Toulouse, got in on the Greenwald “what is an expert” smackdown, et, @tweetsintheME peut tweet en français. Très internationale! https://twitter.com/#!/tweetsintheME/status/184987417760104448
There was also some great interaction with fellow tweeters.
Summary haiku:
Lots of good tweets, but
Not *actually* from Mid East
It’s a misnomer
Verdict: Again, based on National Security content, I’m going to go @tweetsintheME.
@texasinafrica vs @laurenist
How am I supposed to judge this. HOW?
In what will surely go down as one of the greatest Twitter Fight Club match-ups of all time, we have two of the finest Securi-tweebs go mano-a-mano… or, uh, lady-fight.
Disclosure: I have met neither @texasinafrica nor @laurenist. I have a sneaking suspicion that @texasinafrica may be living my life in a parallel dimension south of the Mason-Dixon Line, but that is for another day.
Bribes: I think somewhere along the line I was promised a pony and (another?) PhD. Laurenist probably takes the cake for pandering though. I like pandering.
@texasinafrica has become an indispensible source on international politics – not just Africa. That she is so indispensible while being generally funny and interesting is double plus good.
Summary Haiku:
Now she is the Prof
That all of the cool kids want
Because she is boss.
However, @laurenist’s love of cupcakes and knowledge of poutine goes a long way in my book. And the fact of the matter is @ laurenist brought fight to today’s events. There are few who are sharper, wittier or, frankly, more awesome on the twitters.
Today, however, was mostly content-free. There was one RT of a Truman Project – but, if we’re going on NatSec tweets, there was not a lot here to judge. And this is where there is going to be a pinch.
Summary Haiku:
Leggings are not pants
I don’t care where you are from
Don’t want to see bums
Verdict: Oy this one was hard. The fact is that the twitterverse is better in the aftermath of today’s main event as far as I am concerned. That being said, I am going to cast my vote for @texasinafrica. Like @will_mccants, I shall try to make up my decision to @laurenist in alcohol (and poutine and cupcakes) the next time I am in DC.
@zachprague
@attackerman vs. @smsaideman
Not much of a “fight” as it were — very few tweets exchanged, and only one with a phallic reference. So, this one had to be judged differently. I go with @smsaideman here for several reasons, the main being the offer of a hat made from the flesh of an animal.
@will_mccants vs. @AzmatZahra
Will McCants is boosted by the “Greenwald quotient” for having recently engaged Glenn Greenwald on Twitter for more than 10 tweets. McCants also utilized various algorithms to locate a photo spread of this judge which appeared in a regional architecture magazine some time ago. This judge can’t say for certain if he was flattered or disgusted.
Azmat Khan is one of the best on Twitter at finding expose-type material. Tweet-for-tweet, she is unrivaled in the hard news arena. She also managed to flatter this judge through tweeting a link to a corporate account he controls — always a plus.
This one was close, but @AzmatZahra gets the nod, due in large part to her tweet about McCants’ dreams of appropriating Balochistan’s wealth. For all we know it’s true, and he must be stopped.
@jeffemanuel vs. @tweetsintheme
Andrew Lebovich also benefitted from a recent Twitter to and fro with Greenwald, and was similarly boosted by the corresponding quotient. As these two really didn’t fight it out — and even encouraged their respective followers to follow each other, I was tempted to not vote for either. @tweetsintheme gets the nod, pushed across the line by the Greenwald Quotient.
@texasinafrica vs. @laurenist
Texas stepped it up, heaping praise on the judges early. Having left our mothers’ respective basements so rarely in the past six months, we judges were, to say the least, humbled by the expression of affection from an actual digital human being. This judge was offered a pony, an offer, as any reasonable person knows, that is physically impossible to pass up.
A late charge by @laurenist — no doubt buoyed and sustained by hours of training in Laurenism — made this content particularly difficult. My vote goes to @laurenist, based largely on what seem to be accurate charges against @texasinafrica for, among other things, “eating soup with a spoon.” Nothing more conventional than that.
Two rounds are in the books, and 16 tweeters are left standing. Three out of four one seeds are going strong, but two 14 seeds are in the mix as well. There have been upsets and close calls aplenty. Before we get into today’s action, here are the judges who will help to decide which eight contestants will advance.
East and South matches will be judged by:
@AdamWeinstein
@brettfriedman
@drfarls
@elsnarkistani
West and North matches will be judged by:
@dianawueger
@RogueAdventurer
@stephaniecarvin
@zachprague
The panel’s judgment will count for 40% of the vote, with each judge representing one-fourth of that total, so the public vote will mean more than ever this round. Judges and voters alike are encouraged to look at metrics such as: knowledge base; quality of argumentation; innovative thinking; humor, snark, facility with quips, and charisma; and responsiveness to followers. Contestants’ full bodies of work on Twitter are fair game, but any work outside of Twitter should not be considered, and once again everyone is encouraged to make their decisions in their own way. The eight who advance will compete again tomorrow for spots in Monday’s Final Four!
Polls are open until midnight, and remember: the popular vote has a larger say today, so get out the vote! Now, without further ado, your Sweet 16:
The Sweet 16 will play out tomorrow. Today we find out who joins @abuaardvark, @stcolumbia, @naheedmustafa, @joshuafoust, @dandrezner, @DaveedGR, @astridhka, and @blakehounshell in that illustrious round.
North
(1) @attackerman vs. (9) @AdamWeinstein
Judges: 4-1 for @attackerman (80% of judges’ vote)
Popular vote:
@attackerman: 150 (70%)
@AdamWeinstein: 64 (30%)
One seed @attackerman cruises to the Sweet Sixteen, despite hardly acknowledging that the tournament is going on. Will the overall top seed be able to continue advancing effortlessly all the way to the title?
(4) @glcarlstrom vs. (12) @smsaideman
Judges: 4-1 for @smsaideman (80% of judges’ vote)
Popular vote:
@glcarlstrom: 95 (54%)
@smsaideman: 80 (46%)
@glcarlstrom takes the popular vote, but 12 seed @smsaideman continues to impress the judges with his hustle, and it’s more than enough to get him into the Sweet 16.
(3) @will_mccants vs. (6) @chrisalbon
Judges: 5-0 for @will_mccants (100% of judges’ vote)
Popular vote:
@chrisalbon: 113 (60%)
@will_mccants: 76 (40%)
The judges all paid respect to @chrisalbon…on their way to voting for @will_mccants, who rolls to the next round, despite @chrisalbon’s better showing in the popular vote.
(2) @intelwire vs. (7) @AzmatZahra
Judges: 3-2 for @AzmatZahra
Popular vote:
@AzmatZahra: 203 (63%)
@intelwire: 121 (37%)
121 votes would be enough to win the popular vote in most races, but not against PBS’ @AzmatZahra who managed to mobilize a whopping 203 votes. With 3 out of 5 judges on her side too, she takes this contest.
West
(8) @tweetsintheme vs. (16) @zoonpolitikon
Judges: 3-2 for @tweetsintheme (60% of judges’ vote)
Popular vote:
@tweetsintheme: 137 (55%)
@zoonpolitikon: 114 (45%)
@zoonpolitikon’s Cinderella run is cut short as, despite putting up a good fight, he is edged by @tweetsintheme in both the public polls and the judges’ votes.
(4) @jeffemanuel vs. (12) @JimmySky
Judges: 5-0 for @jeffemanuel (100% of judges’ vote)
Popular vote:
@jeffemanuel: 104 (56%)
@JimmySky: 83 (44%)
In a virtual replay of the North bracket’s @will_mccants vs. @chrisalbon results, all of our judges give respect to @JimmySky, but end up casting their votes for @jeffemanuel, who takes the popular vote as well on his way to the Sweet 16.
(6) @max_fisher vs. (14) @laurenist
Judges: 3-2 for @laurenist (60% of judges’ vote)
Popular vote:
@laurenist: 109 (57%)
@max_fisher: 81 (43%)
Another 14 seed, another smart and snarky woman with development chops, another Cinderella story continues. Like @astridhka yesterday, @laurenist overcomes her higher-ranked opponent to keep the dream alive.
(2) @texasinafrica vs. (10) @azelin
Judges: 4-1 for @texasinafrica (80% of judges’ vote)
Popular vote:
@texasinafrica: 160 (64%)
@azelin: 89 (36%)
@azelin gets a lot of respect, but it’s not nearly enough to overcome the momentum of powerhouse @texasinafrica, who wins comfortably to advance.
North Brackets
@aelkus
(1) Attackerman-more humor, diversity of subjects, etc, than Weinstein. That being said it was a very tough choice, since Weinstein seemed to engage more with readers.
(2) SmSaideman—managed to do a lot of good tweeting while preparing for ISA, which is a very big challenge. Also brought his academic knowledge base to bear on Twitter.
(3) William McCants, for having a cat icon, managing to stay civil in a debate with Greenwald, and twittering very well on a pre-eminent international security issue.
(4) azmatzahra-for very useful links, snarky commentary, and playing close to the vest with intelwire.
@Ali_Gharib
(1) @ATTACKERMAN vs (9) @ADAMWEINSTEIN
This was a tougher one to call than many might expect from the seeding. Sure, @Attackerman’s twitter feed is a must-follow, and it’s full of modest pronouncements about working relationships with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and other less important news of the national security world. But @AdamWeinstein played with #tfc12 a little better — he called it up and rolled it between his palms and build a little Bibilical triceratops out of it. My dad, though, was in L.A. in the ’60s and worships the John Wooden heyday of the Bruins, and @Attackerman just happened to pick the right day to humble-brag about the former Lew Alcindor writing under the same masthead. He takes it.
(12) @SMSAIDEMAN vs (4) @GLCARLSTROM
@Glcarlstrom forgot to participate for most of the day, which made this match tougher than it probably needed to be. His twitter is great, too. But @Smsaideman, who also had limited output because of meetings, really went after him for sleep and was hungry for a competition, even suggesting extracurriculars with @Chrisalbon to stay in fighting shape. So I’ll give the day to the eager warrior, @Smsaideman.
(6) @CHRISALBON vs (3) @WILL_MCCANTS
How do you judge a match between two people you know, like, and have accompanied through the rigors of traditional American beer-drinking rituals with? I’ll tell you what you do — you put aside that @Chrisalbon is one of the best Twitter accounts out there for generalized world info and, most notably, his shouldn’t-be-a-niche specialty, and you give it to @will_mccants for knowing that the way to a man’s #tfc12 vote is shamelessly working your way slowly through his burly beard. Congrats, @will_mccants.
(7) @AZMATZAHRA vs (2) @INTELWIRE
@Intelwire was engaged in the competition enough that usually the high seed would prevail, especially from such an invaluable tweeter. But @Azmatzahra raked in endorsements, and had quippy comebacks defending the honor of public broadcasting, and so takes the day.
@jeffemanuel
I’ll leave the fanfic and photo montages to my esteemed judging colleagues and cut straight to the chase here: four matches, eight excellent competitors, and no dead weight. So, without further adieu:
@attackerman vs. @adamweinstein
Adam Weinstein initially referred to this battle with overall #1 seed Spencer Ackerman as a “David versus Goliath” showdown, though he quickly amended that, saying “Actually, given our last names, it’s Lil’ David vs. Big David.” He sent out a handful of half-hearted tweets mentioning #tfc12, but for the most part his feed was all-Trayvon Martin, all the time - though his employer, Mother Jones, sent a tweet to its 120,000 followers asking them to vote for Adam. Ackerman, on the other hand, was his usual self on twitter, hitting topics from Blackwater to the transition to ANSF in Afghanistan to the Obamacare hearings — and he didn’t feel the need bring @Dangerroom or @Wired into the fray, choosing instead to beat back the plucky challenger on his own. Vote: @attackerman
@smsaideman vs. glcarlstrom
Not only was the higher-seeded Carlstrom largely absent from Twitter today, but he admittedly forgot about the competition altogether until afternoon Eastern Time (the only time that really matters)! It’s almost like he has a day job that requires time and attention. @smsaideman, on the other hand, has been prepping the twitterspace for this fight for days, handicapping his chances and practically begging for the judges in this matchup to forego their prejudices and embrace the wonder that is Harry Potter (and Harry Potter role-playing). Saideman’s hard work won him a round one upset against Yemen expert @gregorydjohnsen, and though I find Carlstrom an indispensable presence on twitter day in and day out, I have to reward the canuck’s legwork once again (not to mention his twitter feed, which is both humorous and high quality). Vote: @smsaideman
@chrisalbon vs. @will_mccants
This is the first of two very difficult matches to judge. Albon’s body of work is absolutely excellent, as are those of his kitchen appliances (though the whole “getting a PhD and a real job” thing has slightly crimped their collective lately). McCants, on the other hand, is a constant source of information, knowledge, perspective, and unique wit. Pretty much the only way that he could lose my vote in this battle of two must-follow tweeters would be by changing his avatar to something insufferably horrible, like a cat. Surely he would never do such a—-well, dangit, that’s exactly what he did. A cat, Will? Really? Jeez. However, if I’m picking ten twitter feeds that can’t be done without, McCants is definitely one of them — and in Twitter Fight Club, that should be enough to let him advance. Vote: @will_mccants
@azmatzahra vs. @intelwire
And here we have the second of two incredibly difficult matches to judge — and indisputably the most entertaining battle of the day (with @chrisalbon vs. @will_mccants coming in a close but clear second). @azmatzahra is another indispensable source of information and perspective on Twitter, and her feed today was an excellent example of her usual output. However, like @will_mccants, I would include @intelwire on any shortlist of twitter feeds that absolutely can’t be done without. The volume of information that comes through his feed daily — both news and commentary — seals this one in his favor, even though he claims to hate Mr. Rogers (what’s next? hating old people, puppies, and kids?). Vote: @intelwire
@RBStalin
Greetings. There’s no time for greetings. Some of my fellow judges have written opinions favoring the performance of contweetstants during the period of judgment. As a demonstrably purer and more disciplined arbiter - a torch-bearer of a millennia-long tradition of objective judginess, if you will - I will be considering the Twitter-corpus, as in habeas corpus, or at least parts of it. We will select and dine on choice corpus-bits.
Note: While there is a significant Canadian presence in the competition, the remaining Americans may want to reference Wikipedia for an explainer on this “habeas corpus” concept.
///// @attackerman vs. @adamweinstein /////
Speaking of habeas corpus, Spackerman’s wife works for an organization possessing what some might call an unseemly obsession with the concept. He himself is responsible for some (notable?) journalism at the intersection of defense, civil rights, and the law. Were one to judge the entire body of Spackerman’s work, one might be somewhat-to-moderately impressed. It is possible his primary venue is a blog this judge calls a must-read, including for defense insiders. It is also possible his personal blog is one this judge recommends to those of his friends and coworkers who have the (metaphorical) balls to read it.
I come not to praise Spackerman’s journalistic corpus, but to bury it. His tweets on the other hand…are pretty good? Not as engaged or interactive as he once was. Still prolific. Should probably follow, if you’re into the whole NatSec thing. Feel free to ignore his unbelievably obnoxious New York sports tweets.
Weinstein (speaking of explainers)…also a national security reporter? For Mother Jones. His bio reads that way, but if I’m real (and I AM REAL) he is far more engaged on domestic issues than national security, at least on Twitter. Weinstein’s non-twitter works are also prolific. It’s hard to make a comparison after this award that Spackerman pulled in, but Mother Jones is an indisputably important part of the fifth estate, and Weinstein has been no small part of that during his tenure.
VERDICT: I lean upset like Michael Jackson in “Smooth Criminal”. There’s no doubt in my mind that Mr. Weinstein’s more recent engagement with the twitterverse has been superior to Spackerman’s. However, like Season Two of Top Chef (“It’s a cooking contest and he didn’t cook anything!”) I have to give this to Spackerman for the simple reason that this tournament is about national security tweeters, and by that metric he is more indispensable than Mr. Weinstein. I may or may not completely disregard this in further judgments.
///// @smsaideman vs. @glcarlstrom /////
I’ve been following Carlstrom for a long time and Saideman for only a matter of days. Here’s what I’ll tell you right off the bat. When Carlstrom tweets, he looks like another dude in a nondescript location* saying some stuff in 140 characters or less. Saideman, by contrast, when presented with a writ of habeas corpus, responded with “AVADA KEDAVRA!” While this represents a certain misunderstanding of the concept, it definitely gets my attention.
* Nondescript location: some pile of rubble in the background. Body armor worn.
VERDICT: This is a tough call but I have to give this round to Carlstrom. There’s a reason I, as a NatSec-focused Twitter-user, have been following him for as long as I have. Also he did not try to kill me with magic.
///// @chrisalbon vs. @will_mccants /////
McCants is no fool. Not only did he follow me on this, the dies irae, he also pointed out my long-established YTMND profile link to his followers. Readers of my judgments, however, know I have turned from flattery to duck fat to, now, I suppose, Latin comprehension as the currency with which my judgments can be moved.
What can I say about Will McCants? Will McCants is very tall; I keep hearing how awfully tall he is. Everyone he meets mutters “Tall…” helplessly the way Fooly Cooly characters carry on about eyebrows.
Albon, on the other hand, is best known for autonomous appliances - with which your humble* judge disavows any involvement - swarming Twitter at unfortunately decreasing regularity.
McCants is no more responsible for his height than Albon is for his possessed appliances. This begs the question if either man contributes to Twitter in any way and if either deserves to be in the contest at all, let alone advance. Given such a dilemma I was forced to resort to a tie-breaker, which helpfully came in the form of this tweet:
@will_mccants: i’d like to make fun of an academic book or article by @chrisalbon but I can’t find one. #tfc2012
I DON’T EVEN CARE IF THAT’S ACCURATE
VERDICT: WILL MCCANTS
* Read: fantastically narcissistic.
///// @AzmatZahra vs. @intelwire /////
I’m going to make this short and to the point. Invoking precedent from round one, what shall be hitherto referred to as the DR J JOYNER rule…
VERDICT: J. M. Berger takes this round and the basis of being a HIGH-VOLUME (38,000+ tweet) NatSec feed I have been following for a long time and have never had the urge to unfollow. Azmat Khan works for an outstanding organization and has a quality tweetstream you should be following if you aren’t already, but this round must go to Berger.
Were it not for the DR J JOYNER rule I would have to remind the readers that it is select bits of the corpus on which we are focused, and, well, Mr. Berger has irrefutable facial hair. Facial hair…
@SecurityScholar
Round 2, North Quarter. An excellent field to judge. What was I looking for? Snarky research and well-researched snarks. That is, feisty horn-locking and below-the-belt jokes as well as interesting #linksthatmakeyougohmmmm NatSec tweets over the past 24 hours. I haven’t had this much fun since discovering this:
@attackman vs @adamweinstein
Spencer Ackerman and Adam Weinstein, two excellent NatSec reporters of Danger Room and Mother Jones, respectively, who regularly light up my Twitter feed with moar reading and all-round snarkiness. Despite being NatSec tweeters, on the day of judging both were taken by social issues with @attackman pondering Obamacare and @adamweinstein handling #Trayvon. Props to @adamweinstein for live-tweeting #Trayvon justice protests outside the Supreme Court and sticking the boot into Twitter about shutting down racist accounts, but props to @attackman for keeping up the NatSec tradition of, you know, being a NatSec tweeter and engaging consistently.
TOTDs:
attackerman (@attackerman)
3/27/12 5:28 AM
Oh yeah no big deal Kareem Abdul-Jabbar just wrote an op-ed for @wired, happens every day. t.co/7mKHwD39
attackerman (@attackerman)
3/27/12 5:28 AM
Hey, teenagers who answer phones for Senate offices: take some pride in your work! #old
Adam Weinstein (@AdamWeinstein)
3/27/12 6:07 AM
Man, hell hath no fury like an anonymous angry white dude with dial-up. #WhatILearnedThisWeek
Overall, I awarded it to @adamweinstein for strong performance on covering #Trayvon, referencing #TFC12, and wearing a hoodie.
@smsaideman vs @glcarlstrom
The Academic and The Journalist. Both excellent tweeters of the world, International Relations Professor Stephen Saideman with interesting analysis from the inside and Al Jazeera reporter Gregg Carlstrom providing essential analysis from the ground. @smsaideman got in with an early h/t to his Aussie judge and attempted to pull the heartstrings by claiming his grandmother is about to die (seriously, Stephen, you should know better … and use the dog next time). @glcarlstrom, seemingly having forgotten about #TFC12, rolled in with some late Canadian-bashing of his opponent to keep him in the running. @smsaideman tweeted hard, engaging his followers, dropping the ol’ 1,2 in self-deprecating humour and snarkiness but keeping up intense discussion on IR issues. @glcarlstrom had tweeted some feisty reporting on security issues and some cultural FYI tweets earlier in the day but, on balance, was not as consistent as his competitor.
TOTDs:
Stephen Saideman (@smsaideman)
3/27/12 5:41 AM
Ok, I think I prefer the pornbots to the walmart/ipad-bots. ktyvm
Stephen Saideman (@smsaideman)
3/27/12 9:59 AM
Token Aussie tweet for my aussie judge in #tfc12-Aussie case was most surprising of all ones studied for contingents in A-stan. 1/2
Stephen Saideman (@smsaideman)
3/27/12 10:00 AM
Aussies actually were quite casualty averse but sneakily so by using SOF heavily, restricting conventional infantry. #tvc12 pander FTW? 2/2
Gregg Carlstrom (@glcarlstrom)
3/27/12 5:15 AM
Dirty tricks! Just what you’d expect from north of the border RT @smsaideman: @glcarlstrom well then, vote for me #tfc12
Gregg Carlstrom (@glcarlstrom)
3/25/12 2:02 AM
I actually just interviewed someone who used the word taqiyya in a non-ironic sense
For his true competitive spirit, unashamed IR nerdiness and AUS-philic tendencies, I awarded the round to @smsaideman.
@chrisalbon vs @will_mccants
It’s not even fair to ask someone to judge this showdown. Chris Albon and Will McCants are solid experts in their respective fields of governance/global health and CT/terrorism/jihadism, regularly providing useful links and oh-so-snarksome tweets. I love cats #fulldisclosure. In a sneaky PSYOPS move, @will_mccants literally “got his game face on” by deploying Puss in Boots as his competition avatar. Looking at their tweets for the day, @chrisalbon was tweeting hard, from trash talking his opponent, dropping Senegal and James Cameron with SeaQuest DSV reference (I saw what he did there) to beefing up with solid NatSec focussed links. @will_mccants gets props for targeted NatSec tweeting as well and mixing it up with good engagement with followers and a Star Wars reference. The exchange between these fine competitors provided some of the wittiest, snarkiest and yet heartwarming TOTDs. Observe:
Will McCants (@will_mccants)
3/27/12 4:31 AM
@intelwire for you, i’m gonna break out the Green Giant pic. Ho ho ho mother$@%$%$
Chris R. Albon (@chrisalbon)
3/27/12 5:05 AM
Add glitter and @will_mccants’ book is like an Islamic version of Twilight. #TFC12
That’s like an academic equivalent of a kick to the nuts. With … glitter.
Chris R. Albon (@chrisalbon)
3/27/12 5:15 AM
If you read @will_mccants’ book backwards, it’s a call for white power, but let’s face it, then you’d have to read it. #TFC12
Will McCants (@will_mccants)
3/27/12 5:32 AM
i’d like to make fun of an academic book or article by @chrisalbon but I can’t find one. #tfc2012
Oh snap! Finally:
Chris R. Albon (@chrisalbon)
3/27/12 5:32 AM
And finally, if you are one of the nicest guys I know and one of my closest friends, you are definitely @will_mccants. #TFC12
Nyawwwwwwwwww. Gentlemen, it was a pleasure but there can be only one. And by a (cat)hair, it goes to @will_mccants for a marginally stronger performance on the day for expertise-focussed tweets.
@azmatzahra vs @intelwire
Another competitive duo. The indomitable @FrontlinePBS journalist Azmat Khan and the prolific terrorism/jihadism expert/author J.M. Berger are both solid tweeters who have provided me with fascinating links and analysis. Today was no exception. With twitzophrenic skeelz, feisty @azmatzahra switched between mercilessly calling a jihad against her opponent and showing her softer side with tweets on child soldiers, acid attack victims and other human security issues. @intelwire fought back with a solid performance of NatSec tweets on a range of issues from Afghanistan, nuclear weapons, and global operations while trash talking and engaging followers. Props to @azmatzahra for RT-ing other journalists’ articles but props to @intelwire who, on the day of competition, RT-d @azmatzahra ‘s work!
TOTDs:
Azmat Khan (@AzmatZahra)
3/27/12 8:08 AM
@intelwire Last week you called me “genteel” (bit.ly/GV53ZZ), this week it’s “evil genius.” Only certainty? You’re a flip-flopper.
Azmat Khan (@AzmatZahra)
3/27/12 7:19 AM
#TFC12 I hail from Parachinar, where my people take on the Taliban t.co/ClXisWFq so a vote for the other guy really is a Taliban vote
J.M. Berger (@intelwire)
3/27/12 8:33 AM
@AllThingsHLS I have conceded @AzmatZahra’s superior acquaintance with the crawling blasphemies of the shapeless Elder Gods. @will_mccants
I found this really, really hard to call. Both are excellent at what they do. But I award this round to @azmatzahra for keeping the “fight” in TFC.
West Brackets
@hayesbrown
Match 1: @zoonpolitikon vs. tweetsintheme
I have to put it right out there. As a former 16-seed, my heart automatically goes out to @zoonpolitikon. He’s faced a tough road. And he did so with more snark than I would have expect from someone who blogs in German. His attempts at slandering @tweetsintheme were impressive, particularly for someone living in Switzerland. But then again, he did manage to pull off the upset I so badly wanted.
@tweetsintheme, on the other hand, is a prolific tweeter. This man knew what a Sahel was before you did, and he isn’t afraid to show it. He’s a pretty stand-up guy, too, from the interactions I’ve had with him at various tweetup. Granted, the guy has managed to not follow me, even when facing my wroth. So clearly, his self-preservation instinct isn’t high, a flaw that will surely cost him in later fights.
In this instance, I’m going to go with the one who knowingly pandered sci-fi goodness to me: @zoonpolitikon.
Match 2: @jimmysky vs. @jeffemanuel
I could go the route of seemingly everyone else ever and make fun of @jimmysky’s being in the Air Force. But I’m afraid of heights, so what do I know? @jimmysky is a great follow, who is always been all smart on defense acquisitions, which you would think is an oxymoron of a sentence. He dresses his kids up as superheroes and once called me the “UN wunderkind”. So I clearly have a bias.
Speaking of bias, I never followed @jeffemanuel until Twitter Fight Club started up, and he’s a definite change of pace from my normal stream. Having now broken outside of the liberal bubble, I see myself interacting with @jeffemanuel frequently in the future, as he seems like a man who is okay with a firm discussion without resorting to attacks.
The back and forth between the two was pretty heated early, but dipped into vast swathes of politeness later on. While it shocks me to do so, I’m actually going to say that of the two of them, in terms of sheer informative output, @jeffemanuel had the better day today.
Match 3: @Max_Fisher vs. @laurenist
Oh goodness. @Max_Fisher, as editor of Atlantic International, is what most nerdy young bloggers aspire to be when we grow up. He writes about cool things. And gets PAID FOR IT. Will wonders never cease. He came out of the gate swinging this morning, declaring Russia the number one reason that we aren’t invading Syria. He was…disagreed with. Proving he isn’t invulnerable.
@laurenist on the other hand was pure snark today. Well, purer snark than normal. Colombian-grade snark. She took the attack to @Max_Fisher early and often, pursuing votes with zeal. She spent some of her time in New York City today sitting in on a class of @abumaquwama, so I’m pretty sure she got some beard-by-proxy action going on.
Despite the fact that the former could one day land me a sweet gig, I’m going to have to hand this bout to @laurenist.
Match 4: @azelin vs. @texasinafrica
Clash of the experts. I was one of the few (okay, many) granted access to @azelin’s account before he unlocked it for this competition. I have to admit, though, when it comes to counterterrorism, I’m no newb. But this guy is at a whole other level. His stream is constantly putting out high grade information on terrorist networks I can’t feign pronounce. If you need an expert, you’ve certainly found one.
Unfortunately for him, however, he’s got serious competition when it comes to @texasinafrica. Dr. Seay don’t play. She doesn’t just know a lot about one country, or even region. No. She knows the whole. Damn. Continent. And can speak on it with a winning wit and sarcasm. She even followed me after a long drought. But….and this is a big one….she didn’t pick Michigan State for the Final Four. Even if she was right, her glee in making that choice wounds me deep.
In the end though, despite her betrayal, it’s Africa uber alles, and @texasinafricatakes the win for me.
@HerbCarmen
Be sincere; be brief; be seated. - FDR
8. tweetsintheme vs. 16. @zoonpolitikon
Keine Bilder von Katzen.
My pick: @tweetsintheme
12. @jimmysky vs. 4. @jeffemanuel
I enjoy following these gentlemen and patriots. Tough to vote against @jimmysky but overwhelming volume of excellent tweets by @jeffemanuel earns my vote, despite an avatar aiming an AK-47 painted like a VFC-13 F-5F Tiger.
My pick: @jeffemanuel
6. @max_fisher vs. 14. @laurenist
Drones. Hellfires.
My pick: @laurenist
10. @azelin vs. 2. @texasinafrica
Africa matters and @texasinafrica knows what matters. @azelin’s manipulative cat avatar worked….for @texasinafrica
My pick: @texasinafrica
@johnsonr
General comment: I’m over babies, cats, and puppies. Enough. That said, I’m not going to be asked back to judge another round after these pics hit the net, so you guys do whatcha gotta do.
@zoonpolitikon vs @tweetsintheme
@zoonpolitikon Adds snark to his commentary of nuclear negotiations. He tried to smear his opponent, but given last week’s trash talk, his efforts came off almost, well, adorable. That said, @zoonpolitikon tapped into my previously unpublicized, but irrationally strong love of all things Mongolia. Have you been? No? Then shut up. It’s freakin’ awesome. Where else have you seen this?
Mongols. Go Green.
Why do they need solar power, you ask???
To power their camel-mounted satellite dish so they can watch the Olympics, of course. No lie. So shut up. Mongolia wins. (Told you it was irrational.)
Sorry @tweetsintheme. I was with you ‘til the death blow. You engaged other folks on twitter, always have interesting commentary, and seem totally cool. But, you know. Mongolia.
@JimmySky vs @jeffemanuel
Clearly I’m judging this match because someone at Gunpowder & Lead hates me. I love @jeffemanuel (in a completely professionally appropriate / I know he’s married sort of way. Geez, people!) He’s smart, he’s engaged, and he’s just cranky enough to avoid both the Charbydis of tool-dom and the Schylla of dickiness. And, as we established this weekend, he brings me new followers every time we tweet each other, which really doesn’t suck. Today he totally wore me down – I don’t have time for silly things like counting, but the man tweeted a boatload. Check it out. An actual boat would nearly capsize under the weight of his tweets. There was even some nonsense about his taking time for a bike ride, but I don’t believe him. I’d link to the tweet, but I can’t find that needle in the haystack.
But I love me some @JimmySky too. First, he’s one of the only guys in Round 2 who’s confident enough not to change his profile pic. WYSIWYG. Done. No silliness. So refreshing. Making me cry with the whole Captain America thing was a tricky move, but luckily it came after I was safely away from the office. If that had come over lunch, it would have been an immediate disqualification. That said, in his blizzard of tweetiness, @jeffemanuel re-tweeted the tear-jerker, so your gamble would have washed itself out.
At the end of the day, I have to vote for @jeffemanuel. I don’t agree with everything he says, but he’s thoughtful, courteous, and comprehensive. He’s who I hope to be when I grow up…
(…minus the ‘roid rage. This guy, not @jeffemanuel, who I’m sure is all natural muscle. Hey, he’s holding a damn AK. You’d say the same thing.).
@texasinafrica vs does it really matter?
@TEXASinafrica. ‘Nough said (Remember, Rule #4). The thing is, she’s not pandering to Texas; she’s been Texas for far longer than she could have possibly been trying to suck up to me. In fact, I didn’t find out about @texasinafrica from twitter fight club, or national security, or anything obvious like that. I first learned about her from my sister, who does nothing remotely security-related (no, Laura, now is not the time to argue that point. Just let me have it). So she’s a professor: check. FROM TEXAS: all the checks anyone needs. Who my sister follows: Family Check. Who focuses on Africa:
(yeah, we were that close. Oopsy!). Extra checks.
And, because I forgot all about these pictures, but just rediscovered them looking for something suitably “Africa” and they scream to be shared with you:
(that’s right. I just did that.) This one was taken seconds later and is even better:
LIKE A BOSS.
Let’s see if the #tfc12 editors let these past QC. Are they more offensive for their pornographic nature, or for perpetuating the stereotype that Africa is nothing more than safari? Polling is now open.
Winner: @texasinafrica. Come on.
@laurenist vs @Max_Fisher
I’m inclined to like @laurenist – she’s got an insane fan base, she’s super smart, and, well, that’s enough for me. But I’m a cranky about some things, and proper grammar is one of those things (I know I started that sentence with a conjunction. Leave it.). While @laurenist was reminiscing about some random thing I didn’t understand that involved Tony Blinken’s dad, she dropped this grammar grenade. She also spoke TRUTH.
So did @Max_Fisher. He covered Libya, China, South Sudan, North Korea, and said what I can’t about a certain political moment that occurred today (think I’m going to link to that? You crazy. #dropsmic #walksaway). I’ve got to give it to @Max_Fisher for breadth, depth, and his general ability to make me smarter. And yes, I’m voting for him even though he can’t be bothered to follow me back. So there’s that. @laurenist, I’m buying you a drink at the tweetup next week. You’ve earned it.
@shephardm
16 vs. 8
@zoonpolitikon vs. @tweetsintheme
Naturally inclined to go for underdog & a strong start for @zoonpolitikon, with props for kitten photo and Canada cage match. Besides, any chance to use this photo… (BREAKING NEWS: #TFC12 has hit Eastern Mongolia. http://pic.twitter.com/pltif03L). But @tweetsintheME was competing from Ottawa, aka: the-town-that-fun-forgot, so that deserves some bonus points. And even though he succumbed to cheap Canuckistan currency bashing, he had me with his original Boko Haram analysis. He sticks with what he knows and he knew it before the rest of us.
12 vs. 4
@JimmySky vs. @jeffemanuel
Was not @JimmySky’s best Twitter day, except the RT of fact that Jenna Talackova, Miss Universe Canada finalist, was disqualified for being transgender. He apologizes saying he was “working to secure the nation’s critical cyber infrastructure” .. Excuses, excuses. Now @jeffemanuel on the other hand, is the Jack Bauer of tweeting, so prolific that there’s no way he eats, sleeps or goes to the loo. I couldn’t keep up because like @JimmySky I was busy securing Canada’s national security. I dunno. Voted @jeffemanuel.
6 vs. 14
@max_fisher vs. @laurenist
Killer match. “The Henry Kissinger of the zombie apocalypse..” TM by my friend @Scott_Gilmore certainly gave her early lead. Also, who doesn’t like short shorts? But @max_fisher’s retorts and analysis hard to beat and imagining Cheney doing Aztec time travel I think gave me an idea for a novel. In the end it was @max_fisher headshot – it’s like he’s daring you to not vote of him… or auditioning for next Twilight series.
10 vs. 2
@azelin vs. @texasinafrica
Very entertaining and pulled me both ways. Wanted to vote @texasinafrica because heart in Africa and national security boys club needs some shaking up. But no one can deliver geek jabs like @azelin & he gets extra points for Arabic & posting stuff that SITE makes you pay for. I’m also unfairly influenced by fact that I know if I call him for interviews he will always sound like he just woke up. @azelin, shukran.
@timmathews
In @zoonpolitikon vs @tweetsintheme, I declare @tweetsintheme the winner.
I regret to say that I have no basis upon which to vote for a continuation of @zoonpolitikon’s Cinderella story. His exchange with @tweetsintheme was a mix or cordial and good-natured ribbing. On the other hand, @tweetsintheme was not itching for a Twitterfight either. But, I give the edge to @tweetsintheme because he at least engaged in (albeit rational) debate with @ggreenwald, perhaps one of the greatest Twitterfighters in history.
In @jimmysky vs @jeffemanuel, I declare @jeffemanuel the winner.
This match, too, was essentially a lovefest. @jeffemanuel gets the edge because while he lobs little more than polite nudges at his foe, he at least takes time in between projects to take swipes at other ideological foes. @jimmysky seems overly preoccupied with work or something.
In @max_fisher vs @laurenist, I declare @laurenist the winner.
Did either of these two get the memo that they were facing off against each other? There was hardly any mention of one by the other, and definitely nothing rising to the level of twisticuffs. In this instance, my vote is determined solely by who was the lower seed. If you’re going to advance, then you need to earn it and justify it. Both failed, but the higher seed should justify its position by adhering to a higher standard. @laurenist wins by default.
In @azelin vs @texasinafrica, I declare @texasinafrica the winner.
Although there was little in the way of twisticuffs between the two, @texasinafrica did utilize the underhanded tactic of shamelessly praising me and encouraging others to hire me. Well done. She should be imitated and listened to. @azelin retweeted the plug, but this was like being the brown-noser who merely brings his teacher an apple. @texasinafrica’s effort was more analogous to bringing the teacher a plate of bacon. I declare @texasinafrica the winner and I declare bacon to be delicious.
Due to some technical issues (having to do with the freezingness of Boston, the heatlessness of a certain apartment, and the numbness of typing hands) there will not be a post in the morning as there usually is. The results of Round 2: Day 2 will post Tuesday afternoon, along with a list of judges for the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 rounds. The Sweet 16 round will begin on schedule first thing Wednesday morning.
The popular vote edged the judges in some contests, the judges overruled the people in others, the competition heated up in some brackets, and just rolled along in others, as we saw the first half of Round Two of #TFC12 play out on Friday. A breakdown of all the day’s action is coming, but first: today’s matches.
Round 2: Day 2 Matches
Look for a short post later today announcing the Sweet 16 judging panels. The judges for today’s matches are as follows:
North (@attackerman is the one seed):
@aelkus
@Ali_Gharib
@jeffemanuel
@RBStalin
@SecurityScholar
West (@SlaughterAM was the one seed):
@HayesBrown
@HerbCarmen
@johnsonr
@shephardm
@timmathews
Usual reminders: the panel’s judgment will count for 50% of the vote, with each judge representing one-fifth of that total. So don’t forget to vote: in a close match, as history has shown, the popular vote can overrule a split judging panel. Judges and voters alike are urged to be as objective as possible when assessing contestants and are encouraged to look at metrics such as: knowledge base; quality of argumentation; innovative thinking; humor, snark, facility with quips, and charisma; and responsiveness to followers. Contestants’ full bodies of work on Twitter are fair game, but any work outside of Twitter should not be considered, and once again everyone is encouraged to make their decisions in their own way.
Round 2: Day 2 Results
EAST
(1) @abuaardvark vs. (8) @drjjoyner
Judges: 3-2 for @drjjoyner (60% of judges’ vote)
Popular vote:
@abuaardvark: 113 (69%)
@drjjoyner: 50 (31%)
One seed @abuaardvark advances to the Sweet Sixteen. Despite losing three out of the five judges’ ballots, his commanding lead in the popular vote is good enough to advance.
(4) @allthingsct vs. (12) @stcolumbia
Judges: 4-1 for @stcolumbia (80% of judges’ vote)
Popular vote:
@stcolumbia: 114 (72%)
@allthingsct: 44 (28%)
Popular underdog @stcolumbia sees his miracle run continue, as he advances to the Sweet Sixteen with a decisive victory over Australian counterterrorism expert @allthingsct.
(3) @adamserwer vs. (11) @naheedmustafa
Judges: 3-2 for @naheedmustafa (60% of judges’ vote)
Popular vote:
@adamserwer: 96 (51%)
@naheedmustafa: 91 (49%)
Canadian @naheedmustafa rolls over Mother Jones journalist @adamserwer, and will represent Canada (a.k.a. America Junior) in the Sweet Sixteen.
(2) @joshuafoust vs. (10) @stephaniecarvin
Judges: 3-2 for @joshuafoust
Popular vote:
@joshuafoust: 88 (49%)
@stephaniecarvin: 91 (51%)
A narrow win in the popular vote for @stephaniecarvin, but she loses on the expert judges’ decision.
SOUTH
(1) @dandrezner vs. (8) @USEmbPretoria
Judges: 5-0 for @dandrezner (100% of judges’ vote)
Popular vote:
@dandrezner: 112 (70%)
@USEmbPretoria: 47 (30%)
U.S. embassies throughout the world celebrated as @USEmbPretoria shattered the glass ceiling by becoming the first American embassy to advance to the prestigious second round of TwitterFightClub. Unfortunately, an even taller glass ceiling remained just past the first one, and @USEmbPretoria’s run ends here.
(4) @DaveedGR vs. (5) @InkSptsGulliver
Judges: 4-1 for @DaveedGR (80% of judges’ vote)
Popular vote:
@DaveedGR: 97 (55%)
@InkSptsGulliver: 78 (45%)
In the designated Chap Hop Match of the South bracket, two bitter rivals faced off in a duel that became ugly immediately, and degenerated from there. @DaveedGR emerges the victor, but neither man is unscathed after this vicious—and very nearly ungentlemanly—match.
(6) @evanchill vs. (14) @astridhka
Judges: 3-2 for @astridhka
Popular vote:
@evanchill: 75 (48%)
@astridhka: 81 (52%)
The Cinderella Story of 14 seed @astridhka continues, as she advances to the Sweet Sixteen by winning both the popular and also judges’ votes.
(2) @blakehounshell vs. (7) @dianawueger
Judges: 3-2 for @dianawueger
Popular vote:
@blakehounshell: 126 (61%)
@dianawueger: 81 (39%)
In a match that is closer than close, @dianawueger wins 60% of the judges’ vote… but @blakehounshell wins 61% of the popular vote. Congratulations to @dianawueger for a great run and a loss to a popular opponent. @blakehounshell advances to the Sweet Sixteen, but this highly popular 2 seed must surely feel vulnerable at this point.
East Bracket:
@hilango
So far, Twitter Fight Club has exceeded my expectations, representing the height of dignified discourse on the internets. The menhave behavedlike real gentlemen and the women have behaved like true ladies. Round 2 can only bring more joy.
Fight!
@abuaardvark vs. @drjjoyner
As always, @abuaardvark was a strong source of news and insight throughout the day. Also, he has a dog. (I’m not entirely sure why the contestants keep thinking small animals will engender sympathy. Obviously, building a platform on dogs risks alienating the cat electorate, not to mention the livestock people.)
@drjjoyner was even more productive, bombarding my feed with news stories. Also, it didn’t hurt that his avatar was a picture of two children. Granted, we can’t be sure @drjjoyner didn’t pull a @chrisalbon here, but I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. Kids trump puppies.
My choice: @drjjoyner
@stcolumbia vs. @allthingsct
This could have been an interesting fight. But like some other contestants in this competition, @allthingsct didn’t even bother showing up. For shame! Was it fear of the harmless-looking-but-skills-of-a-ninja @stcolumbia that kept her from stepping up to the mic? Maybe dingo hunting season began this week in Australia? Or perhaps someone sent @allthingsct a fine single-malt in the hopes of distracting her? We can only speculate. Mystery down under!
My choice: @stcolumbia
@NaheedMustafa vs. @AdamSerwer
I suspect the knife fight between @DaveedGR and @InkSptsGulliver zapped the power out of the rest of the competition in round 2. There was some pretty lackluster dueling on Friday, with @AdamSerwer trying to stoke anti-elephant sentiments and @NaheedMustafa failing at Star Wars references—neither of which impressed the judges (I think). Both contestants served some good articles throughout the day, but @AdamSerwer’s output was significantly higher. Finally, his tweets on the Trayvon Martin tragedy put it beyond reach.
My choice: @AdamSerwer
@StephanieCarvin vs. @JoshuaFoust
@StephanieCarvin once showed me a picture of her cupcakes. They were Star Wars-themed. For Valentine’s Day. And most impressive (sorry!). But this is Twitter Fight Club, and pastries don’t win you trophies. Besides, @joshuafoust’s constant tweets of “easy” dinners would humble most amateur chefs. No, here we demand blood—not butter.
@StephanieCarvin made a preemptive strike at our sense of honor by announcing she’d be jetlagged. Us judges are not easily swayed by such sentiment (career help is an entirely different matter, and libelous claims that such collegiality would in any way, shape or form alter this judge’s perception of said contestant will be met with harsh rebuke and stern warning of sanctions). Instead, we consider this contest on purely measurable variables in the most objective way possible.
Curiously, bothcontestants incorporated food in their strategy. This is a bit baffling, since talk of food makes me hungry, which in turn makes me grumpy. That aside, @StephanieCarvin powered through the jetlag to tweet about pirates (yarr!), DSK (ewww!), and mammoth inbreeding (ehhh?). All in all, good stuff and she engaged with the ‘readers’ throughout the day. @JoshuaFoust was not as productive, though kept in touch with his tweeps from Canadia. Tweeting about bacon should have given him the victory, but since I can’t have any, he won’t.
My choice: @StephanieCarvin
@katiedemann
Since I have little chance of being as funny in my judging as @brettfriedman or @RBStalin, I have to go with short and sincere. This is the second time I’ve judged this fine quadrant, and the decisions have not gotten any easier…
@abuaardvark v @drjjoyner. Both with doctorates, both smart and engaged tweeters (despite @drjjoyner’s near-constant stream of “New at OTB”), but only one advances in my bracket: with his Kanye references, dog’s presence on NPR, and mockery of tweeters without proper Avatars, @abuaardvark moves ahead. Plus, I have him winning it all in my bracket, so no way I’m shooting myself in the foot when my actual tournament bracket died on day 1.
@stcolumbia v @allthingsct. While I give @stcolumbia a lot of credit for being so involved in our insular, irritating natsec universe, I give the match to @allthingsct for her body of work on twitter over the course of the last however many years I’ve been following her. I always learn something, whether I agree with her or not, and her perspective is well worth reading.
@naheedmustafa v @adamserwer. Two of my very favorite tweeters up against each other! And they’ve been so enthusiastic and fighty! Crap. Decisions. What to do? I’m taking the coward’s way out and tossing a coin: @naheedmustafa.
@stephaniecarvin v @joshuafoust. Stephanie’s put up a good fight against the heavily favored Foust, who hasn’t delivered me any home-cooked food as I demanded in my first-round vote and has expressed indifference toward the vaunted #tfc12. Foust is basically the definition of Twitterfighter. But Stephanie was a janitor for four years (really?) AND she RTs puns about bananas having appeal. Puns win it every time. @stephaniecarvin.
@neilbhatiya
This was a fun bracket to judge, as it contained some of my favorite Twitter people (I followed @JoshuaFoust back when his feed was double-super-secret). This was also an entertaining series of contests to jobs because so many of the tweets on competition day referenced cute animals and, hell, who doesn’t love cute animals?
These are also some of the most informative feeds on Twitter. Just lately: @AdamSerwer has been all over the Trayvon Martin case for Mother Jones; @allthingsct has provided important commentary on the Toulouse killings; @abuaardvark, @drjjoyner, @joshuafoust & @stcolumbia have been great sources of commentary on U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East, especially on Syria; and who isn’t entertained by @NaheedMustafa’s #CommuterChronicles, proving that Canada can be as annoying and disgusting as the United States (cf. mayonnaise on French fries).
Since all of these people are close to each other in terms of engagement, quality information, and contributing to the general utility and fun of Twitter, I decide to judge them by a combination of the best tweet they could muster on or around the competition day (Friday, March 23rd) and my overall opinion of their Twitter prowess. In some cases, the tweet was decisive, in others not so much. Without further ado:
Best tweet from @abuaardvark: Sorry to disappoint, but despite his star turn on today’s radio program my dog was not invited join me and @nprscottsimon tomorrow.
TWEET VERDICT: @drjjoyner
FINAL VERDICT: @abuaardvark
(12) @stcolumbia v. (4) @allthingsct
Best tweet from @stcolumbia: In a time of rapidly shifting baby avatars, my consistently awesome dog is a rock of stability.
Best tweet from @allthingsct: Arrived home to find my cat who I had left with parents is obese. I need a cat fat farm. He’s like 10 kg.
TWEET VERDICT: @stcolumbia
FINAL VERDICT: @stcolumbia
(11) @naheedmustafa v. (3) @adamserwer
Best Tweet from @naheedmustafa: ok no. i’m confused. i’m not competing today. Am I? I can’t read. Whaaat?
Best Tweet from @AdamSerwer: In Game Change, there’s an endnote in invisible ink revealing that @NaheedMustafa introduced John McCain to Sarah Palin
TWEET VERDICT: @AdamSerwer
FINAL VERDICT: @AdamSerwer [as a Marist grad, it stings to advance the fortunes of a Vassar grad, but that’s how the merits add up]
(10) @stephaniecarvin v. (2) joshuafoust
Best tweet from @stephaniecarvin: Gerard Depardieu to play Dominique Strauss-Kahn in French movie. Could DSK play Diepardieu in aeroplane incident film? http://t.co/k2HLMvfA [almost gets no credit for misspelling Depardieu after spelling it correctly just nine words prior]
Best tweet from @joshuafoust: Here is what it looks like to cook lemon-vanilla pancakes over applewood-smoked bacon. http://yfrog.com/h73m7ahj [foodie tweets will get you far]
TWEET VERDICT: @stephaniecarvin
FINAL VERDICT: @joshuafoust
@petulantskeptic
(1) @abuaardvark v. (8) @drjjoyner
Things to know about this matchup. One of them follows me, the other doesn’t. One of them routinely interacts with me, the other doesn’t.
On the other hand, one of them writes important research papers for CNAS explaining why everyone on any US cable television network who ever said anything about intervening in Syria is an idiot (I’m paraphrasing). This one also works for the listicle factory known as Foreign Policy, though as far as I know is not personally involved in creating listicles.
One of them is a former Army officer. I’m an Army officer. Joyner wins. For a (1) seed Marc Lynch really ought to know that he needs to work the judges more.
(12) @stcolumbia v. (4) @allthingsct
Trombly’s avatar is a Rhodesian ridgeback. I have a Rhodesian ridgeback as well (though mine is moreadorable than his [more pictures available upon request]). I’ve known Trombly since he was just another random blogger prodigiously toiling away in [relative] obscurity (I say relative because even on a per word basis, far more people read his words than mine). This is Twitter Fight Club, not some contest in which judging should be impartial. Trombly wins.
(11) @naheedmustafa v. (3) @adamserwer
Neither one follows me. Since I started paying attention to them Naheed seems the more interesting, plus I like voting for underdogs. Naheed wins.
(10) @stephaniecarvin v. (2) joshuafoust
One of these people wore an ascot on Al Jazeera. Anyone who does that would probably ruin me if I didn’t vote for them. Beyond that though, Foust is one of the most legendary Twitter Fighters in the Twitter Fight Sphere, even though he may have lost a step and some of his ambition with age (Twitter years are like dog years, so it’s not inconceivable that a lot changes in a year). Foust used to be one of the most pugnacious pugilists in the Twitterverse, though these days he tends to play a more tactical game holding his immense depth of snark and knowledge in reserve for only those opponents truly worthy of a volley. While I may miss the old, more rambunctious Foust, no one can keep up that level of intensity for an entire Twitter Fight career. Like an old, wise, ascot wearing boxer he has learned to win with his intelligence as well as his fists. Foust wins.
My apologies that I didn’t write y’all a story, in lieu of that I give you:
*** BONUS JUDGING ***
The people running this show tell me this won’t count [Ed: it doesn't], but I don’t care, I’m going to do it anyway.
(6) @evanchill v. (14) @astridhka
Seriously. Evan is a Bears fan. In my first round ballot I speculated that he would totally be able to handle losing. Then after he (despite my vote) won, he confirmed my suspicions. He’s a Bears fan… for them losing is like having a glass of milk to you and I. Then, on the other side of the matchup you have one of the most insightful Horn of Africa tweeters, and also a woman of immense and fantastical taste in television shows (e.g. Friday Night Lights). I don’t know who does the seeding for this stuff (or how they let people like @jstrevino in) but Astrid is criminally underseeded and, since the judges have mysteriously, decided that I can’t judge her half of the bracket I’d like to cast a public vote for her (even if those same powers that be decide that this is meaningless [Ed: it is]).
@speechboy71
In the 1-8 matchup, one’s heart has to go out to @abuaardvark as all his NCAA teams were banished from the tourney (first the Packers and now this) but @drjjoyner is a tweeting machine - respect must be paid. A vote for @drjjoyner
12) @stcolumbia v. 4) @allthingsct - If you don’t tweet, you don’t win. A vote for @stcolumbia (even if I could do with a little less IR theory)
A tough match between @naheedmustafa and @adamserwer with equal levels of snarks and unsubstantiated accusations. But I have to give my vote to @Naheedmustafa; she went against national type in demonstrating that Canadians can be as harsh as Americans in - a significant accomplishment and one that earns her this judge’s nod.
10) @stephaniecarvin v. 2) joshuafoust Neither much impressed with their tweeting, but Foust bought me lunch and I can’t vote for 2 Canadians in a fight club. @joshuafoust gets my vote
South Bracket:
@BareftStratgist
I have to admit I knew very little about #TFC12 before being invited to judge in round 2, beyond new cat & baby-themed profile pictures and liquid refreshment bribes (by the way…still waiting on that Scotch folks). After digging in and watching the judging styles of my more creative and articulate predecessors, I saw there wasn’t much new material for me. Particular props to @brettfriedman for his phenomenal USMC/Star Wars-inspired epic.
Which leaves me really only a 4-metric system for evaluation (to spare those non-military types, I won’t get into which are Measures of Effectiveness and which are Measures of Performance – but feel free to hit up @jon_jeckell if you’re interested).
The four metrics I used were:
1) The likelihood that this story resonated with the contestant – a powerful determinate of both an analytic mind and their geek-quotient.
2) The contestant’s twitter description – a synopsis of their knowledge and level of snarkiness you can expect.
3) The best picture on their twitter account – a symbol of their wit.
4) The contestant that had the best final tweet of the day – let’s face it, who has time to follow every great tweet from the folks for 24 hours? S/he who is best, last wins.
Formalities out of the way –
@dandrezner
@USEmbPretoria
Based on his obsession with zombies – think the contestant felt vindication for much of his adolescent life.
Since it’s the official twitter feed for an embassy, I’m guessing it never role-played as a kid…
“International relations professor, politics junkie, blogger, zombie expert seeking intellectual company on the web. No freaks.”
“United States Diplomatic Mission to South Africa”
Rejected subtitle was, “Get Off My Lawn You Punks!”
Oh, Khaya.
“An interesting @jbplainblog point about exactly how elections have consequences: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/post/new-world-bank-chief-shows-that-elections-have-consequences/2012/03/23/gIQASnLuVS_blog.html” - in which the author quotes the contestant…good strong self-promotional exit.
“Foreign policy and national interests: China, oil and the Sudans: http://wapo.st/GMNpYh (Washington Post)
@dandrezner obviously comes out ahead in my completely logical evaluation system. While @USEmbPretoria is ever-informative on African issues, official organizations are at a handicap for humor and personality.
@InkSptsGulliver
@DaveedGR
Based on the amount of snark and pictures of booze on this contestants twitter feed, it’s guaranteed he had an adolescence filled with horrid experiences involving role playing.
Way too cool for an imagination - @DaveedGR was the formidable debate team kid, not the backroom gamer.
“Ink Spots is a blog dedicated to the discussion of security issues across the spectrum of conflict & around the world. I’m a cog in the mil-industrial machine.”
“Author of Bin Laden’s Legacy.”
Feeling pretty confident I’m the only straight man here tonight.
“@KeithB18 I’m not sure he can explain how the Spurs always have some terrible rookie scoring 18 by banking in threes and shit.”
“I’m off Twitter for the evening. I’d like to thank my friend, the virtually unreadable @InkSptsGulliver, for a great match.”
This was an extremely tough call. Both contestants overflow with snark and confrontation. They both obviously know how to play the TFC game…throwing shots at each other all day. While @DaveedGR is the favorite, @InkSpotsGulliver does better on most of my evaluation criteria. Based on the final tweet-suckerpunch by @DaveedGR, though, he gets my vote. Well done gents.
@evanchill
@astridhka
As a Bears fan, he lacks imagination…
Definitely not…too extroverted and engaging.
“Al Jazeera English online producer, Wisconsin raised Chicago Bears fan, Radiohead listener, middle initial C. evan [dot] hill [at] aljazeera [dot] net.”
“aid worker in the Horn of Africa.”
” Carlos Latuff turned this one around within like six hours. Someone tell this man to take a break once in a while.”
Only works on @petulantskeptic, I’m afraid…
“@austin_riggs My bracket is just ridiculous right now,”
“Somali PM is asked who’s the real parliament speaker, essentially says, “This gov’t is over in August; who cares?” http://is.gd/QKSvTb
This was another tight contest, though for different reasons. Both contestants are prolific in their serious coverage of their areas – amazing lack of snark. Both are very engaging and are in constant discussion with others on Twitter. Again, it comes down to the final tweet – and @astridhka’s strong finish with a little humor took her over the top.
@dianawueger
@blakehounshell
I can see @dianawueger pandering to poor gamers, but, like @astridhka, she’s too extroverted and engaging for this story to resonate.
Quick, witty, imaginative, and worldly…can see him as running the show.
“Writing about small arms, slightly larger arms, foreign affairs, natsec, & facial hair. I love a well-turned phrase.”
“Managing editor of Foreign Policy magazine. Opinions my own. RT ? endorsement. Buy my book! http://amzn.to/u6uNL6”
“”Hoodies don’t fit in today’s society” says man with horrible 1970s pedophile mustache.” – retweet from @Wonderella
“GOP primary bad for ratings RT @memeorandum: Television News and the Incredibly Shrinking 2012 Campaign http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/03/22/television-news-and-the-incredibly-shrinking-2012-campaign.html
By far the toughest contest of the day. As one of the progenitors of TFC, @dianawueger knows how to throw it down, while @blakehounshell is one of the anchors of NatSec/FoPo on Twitter. Their pictures alone should push them both through to the next round, but alas:
While the last tweet is less than decisive for either contestant (@dianawueger’s is amusing, but merely a re-tweet and @blakehounshell’s only a quick direct to an informative piece on politics), @blakehounshell’s hat tip to Playgirl’s Geraldo edition pushed him ahead. Add to that @blakehounshell’s likely abilities at role play and game theory (not to mention his gigantic and cult-like following on Twitter), and he cruises to victory. Well played, @blakehounshell.
Not a lot of heat from this contest pitting the #1 seed (Dan Drezner) against the plucky #9 seed (USEmbPretoria). Both sides kept themselves at an exceedingly boring, if civil, distance for the duration of the day. However, as @DaveedGR was kind enough to highlight a few days ago, I am perfectly willing to consider “fair judging & impartiality gifts” from contestants, and Drezner at least had the good sense to follow me. As a result of that gesture, my thus-enhanced open mind led me to the conclusion that @USEmbPretoria didn’t do enough to upend a #1 seed.
Vote: Drezner.
5) @InkSptsGulliver v. 4) @DaveedGR
Watching these two go at it yesterday was reminiscent of just about every day on twitter, ever. Fighting trousers were donned, wigs powdered, gloves were cracked across ruddy cheeks…the usual. When the dust settled, @DaveedGR scored points for profile pic pugnacity, but lost some for his savaging of my first round judging lapse and his refusal to change his name to either Maximum Fighting Power Jones or Count R. Terrorism (a suggestion that earned Gully points of his own). Further, as a member of The Progressive Realist network, Gully does enjoy certain priviliges with certain judges which on a normal fighting day would seal the deal for the Inked one…but then came the bombshell announcement that Gully’s blog-mate @JasonFritz1 was actually endorsing DGR.
(An audible chorus of harumphs ensued, chins were stroked, brows were furrowed, tabulations were re-tabulated)
That revelation, and the highly strategic #FF from DGR, pushed the needle every so slightly in favor of Maximum Fighting Power Jones.
Vote: @DaveedGR, in the toughest decision of the day.
6) @evanchill v. 14) @astridhka
Like the @dandrezner v. @USEmbPretoria match-up, these contestants could have taken a cue from Inky and DGR and mixed it up a bit more. @astridhka went so far as to call @evanchill an…”excellent journalist.” Yeah, that’ll leave a mark. For his part, @evanchill launched such heavy artillery as “goody two-shoes aid worker” coupled with a misspelled username. Not exactly the stuff of legends here.
In terms of sympathy votes, @astridhka’s loss of 4 hours’ worth of work to an Excel freeze-up tugged on my office dwelling heart strings. But I’m not sure it was enough firepower to overtake the favorite.
Vote: @evanchill
7) @dianawueger v. 2) @blakehounshell
This duel features a match-up of two people that I’ve actually met in the real world, and consumed alcohol with. So that’s something I suppose.
@blakehounshell did his best to keep a “positive” tone, embracing “bold ideas” and characterizing his opponent as negative. His most effective tactic was clearly the deployment of pictures of his adorable 5 day old son. That, and a DGR inspired #FF (though, as @dianawueger pointed out, the #FF didn’t accompany an actual follow. Ahem. Points nullified). Despite his pledge to keep it positive, the judges would have liked to see a little more fight out of the newly minted father.
@dianawueger on the other hand put forth a tantalizing offer of free scotch for the judges - the global currency of awesome. Also, veiled threats about inclusion in #TFC13. Devastating. Miscellania: bedazzling references, owls, correcting the editor and more barbs landed than absorbed.
Normally, that would tilt the contest toward @dianawueger, but @blakehounshell has two aces up his sleeve:
1. As a new father, he earns my sympathy vote for the lack of sleep he will suffer over the coming months. That, and his impending realization that for the next 18 years or so, he will never really have a “day off.” Weekends? Vacations? Those words are hollow.
2. Blake and I used to blog together at American Footprints waaaaay back in the day when he wrote under the handle praktike. That’s gotta count for something when trying to pick a winner in a matchup between two people that deserve to move on.
Vote: ever so slight nod in the direction of @blakehounshell. Also the toughest decision of the day.
@mvallonesta
When I was contacted by the organizers of Twitter Fight Club about judging, I was a little hesitant to do so. Not because of any concern about my ability to be objective, but more regarding my ability to match the humor and wit seen on previous rulings (preview: not going to happen). That being said, I’m more than happy to be here and will lay out my voting below. I look at two criteria when evaluating participants in Twitter Fight Club: quality of material presented and quantity of tweets. Quality of tweets should be seen in both the user generated content and the quality of provided links. Quantity of tweets is pretty self-explanatory, though more weight was given to unique content then retweeting. As tempting as it is to look at external factors (articles, papers, books, Klout scores, shameless pandering to the judge, etc.), the rules of the competition focus on activity during the time period in question.
Matchup 1: #1 @dandrezner v. #9 @USEmbPretoria
@USEmbPretoria draws a tough matchup with one of the three remaining #1 seeds in TFC. Despite limited familiarity with @USEmbPretoria prior to the start of TFC, I’ve been very impressed by both the quality and quantity of the twitter feed. Many governmental twitter feeds fail on both of these measures, managing to infrequently post banal talking points that have all the personality of linoleum. With tweets ranging from explanations of African Union activity to the Judicial Service of Ghana, there’s something for almost everyone. It makes for interesting reading and is well worth following.
@dandrezner’s feed doesn’t quite match @USEmbPretoria for quantity of content, but I believe there’s an edge in quality. Some of the articles provided proved to be exceptionally interesting and topics included as diverse topics as comparing college football to the Hunger Games and how to get into grad school (as someone who just finished applying that was particularly appreciated).
Result: A surprisingly close match-up, but I give the vote to @dandrezner based on quality of entrees. @USEmbPretoria is definitely worth a follow though.
Matchup 2: #5 @InkSptsGulliver v. #4 @DaveedGR
This was a difficult match to follow, not because of any failings on participants but because of the sheer volume of tweets. To say that these two participants attempted to flood the zone with tweets does a disservice to the phrase. If you haven’t looked at the exchange they had on Friday, go back and do that now, I’ll wait. … … Actually, scrap that, it would take a good solid hour to work through all of their tweets, we’ll continue on. While the length was rather daunting, the back and forth was extremely enjoyable. For better or worse, it was incredibly effective at distracting from me from my attempts to be productive.
Looking back at the two feeds now, it looks like @DaveedGR was the more prolific tweeter- how he managed that given that he was on a plane for part of the day is beyond me. To his credit, @InkSptsGulliver observed a pause during the flight before resuming hostilities. This is part and parcel with a longer-running twitter feud/admiration fest between the two. The quality of both Twitter feeds was impressive, ranging from discussion of Mavericks basketball (which is described as ‘bad’, clearly they haven’t seen the Celtics this season) to follow-up on the Toulouse shootings. For further details, @noahchestnut has a fairly comprehensive overview of the morning portion of their match-up here.
Result: It’s difficult to determine a winner in this one, but I think I have to give my vote to @DaveedGR for sheer numbers. Both feeds are excellent and well-worth reading, so @DaveedGR gets the nod for quantity.
Matchup 3: #6 @evanchill v. #14 @astridhka
I didn’t follow @evanchill prior to Twitter Fight Club and clearly this was my loss, his reporting appears to be always interesting and insightful. @astridhka I’ve followed for some time and remains a top-quality twitter feed focused on the HoA. The rankings indicate a bit of a mismatch, but the actual competition proved to be pretty close.
@evanchill clearly wins in terms of quantity of tweets, but quality of tweets is harder to discern. @evanchill’s feed provides coverage around the globe, ranging from Syria to Kandahar to US domestic politics. @astridhka remains more focused on Africa, but this focus allows for some very interesting analysis/links on activities there (particularly given events in Mali).
Result: @evanchill wins on quantity and the quality of both feeds isn’t significantly different enough to overcome that, meaning this round goes to @evanchill
Matchup 4: #7 @dianawueger v. #2 @blakehounsell
This was a difficult competition to rule on as both contestants have top-notch feeds that I’ve followed for some time. And both brought their “A game” to the table on Friday. While there wasn’t a done of engagement between the two, there was sufficient back-and-forth to make it interesting.
@dianawueger had a solid day of tweeting both for quantity and quality. Topics ranged from bedazzler technology to Swiss water-safety to Trayvon Martin. She also gets points for linking to one of the cutest pictures of baby owls I’ve ever seen. If the link to the scotch ice cream concoction she had posted earlier this week had made an occurrence, that likely would have secured a nod.
@blakehounsell provided an impressive day of tweets, including interesting links and analysis. Topics covered included Mali, fall-out from Greg Smith’s Goldman op-ed and the on-going 2012 GOP primary. Also, surprisingly, links to Conan O’Brien’s coverage of Obama’s world bank pick.
Result: If this were simply focused on national security tweets, @blakehounsell’s volume of tweets would be the clear winner. As it is more expansive, the range of topics discussed by @dianawueger make me pick her in an upset.
@trdeghett
1) @dandrezner v. 9) @USEmbPretoria
Both of these tweeters put out great content. The embassy has the honor of being one of the few non-individual twitter feeds that pulls off a personal feel, but Drezner made a good showing with today’s tweeting on Obama’s World Bank pick and more.
It’s a close race, but I vote for @dandrezner. Hope to see @USEmbPretoria come back around next year.
5) @InkSptsGulliver v. 4) @DaveedGR
This fight got ugly quickly with @InkSptsGulliver starting out the match by accusing @DaveedGR of being a fictional character and @DaveedGR returned fire by challenging Gulliver for allegedly being a boring and unreadable blogger. @InkSptsGulliver lost points with me by pulling @JasonFritz1 into the fray and Jason’s subsequent endorsement of @DaveedGR was a major boost. Ultimately, though, I wished that they had spent a little more time being their usual informative selves on Twitter, and since @DaveedGR did that the most of the two…
My vote goes to @daveedgr.
6) @evanchill v. 14) @astridhka
@evanchill has a lot going for him in #TFC12 and I only just started following @astridhka’s feed, but she’s definitely worth it. It’s hard to top Hill’s follower count and his Al Jazeera ties, etc… but @astridhka’s no slouch. Hill gets extra credit for asking for the vote in Arabic, but @astridhka wins the day with her consistent, informative and opinionated Africa tweeting.
My vote goes to @astridhka.
7) @dianawueger v. 2) @blakehounshell
This just is not a fair match-up to have to judge: I rely on both of these two tweeters for their solid expertise and for the wit they bring in 140 characters. Hounshell’s comprehensive world news tweeting and his RTs with snarky/pithy commentary were matched up with @dianawueger’s usual stellar mix of snark and weapons-tweeting (plus a discussion of Somali pirates and guyliner).
I vote @dianawueger.
@WThomasWebb
Today was truly the day-of-days to be a Twitter Fight Club 2012 judge. As the day progressed, upsets could be felt waiting in the wings and the body blows of rhetorical heavyweights did not disappoint. Would the witty 1-seed professor, who squeaked by the charismatic 16-seed, earn his ranking against a US embassy? Could a TFC sponsor upend a FP Magazine editor and popular Middle East expert? Did the aid worker mobilize the good-will she tries to sow against an Al-Jazeera producer? Best of all, the far-too-early-in-the-bracket prize fight between precocious partisans @InkSptsGulliver and @DaveedGR drew not just the crowds en masse, but the jeers and cheers of an audience enthralled.
Both contestants followed your humble judge once the matchup and judges were announced. Each contestant is a must follow if you’re not already (albeit, you probably are). This one was actually one of the closer matches of the day. Each contestant tweeted a plethora of important, topical, and timely articles. Further equalizers were @dandrezner’s having to catch a flight and @USEmbPretoria’s time-zone disadvantage. Even their nice-fight was on display, with the academic giving up a #FF to his bureaucratic adversary and the latter plying me with his chic flag avatar, in contrast to the child-puppy-kitten avatars currently trending.
Both sides stuck to what they do best, only one side did it better. @dandrezner’s “So you want to get into a Ph.D. in political science Ph.D. program, Episode II: Attack of the Postgrads was the lynchpin of the competition. Influenced by a request from our intrepid oraganizer @caidid, his series on PhD admissions is a must read, and shows the power of Twitter’s interconnectivity. This isn’t to say @USEmbPretoria isn’t a shining light in a cesspool of poor embassy feeds, and I know next year our South African mission will be contender to be reckoned with.
Articulate adversaries. Forsworn friends. Rambunctious rivals. Alliteration abounds amongst articulate attritionists, aiming at ameliorating anger. @DaveedGR gave the lie immediately, as I had just arrived at work. Witty and unhindered, he launched a rhetorical broadside at @InkSptsGulliver to which the blogger was able to respond to intermittently. Soon the pace quickened on both ends, leading to a what I could only be taken as a Pyrrhic victory by either side. For the sake of brevity, check out this story one the morning’s fireworksby ‘Noah Chestnut’. With such banter, how do I even begin to vote? Here’s the major difference: Daveed weaponized his feed for the day’s fight, up-armoring and dedicating the day to destruction. On the other hand, Gulliver stuck to what he does best: asking young people to get off his rhetorical lawn, bitching about the NBA, and giving Daveed a few good body-blows 140 characters at a time.
In the end, I side with Gulliver, only on the basis of his human display. Any man who can go toe-to-toe with @DaveedGR and then rage against the Spurs has proved his worth.
This one became easier as the day went on. @astridhka engaged and kept up her expected humor, while @evanchill couldn’t bring himself to hit the follow button. A early #FF and a few jokes just wasn’t enough to overcome the charms of his opponent.
Diana ran away with this one. As with Evan, Blake went with the #FF, but didn’t follow through on his own recommendation. The TFC sponsor and tireless editor of a band of blogging misfits found time to work and serve up some great laughs during a match I thought would be much closer. I sympathize with Blake’s new child, but sympathy has no place in war. None. Ever. Ever ever.
@RogueAdventurer and @mariastoh are in the lead after the first round with 28 points apiece. Two brackets were submitted with no Twitter handle listed. If you are one of those people, feel free to email [email protected] to let us know what your handle is, and we’ll update it on the next bracket post. Also, if you think there is an error in the scoring, drop us a line.
@jeffemanuel graciously brought it to my attention that I had, in a fit of tired, placed him on the judging panel for his own match. I have amended this. The new judging panel set-ups for Monday are as follows:
TwitterFightClub 2012 moves on to Round 2, after a Round 1 filled with a healthy mix of close matches and blowouts, major upsets and predictable outcomes. We’ll break down all of the Day 4 action below, but first, let’s set up Round 2. In discussing the ‘regions’ for the rest of this post, we’ll be using the north, south, east, and west designations set up by Noah Chestnut in his fantastic match previews. The Round 2 action for the East and South regions will happen on Friday. We’ll let the contestants rest up on the weekend and post the standings in the bracket pool as of the end of Round 1. The North and West regions will battle it out on Monday, and Monday’s judges will be:
North (@attackerman is the one seed):
@aelkus
@Ali_Gharib
@RBStalin
@SecurityScholar
@timmathews
West (@SlaughterAM was the one seed):
@HayesBrown
@HerbCarmen
@jeffemanuel
@johnsonr
@shephardm
Round 2: Day 1 Match-ups
The judges for today’s matches are:
East:
@hilango
@katiedemann
@neilbhatiya
@petulantskeptic
@speechboy71
South:
@BareftStratgist
@EricMartin24
@mvallonesta
@trdeghett
@WThomasWebb
Usual reminders: the panel’s judgment will count for 50% of the vote, with each judge representing one-fifth of that total. So don’t forget to vote: in a close match, as history has shown, the popular vote can overrule a split judging panel. Judges and voters alike are encouraged to look at metrics such as: knowledge base; quality of argumentation; innovative thinking; humor, snark, facility with quips, and charisma; and responsiveness to followers. Contestants’ full bodies of work on Twitter are fair game, but any work outside of Twitter should not be considered, and once again everyone is encouraged to make their decisions in their own way.
Round 1: Day 4 Results
(1) @SlaughterAM vs. (16) @zoonpolitikon
Judges: 4-1 for @zoonpolitikon (80% of judges’ vote)
Popular vote:
@SlaughterAM: 167 (52%)
@zoonpolitikon: 154 (48%)
In a stunning upset, @SlaughterAM becomes the first one seed in TwitterFightClub to go down to a 16 seed. According to news reports, the flag is flying at half-mast in Princeton, New Jersey this morning.
(8) @tweetsintheme vs. (9) @brianfishman
Judges: 4-1 for @tweetsintheme (80% of judges’ vote)
Popular vote:
@tweetsintheme: 135 (71%)
@brianfishman: 56 (29%)
The judges were clearly appreciative of @tweetsintheme’s expertise and granular knowledge of North Africa and the Sahel. @brianfishman is, of course, no slouch either. If he wants to advance past the first round next year, he may want to increase the frequency of his tweets.
(5) @CChristineFair vs. (12) @JimmySky
Judges: 5-0 for @JimmySky (100% of judges’ vote)
Popular vote:
@CChristineFair: 72 (35%)
@JimmySky: 133 (65%)
Another upset, albeit not quite as stunning as @SlaughterAM’s defeat. As one judge noted, @JimmySky’s recognized expertise in hippies is finally paying off.
(4) @jeffemanuel vs. (13) @peterjmunson
Judges: 4-1 for @jeffemanuel (80% of judges’ vote)
Popular vote:
@jeffemanuel: 185 (65%)
@peterjmunson: 100 (35%)
A hard-fought match by two contestants whose respect for each other came across throughout the match. Note to other competitors: we do not encourage this!
(6) @max_fisher vs. (11) @drfarls
Judges: 3-2 for @drfarls (60% of judges’ vote)
Popular vote:
@max_fisher: 139 (64%)
@drfarls: 77 (36%)
Developing a broad following can be a real asset in TwitterFightClub. @drfarls wins the expert judges’ votes, but loses because of @max_fisher’s slightly larger advantage in the popular vote. If just a few more #TFC12 supporters had cast their votes for @drfarls, he would be the one advancing instead.
(3) @elilake vs. (14) @laurenist
Judges: 5-0 for @laurenist (100% of judges’ vote)
Popular vote:
@elilake: 71 (29%)
@laurenist: 171 (71%)
A strangely polite and pacifistic @elilake comes up against a pugilistic @laurenist, and goes down not swinging. The great and often underrated @laurenist sees her Twitter star continue to rise.
(7) @ibishblog vs. (10) @azelin
Judges: 5-0 for @azelin (100% of judges’ vote)
Popular vote:
@ibishblog: 47 (27%)
@azelin: 129 (73%)
@azelin’s highly impressive knowledge of all things jihad carries the young whippersnapper to the second round.
(2) @texasinafrica vs. (15) @markkersten
Judges: 5-0 for @texasinafrica (100% of judges’ vote)
Popular vote:
@texasinafrica: 209 (87%)
@markkersten: 31 (13%)
@texasinafrica becomes the first #TFC12 contestant to top 200 popular votes. Can this formidable contestant be stopped? It’s @azelin’s turn to try next, as two people with clearly recognizable expertise face off.
Let’s let the judges tell you how they made their decisions.
@AllThingsHLS
Wow, when I volunteered to be a judge on TwitterFightClub 2012, I didn’t know that being a judge required more than just the ability to be snarky about people I don’t know and who probably really don’t care a lick what I think. Clearly knowledge and ability to photo shop and link multiple websites within a single sentence is a prerequisite to being a judge. Well, you’ll get none of that here; just straight, unbiased analysis of each contestant’s contributions to National Security on Twitter
(1) @SlaughterAM vs (16) @zoonpolitikon
I have to admit that I had never heard of @zoonpolitikon before twitter fight club 2012. But having followed him in order to properly evaluate his feed, I was most impressed by his immediate follow back. But with only about 900 followers, compared with @SlaughterAM’s 26,000 followers, he doesn’t stand a chance. After all, EVEN I have 900 followers. OK, most of them are sex spambots, but they still count. And what’s with his new Avatar? Are there really that many Nat Sec Spock aficionados on Twitter? But what about his feed? OK he tweets in German and French and English. Big whoop! I can tweet in Spanglish.
@SlaughterAM, on the other hand, enters this tournament a strong favorite to take it all based on the quality and quantity of her National Security feed. She’s got the tools, she’s got the talent…and oh, her contacts. So why does she feel the need to pander and say “vote for me, vote for me! I want to win”? Shame @SlaughterAM, for shame. C’mon Anne-Marie, you are BETTER than that. I still think she is going to take it all, but I’m going for the upset. (You’re not on the Doctoral Admissions Committee at Princeton, are you? Because if you are, that changes EVERYTHING!)
Advantage @zoonpolitikon
(8) @tweetsintheme vs (9)@brianfishman
This was actually an easy decision for me, because even though these two are very evenly ranked, @tweetsintheme has been at the center of Twitter Nat Sec feeds longer and more prolifically than @brianfishman, despite Brian bringing impressive CTC credentials to the fight. Also, not that it matters of course, but @tweetsintheme bought me a Guinness last time I was in DC. @brianfishman…well, lets just say we met in a coffee shop in Chinatown. A *COFFEE* shop.
Here’s the *tale of the tape*: 19,713 tweets vs 957 tweets; 4,398 followers vs 1,786 followers; following 774 vs 435. And even though Brian sprinted hard late in the day with a spurt of one tweet per minute in the last hour I counted, it is simply too little, too late.
Plus, as @noahchestnut pointed out, “Can’t root for a Bruin.”
Advantage @tweetsintheme
(5) @CChristineFair vs (12) @JimmySky
In this 1st round match-up, @JimmySky is clearly overmatched by @CChristineFair, despite a solid portfolio of entertaining and informative tweets regarding Nat Sec matters. For most of the day, @JimmySky was unfortunately *out-of-pocket* due to work so we are left with evaluating him based on a body of work from his previous 26,000 + tweets. What is most impressive, however, is when he finally got back on Twitter he immediately pandered to the judges by giving us all an early #FF.
The odds-on favorite, @CChristineFair, brings a lot of great tweets to the table. You gotta respect someone who invites anonymous ad hominem attacks in her twitter profile. With a constantly shifting avatar meant to confuse and confound her attackers she put the bite in the phrase “meaner than a junkyard dog” (but knowing how she loves dogs, I mean it in a good way.) In that way she reminds me of my ex-wife…who doesn’t follow me either…but I digress. Unfortunately for @CChristineFair, (does she even know she’s playing?) the matchup I want to see next is @JimmySky vs @JeffEmanuel, because they know how to play the game.
Advantage @JimmySky
(4) @JeffEmanuel vs (13) @peterjmunson
Well, I guess I let the cat out of the bag. My vote is going to @JeffEmanuel. So rather than extoling his Twitter virtues, let me talk about @peterjmunson. To quote @noahchestnut (again) “I want @peterjmunson to win if for nothing else he is a resident of the greatest city on earth, Tampa, Florida. This marine makes a compelling case but he is no match for @jeffemanuel’s 5,500+ followers and steady stream of chatter.” If I read his feed correctly he is an NPS/NSA graduate. Which makes him whip smart. And if that wasn’t enough, all these people want him to win: @CarlPrine, @kiptwhit, @DoctrineMan, @Ibishblog and even @JeffEmanuel. In a perfect world, @peterjmunson would have been in a different bracket. But this is Twitterfightclub.
Advantage @JeffEmanuel
The next four votes are easier because I went in having my clear favorites.
(6) @Max_Fisher vs (11) @drfarls
Is there anybody out in Twitterland who wants to be a journo that would admit to voting against @Max_Fisher? I think not. After all he holds the proverbial keys to the writing kingdom, at least @TheAtlantic. His feed today, however, wasn’t as prolific or interesting as usual, and he was clearly out tweeted by @drfarls. In a real-world competition, with independent judges and an honest evaluation, my vote would be going to the underdog. But I have a future article to pitch….
Advantage @Max_Fisher
(3) @EliLake vs (14) @laurenist
@EliLake initially acted as though he was too good for TwitterFightClub, and didn’t want to participate. He threw his vote and supporters to @laurenist. Then he changed his mind and like @SlaughterAM wrote “Vote for meeee!” While he certainly has the number of followers and the quality of tweets to win the entire contest, for me it is too late.
For lots of reasons, not the least of which was that I originally thought her feed was that of Senator Jim Webb, (why was he using a woman’s pseudonym? I wondered) I am throwing my vote to @laurenist. Good luck beating @Max_Fisher
Advantage @laurenist
(7) @Ibishblog vs (10) @azelin
Interesting matchup, this one. @Ibishblog reminds me of a Golden Retriever wearing a bow tie. Funny, prolific, always interesting. @azelin reminds me of a Jack Russell terrier. Always moving, barking nipping at your heels, but with great information on terrorist groups. If I were voting with my brain, the intellectual stimulus I get from reading and researching @Ibishblog’s tweets would carry the day. But I’ve always admired the underdog, the little guy. And my field is CT. Which is why I like @azelin. Like they say, it’s not the size of the dog in the fight, but the fight in the dog.
Advantage @azelin
(2)@texasinafrica vs (15) @markkersten
As @markkersten stated, this is “a David and Goliath matchup.” Not knowing much about either candidate or Africa, I’m going to go with the Texas part (inasmuch as my mom’s family is originally from El Paso, which technically west Texas, but most real Texans think it is part of Mexico, or if they are kind New Mexico). Both feeds are interesting with the nod going to @texasinafrica for recent tweets on the ongoing crisis in Mali. Maybe next year @markkersten.
Advantage @texasinafrica
@blogsofwar
@SlaughterAM v. @ZoonPolitikon: Anne-Marie had a slow day today while
ZoonPolitikon brought some admirable game in the face of overwhelming
odds. He brought a cat too but I’m not sure that helped. Anne-Marie
walks away with this one on the basis of her overall use of the medium
and her credentials - a rare combination even if you disagree with
her. ZoonPolitikon deserves your follow and maybe a more reasonable
opponent next year.
@TweetsintheME v. @Brianfishman: I have a secret list of about 150
sources worldwide that are rock solid. These are folks who absolutely
know their stuff beyond a shadow of a doubt. They are also prolific.
TweetsintheME is on that list. Brianfishman is worthy and I follow him
closely but TweetsintheMe takes this one for churning out the good
stuff day in and day out.
@CChristineFair v. @JimmySky: I watch both CChristineFair and JimmySky
closely and value both of their feeds but JimmySky regularly brings a
perspective on defense acquisition/budget issues that is rare and
quite enlightening. JimmySky wins.
@JeffEmanuel v. @PeterJMunson: I’m fairly new to PeterJMunson but he’s
going to be a regular read for me from here on out. JeffEmanuel takes
this one though for his combat veteran perspective, thoughtful
analysis, and no bullshit approach.
@Max_Fisher v. @DrFarls: Max_Fisher is consistently surfacing good
stories, often with insightful comments thrown in, but dude is an
editor at TheAtlantic.com so that is basically his job. Still, his is
a high quality feed. DrFarls is definitely worthy of a follow but he
is outgunned here.
@EliLake v @Laurenist: Laurenist has been a great resource for me - even
though she might not know that. She seemingly knows everyone, or at
least a lot of quality Beltway twitter types, so I have discovered a
ton of great sources through her. She also has a perspective on
international development that I find particularly useful as I’m
piecing together my own views and for that, and a ton of quality
snark, she gets the nod. It goes without saying that EliLake is must
follow.
@IbishBlog v. @Azelin: Azelin only recently allowed public access to his
feed so a lot of folks may not think of him as a Twitter heavyweight
but the guy is absolutely rock solid. He is one of those rare sources
who’s material I can consume without question. If his expertise can be
challenged it is not by me - not by a long shot. If Azelin knew
anything more about jihad than he does now we’d have to set a Predator
on him.
@TexasinAfrica v. @Markkersten: I could give TexasinAfrica the nod here
for all sorts of sentimental reasons - her taste in food, music, and
the fact that she’s a fellow Texan. But I’ll give her the win because
she is, like so many of these competitors, an amazingly accessible
subject matter expert on a vital topic. Markkersten is new to me but
I’m glad to have found him. He’ll be a regular read from here on out.
@brettfriedman
It is the summer of 2012. The President of Syria, Bashar Al-Assad,
formed an alliance with al-Qaeda, the Zerg from Starcraft, the Orcs
from Lord of the Rings, and the Jersey Shore kids. President Obama,
seeing that Syria could now be used as a safe haven for these
insidious forces to launch terrorist attacks as far as the Outer Rim
galaxies, decided to intervene. He knew that he could not just hand an
operation of such galactic import to the standard crop of generals, so
he sought out and found an officer of such Honor, Courage, and
Committment that victory would be assured. That officer was the lowly
mustang Captain Friedman, held back by a viscous bureaucracy and a
never-ending stream of TPS reports without their cover sheets. The
President frocked the young Captain to the only rank commensurate with
his abilities, Grand Moff, and presented the Death Star rank insignia
himself. There was much wailing and gnashing of teeth amongst the
Generals, adorned only with normal stars, but amongst the enlisted
ranks there was much rejoicing. The Grand Moff immediately rolled his
sleeves in tight, Marine Corps fashion and got to work.
The mission was to establish a beachhead on the Meditteranean coast of
Syria to allow follow on forces to reach the warzone while the MEC
(Marine Expeditionary Corps, a new Marine Air Grand Task Force
designed by the Grand Moff that encompassed the entire Marine Corps)
held the line against the axe-wielding orcs, swarming zerglings,
suicide bombers, and Syrian tanks. Under the leadership of the Grand
Moff however, the MEC sliced through the combined forces of evil with
such alacrity that the MEC drove their enemies all the way to
Damascus. The Grand Moff circulated the battle field mounted on that
greatest of desert conveyences, the Bantha, and wrought destruction on
the Syrian forces with his pulse rifle. Finally, as the MEC besieged
the enemy forces in Damascus, the Grand Moff and his aide, newly
minted Marine Private Katy Perry, settled into the MEC Combat
Operations Center to direct the final defeat of Assad’s legions. They
were expecting a visit from General Mattis.
General Mattis strode up to the tent with a pinch of Copenhagen in one
side of his mouth and a lit cigar in the other. He fist-bumped the
Grand Moff, then they punched each other in the face and laughed.
“It’s good to see you again,” General Mattis said. “I remember when
you were a Second Lieutenant at TBS and I was CG TECOM. Who knew you’d
be a Grand Moff someday?”
“I did, of course,” the Grand Moff said. “We’ll talk in a moment. The
artillery is ready and I need to unleash the big guns.” Private Katy
Perry started unbuttoning her blouse.
“Not those guns, Private!” the Grand Moff said. “The artillery!”
The Grand Moff, General Mattis, Private Katy Perry, and the bantha laughed.
Once the order to fire was given, the artillery tore through orcs,
Assad forces, terrorists, and Zerg egg sacks alike. The Grand Moff’s
eye gleams as his beloved cannon did their glorious work.
“Now, General Mattis, what can I do for you?”
“Well, I don’t know if you’ve heard, but the President just appointed
me as Commander of all Combatant Commands because I’m General Mattis.”
“Sir,” Private Katy Perry said. “Don’t you have to be confirmed by Congress?”
Everybody laughed.
“That’s funny. Now, as Grand Moff I was wondering if you could give me
some guidance on how to handle some issues that have popped up in
other parts of the world. I’ll keep a lid on things while you wrap up
this little intervention,” General Mattis said.
“Not a problem, General. We’ll set up a twitter feed for the COC so we
can keep tabs of everything.” The three Marines huddled around the
ancient, desktop computer that was all the Marine Corps had in the way
of information systems and were joined by the rest of the inhabitants
of the COC as well.
“Hmm @SlaughterAM is usually pretty active and is certainly
well-informed. But I don’t see much here.”
“Check out this feed: @zoonpolitikon. He’s been tweeting all day, and
some of it’s pretty funny.”
The Grand Moff pronounced, “Although @zoonpolitikon chose a scifi
avatar, it’s Star Trek. Star Trek is for nerds. But, @SlaughterAM
isn’t giving me much to work with today. Follow him.” Private Katy
Perry did so.
“Ok, I’ve got two great feeds. @tweetsintheME and @brianfishman.
They’re both knowledgeable, but @brianfishman tweeted some zingers
today.”
The Grand Moff spoke again, “Pick the funny one. We need to keep
morale up around here.”
“How about @CChristineFair or @JimmySky?”
“@JimmySky’s a former Air Force Security Forces officer. What did he
guard, an air conditioner?” Laughter again filled the tent.
“I love @CChristineFair, but she barely took the field today. Follow
@JimmySky,” the Grand Moff said.
“These two are far more difficult to judge. @jeffemanuel and @peterjmunson.”
“Hey, I know Peter Munson,” General Mattis said. “He’s at CENTCOM. He
writes those fantastic blog posts.”
“Not lately, General. I put him to work on a special team designing a
C-130 equipped with a full battery of 105mm howitzers instead of just
one,” said the Grand Moff.
“We should follow him,” General Mattis said.
“Well, @jeffemanuel has a lot of great tweets and seems to be a fan of
mine,” the Grand Moff said. “Follow them both.”
“Yes, sir,” Private Katy Perry said but, being a Private, she screwed
it up and only followed @peterjmunson.
“What about @max_fisher or @drfarls?”
“@drfarls is in Kentucky. Being an Ohioan myself, I’ve always liked
Kentucky. Plus, he thinks we should abolish the Air Force,” the Grand
Moff said. Everyone in the tent said in unison, “@drfarls.”
“Okay. @Elilake or @laurenist?”
“I say @laurenist,” said one observer. “She seems very physically fit.
She’s always at the gym.”
“@Elilake said here that he will limit his tweets to constructive
criticism, positive and sincere feedback.”
“That reeks of pacifism,” General Mattis said.
“I agree,” said the Grand Moff. “We want fighters. Follow @laurenist.”
“How about @ibishblog or @azelin?”
“Another tough one,” said the Grand Moff. “I’m heretofore unfamiliar
with them, but @azelin seems to have tweeted much more today. Follow
him.”
“Okay,” said Private Katy Perry. “I have two more here. @texasinafrica
and @markkerston.”
The group leaned over the shoulders of Private Katy Perry. Most were
reading the computer screen.
“@markkersten seems like a very worthwhile follow, but I don’t think
he can compete with the knowledge, flattery, and pandering of
@texasinafrica.”
“I’ve got to get a handle on this Mali thing, it seems,” General
Mattis said. “Thanks for your help.”
“Anytime, General,” the Grand Moff said. General Mattis left the tent
and then took off into the air like Superman, headed for Mali.
“Follow @texasinafrica,” the Grand Moff said. “She was a big help. Now
to end this thing. Private Perry, fetch me my fighting trousers.”
I was conflicted about the methodology to use for this competition, since the bracket competition model implies I am supposed to follow the sports metaphor and limit the scope of my assessment for the competition timeframe. Yet long term impressions kept leaking in because I have followed some of these people a lot longer than others.
I also tried to look at the group from a general audience perspective and set my preferences aside. I have to admit, I avoided Twitter for the first few years because I thought it was all banal banter, like IRC or Yahoo! chat scaled up. I got my fill of flame wars from years of USENET newsgroups. The people I’ve had the privilege of following are generally very compelling, and even when they are not, they are fun about it.
So forgive me if I don’t follow my own rationale here and it twists around like a Möbius strip…and that my humor falls short…and that I lack LOLcats to make my point. It was a hectic day. I also apologize in advance. People around me frequently warn me I am less funny than I think I am.
1) @SlaughterAM vs. 16) @zoonpolitikon
Anne Marie Slaughter. Hello? Is this thing on? I know she knew this was happening today because it was one of the two or three tweets she sent. Looking at the broader frame, she has a stellar reputation as a scholar, within government, and even within Twitter as evinced by the following Tweet by fellow competitor @JimmySky.
+1 MT @JimmySky: Congrats @abumuqawama, @SlaughterAM & @DanDrezner. All made Time’s list of Top Twitter Feeds (It’s like the NIT to #TFC12)
@SlaughterAM also won accolades from many of my favorite people on Twitter for her willingness to engage with “the rest of us,” including bright young IR students. That said, I’ve seen a few of her tweets retweeted, but have not followed her until recently. I only saw a tiny handful of her tweets today myself. I’m not a fan of really verbose tweeters, especially ones with a low signal-to-noise ratio, but c’mon! Help me out here.
@zoonpolitikon, on the other hand, entreated me not to hold it against him that he didn’t like the trailer for Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome yesterday. Then he appealed for votes in German, and appealed to populist sentiments by declaring himself the underdog “99%.”
Then there was this:
So I changed my avatar to pander to two important demographics: Nerds & cat lovers. Spock & cat, I guess I have almost won! #TFC12#tactic
What am I, Sheldon Cooper? (probably best if people who have met me don’t answer that).
Victor: Although I hate to give the impression I like sycophants (well, maybe ones who pander to sci-fi and are funny about it) @zoonpolitikon. @SlaughterAM is awesome…I hear…but she didn’t show up, and @zoonpolitikon brought the good stuff today, aside from shamelessly sucking up. Without the pressure of #TFC12, he’s probably just straight up funny and interesting.
@tweetsintheme vs. 9) @brianfishman
Jeez this one was hard. I had heard @tweetsintheme spoken of in reverent hushed tones before and seen him in retweets, but had not followed either of these two until today. They both started off with a lot of oblique smack talk, some of which implied fiscal malfeasance with some of the judges or some other shenanigans related to their academic credentials or deals they made as part of #TFC12. @tweetsintheme then claimed moral superiority due to the quality and luxuriousness of his glorious beard, that put him on good terms with tribal elders and propelled him to SOF-like proportions. @brianfishman bluntly stated that the #TFC12 judges were no tribal elders…more like tribal juniors. Ouch.
Then there was this:
@jeffemanuel I can’t believe I didn’t think of this sooner, but I propose an alliance in #tfc2012. You promote me, I’ll promote you.
Finally. Strategy. Tactics. But unfortunately, @tweetsintheme lent credence to his SOF-ish claims by beating him to the punch and had already cut a deal with @jeffemanuel!
Later in the day, @brianfishman cleverly flipped one of @tweetsintheme’s reminders to his followers that they “knew what they needed to do.” @brianfishman was arguably funnier today, but I’m just a tribal junior, what do I know about Twitter humor?
Victor: @tweetsintheme…although @brianfishman also was really great! And, dear reader, I don’t want to give anyone the impression that @brianfishman’s humorous remark about us #TFC12 judges being a bunch of inconsequential eunuchs sway this decision at all. Not even a little. @brianfishman had a lot of good material today.
5) @CChristineFair vs. 12) @JimmySky
At first I thought CChristineFair forgot this was happening today, like @SlaughterAM or that somehow JimmySky ran her off. After all, he has been known as “a bad person who is lucky he has cute kids” for a reason. Then she came out swinging with a bunch of hard-hitting deadly-serious articles on honor killings and corruption issues in Pakistan. I just started following her recently for this event, so I’m not as familiar with her as I am with bad-boy @JimmySky, but I have seen copious retweets of hers, and she helped me understand the relationship between Pakistan and China a little better. She’s a renowned academic and well respected in Twitter circles.
@JimmySky tweets about diverse issues, and usually finds a way to make things, even things that are hugely controversial or deathly dull to some people. For example:
My DoD Org. modeling instructor just referenced the ‘Cheech and Chong Principle’-Stay as high as you can, as long as you can.
Usually his tweets circle back to awesome stuff, including superheroes, sci-fi, military stuff, technology, etc. However, some of us suspect either he is @dianaweuger’s sock puppet or she is his. What’s worse, (if he IS real) he’s bailing out on us non-DC tweeters and putting himself in danger of conforming! What’s even harder to tolerate was an appeal this morning for a translation of a tweet in LOTR terminology. What?! Why do I follow this guy?
Victor: @JimmySky. @CChristineFair is awesome and usually quite funny too, but as a stellar, accomplished academic, her tweets tend to be more focused on her field. I know she also has a wicked sense of humor. But despite his LOTR lapse today, @JimmySky has a lot to offer on a range of great topics that resonate with me and probably with a wider audience. He also has some kind of special mojo that just seems to click with people.
4) @jeffemanuel vs. 13) @peterjmunson
This is a tough one for me…I’ve followed Jeff Emanuel for some time and he’s also on my GoodReads list. @peterjmunson, on the other hand, is the new editor at Small Wars Journal. Although I haven’t followed him until recently, I’ve seen articles he’s written and copious retweets, including this gem today: “Aim for the bushes”
Aim for the bushes. MT @DaveedGR: Mohamed Merah dies jumping from his window after admitting to seven killings. http://apne.ws/GIbjU7
Jeff took me to task about the movie “An Act of Valor” a while back and again yesterday to defend the honor of his state flag. Either he is the Honey Badger, doesn’t know I’m on his TFC judging panel, or isn’t serious about winning. I’m pretty certain it’s the first…. especially since he posted this today to remind us of his seriousness.
Tomorrow’s #tfc12 judges: please note that I have changed my avi to reflect my ability to sneak up on you at any time, from any direction
Victor: Wow. Do I let @jeffemanuel think he succeeded in intimidating me and never get an article in Small Wars Journal, or will I have to listen to endless rejoicing by Marine Corps fanboys? Gah. Seriously though, both of these guys did a phenomenal job today, bringing wit and a wealth of interesting topics to the table. Moreover, after some initial good-natured twitter fighting, they got the better of themselves and paid each other genuine, gentlemanly compliments on recent accomplishments. Both of these guys have the maturity to discuss any topic and moral courage to do so no matter how sensitive the topic. Both of these guys deserve to go to the next round and you are missing out if you don’t have both of these gentlemen in your feed. @caidid’s not paying me to equivocate though, so I am forced to pick one, and either way, I will be wrong. Congratulations @jeffemanuel.
4) @max_fisher vs. 11) @drfarls
Twitter must have unfollowed @drfarls for me, because I thought I had already been following him before today. These two started on pretty even ground because I had seen a fair amount of their tweets retweeted in my feed. Today though, @drfarls had a lot of interesting tweets, including a series about the various really cool aircraft related topics.
Victor: @drfarls
3) @EliLake vs. 14) @laurenist
Laurenist. Sorry @EliLake, but @laurenist should be a twitter legend. She’s funny, smart, and has a talent for making you laugh, then…wait for it…think a little differently about a topic. She brings important and controversial topics to the table and somehow gets people across the ideological spectrum to discuss them like adults, even if a little snark and humor get added to the mixture to lighten the tension. And some Star Wars. And LOLcats.
7) @ibishblog vs. 10) @azelin
I have to admit I was not acquainted with either of these two before today so they started on even ground. @ibishblog had a couple prolific bursts of tweets followed by interludes of silence, whereas @azelin was pretty steady-state all day. That said, I certainly do not favor volume, but both of them brought some great material today. @ibishblog had a tweet about electrical power issues in Gaza due in part to turmoil in Egypt, and another about Israel purchasing a new Dolphin class submarine. @azelin linked to a CTC Sentinal article he and @tweetsintheme wrote.
Victor: It was a tough call, because both were highly informative and interesting, but I give the narrow edge to @azelin for adding a hint more humor to the mix to make his stream a little more appealing.
2) @texasinafrica vs. 15) @markkersten
I’ve followed @texasinafrica for some time now, and only followed @markkersten today so it’s a little harder to be objective.
However, @texasinafrica displayed some behavior quite out of character lately, leading me to wonder if her account had been hacked by her naughty students. While fellow Texans @jeffemanuel and @johnsonr were taking turns beating me down over claiming I’ve seen a Texas flag flying higher than the American flag while I lived as a guest in the Republic of Texas, she was oddly silent on the matter…despite her avatar.
Then she quickly and obsequiously kowtowed to fellow judge @brettfriedman when he teased her about not liking Captains:
Then, after extolling the relative virtues of The Great Republic of Texas (I believe the comparison involved a bazooka?) to Canada…
I do love you, Canadians. Please don’t vote against me en masse for that.
Victor: Seriously though, @texasinafrica is really great. @markkersten was also great today, but despite her quirks today, I have to give @texasinafrica a slight edge.
@khanserai
Twitter Fight Club is all about Klout scores, snarkiness, good beards (appreciated even on women), cool avatars, popcorn bribes, interest in winning TFC and of course the quality of tweets. It has been extremely disappointing to see the sheer niceness exhibited by contestants so far.
@slaughteram vs @zoonpolitikon
Let’s be honest, I didn’t even know of @zoonpolitikon until he showed up on TFC12 but I dutifully followed him. The clear underdog with a Klout rating of 42 (even lower than mine) and barely influencing 571 people, it didn’t seem he stood a chance against @slaughteram with her solid Klout rating of 62 and influence network of 16k. But then he changed his avatar to Spock, with a cat no less and tweeted repeatedly in his quest for victory. Anne-Marie had a measly 1 tweet about TFC today.
@zoonpolitikon gets the underdog vote. We embrace your 99 percent-ness, at least in this round.
@tweetintheME vs @brianfishman
Now whoever made this match-up was clearly mean. One of the hardest to judge as both are excellent tweeters, both know their subjects, both have a sense of humor, both showed interest in winning and while one has an awesome beard the other wears cool ties and pastel shirts. I mean come on, how do you expect me to judge?
Ok, so it actually came down to klout scores on this one. I wasn’t expecting @tweetsintheME to score so much higher than @brianfishman or to influence so many more people.
@tweetsintheME gets the vote based on a computer algorithm liking him better
@CChristinefair vs @JimmySky
@Christinefair’s constantly changing avatars, consistent snarkiness and focus/quality of tweets are wonderful. However let’s face it, she didn’t put in half as much effort as @Jimmysky who was willing to roll out the flattery and the popcorn to ingratiate himself with the judges.
@jimmysky gets the vote for his effort and for somehow being considered influential on the topic of Hippies. Yeah, I don’t understand that one either
@jeffemanuel vs. @peterjmunson
This was in interesting match-up for no other reason than I didn’t know @peterjmunson before and while I followed @jeffemanuel for a while we never engaged on anything. Both tweeters have good solid content and @petermunson tried a lot harder than @jeffemanuel. And if we include off-twitter work then Peter is the clear winner. HOWEVER, it’s only about twitter so…
@jeffemanuel wins based on his klout scores and influence. And a teeny tiny edge because his topics include the Patriots.
@drfarls vs. @max_fisher
I didn’t know @drfarls before TWC12 but am certainly glad I followed him. @maxfisher is the solid known quantity with better quality tweets. But @drfarls is clearly snarkier, adamant about Kentucky superiority and has a drive to win! I’m ignoring Klout on this one.
@drdarls wins this round because his twitter stream was decidedly more entertaining and his avatar has a goatee.
@laurenist vs. @EliLake
Now these two are like comparing apples and oranges in some way. Both are lovely fruits and both wanted to win. @elilake got engaged in the round but I have to admit his niceness was off-putting. Just be normal dude! @laurenist had me at pocorn, lost me at bacon-cheddar flavor, and gained me back at the mention of zombies in her bio. Both need facial hair…
@laurenist wins this round for not being as nice about it as @elilake.
@azelin vs. @Ibishblog
This match-up was a no-brainer. While their Klout scores are about the same, @azelin has the funner, more consistent twitter stream. This guy and his links are an invaluable assets- and his digging means I don’t have to do it myself.
@azelin wins this round not just because he has better facial hair, looks oddly similar to his avatar or is part of #creepingshire at Hobbitwatch- his feed is clearly more informative.
@markkersten vs. @texasinafrica
I will admit I did not follow either of these two before TFC12 but have enjoyed their streams over the past few days. As I don’t know the status of their facial hair and don’t like either avatar, I was reduced to judge merely on the quality of their tweets.
@texasinafrica wins this round based on her lively updates about conditions in Mali from her sister. I think @markkersten needs to adopt Laura’s sister.
There’s one change to tomorrow’s judging panels. @dianawueger has stepped down as a judge for Round 2 in order to concentrate on her throwdown against @blakehounshell, happening at the same time. @speechboy71 has graciously agreed to step in at short notice. So the lower left ‘region’ judges for Round 2 are:
@hilango
@katiedemann
@neilbhatiya
@petulantskeptic
@speechboy71
Contestants, time to start sending those Scotch bribes to @speechboy71 instead of @dianawueger. Actually, you should probably just send Scotch to both of them. It’s always a good idea to be on @dianawueger’s good side.
@tweetsintheme vs. 9) @brianfishman
