Own Your Own Think Tank

Katherine Mangu-Ward | November 26, 2007

Year after year, I put two things on my Christmas list: a pony and a think tank. I don't think that's so much to ask for, but every year I'm disappointed.

But this year my dream can be a reality: The Bay Area Center for Voting Research is selling itself on eBay. Bidding starts at $5,000. For that low, low price, you can get a think tank with a solid 2,770 hits on Google. Plus, it was once misidentified in The New York Times!

The winning bidder will receive all of BACVR’s intellectual assets, including the organization’s web site, past research, and well-known name. Being an Internet based organization, there is no physical property to take over or employees to pay. This gives the think tank’s new leadership flexibility to run BACVR on a part-time basis with minimal resources, or to add staff, or to become integrated into another organization looking to bolster their activities and credibility.

And lucky for all you ordinary shmucks/would-be think tank moguls, the current owners are broadminded:

Staying true to their belief that the think thank community needs to be further democratized and include a broader array of leaders, Alderman and Reiff are not placing restrictions on who can bid or win control of BACVR.

Go bid on eBay.

Or buy me a pony. Either way.

Comments

|11.26.07 @ 1:57PM|#

I buy it just so I could have a pretext to invite Frank Lutz over..

..Then I'd kick him right in the nuts.

|11.26.07 @ 2:02PM|#

Or buy me a pony.

And a plastic rocket?

Russ 2000|11.26.07 @ 2:04PM|#

Sorry, I'm already a think tank.

|11.26.07 @ 2:04PM|#

With all this horsesh*t around, there's gotta be a pony somewhere.

|11.26.07 @ 2:06PM|#

Or buy me a pony. Either way.

CHINCOTEAGUE PONY FARM has Chincoteague Ponies for sale. Many beautiful and healthy fillies and colts to choose from. Pintos - black and white or red and white, and solids - brown or black with white markings. Mares and stallion on property.
Prices starting at $1500.

That's much cheaper than a loser think tank, Katherine.
My advice, concentrate your efforts on the pony.

|11.26.07 @ 2:07PM|#

All think tanks can be bought. Most already have been.

This one is just making the bidding process a bit more transparent.

emmajane|11.26.07 @ 2:17PM|#

Katherine, ponies are mean. Horses much nicer, with a better sense of humor. Time to upgrade your wish list.

Guy Montag|11.26.07 @ 2:17PM|#

Jim Weathers used to make movies with lots of pony imagery, but no real ponies at all.

Interesting, this artist has been relevant to two threads today.

thoreau|11.26.07 @ 2:21PM|#

I have the solution to Katherine's Christmas Dilemma: The Poor Man Institute stands for freedom, democracy, and a pony. Somebody can buy the blog and give it to Katherine, so she'll have a pro-pony think tank.

Of course, their site is down at the moment, but with the capital raised from the buyer I'm sure they'll be able to get it back up and running.

|11.26.07 @ 2:34PM|#

The Poor Man Institute also stands for Airwolf and that fat guy in his tighty-whities in the Keyboard Kommando Komics and thier eternal hatred for all things David Broder and a basketful of kittens.

ed|11.26.07 @ 2:43PM|#

Ponies aren't horses? See, this is why I come here. Every day I learn something.

iipalindromeii|11.26.07 @ 2:45PM|#

http://i-want-a-pony.com/

That website will tell you everything you need to know.

|11.26.07 @ 2:48PM|#

"Jim Weathers used to make movies with lots of pony imagery, but no real ponies at all."
I looked up Jim Weathers on wikipedia, and the first result was this page;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bondage_rigger

Franklin Harris|11.26.07 @ 2:50PM|#

Katherine, be careful what you wish for.

|11.26.07 @ 2:58PM|#

Hey Katherine -- I'm not gonna spring for a pony if all you are going to do is make steaks out of him.

Mangu-Meat

stephen the goldberger|11.26.07 @ 3:03PM|#

Maybe I should write some essays, make a website then try to sell it for 5000 bucks.

Guy Montag|11.26.07 @ 3:13PM|#

jonathan Hohensee,

"Jim Weathers used to make movies with lots of pony imagery, but no real ponies at all."
I looked up Jim Weathers on wikipedia, and the first result was this page;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bondage_rigger

Also see: bondagecafe

Enjoy!

|11.26.07 @ 3:21PM|#

Re: BondageCafe

If O-Girl considers waterboarding a form of BDSM, doesn't that automatically qualify as torture?

|11.26.07 @ 3:37PM|#

I never understood this whole fascination with "hits" in Google- where hits refers to the number of results with your own name.

The only value is the real hits that Google sends you- as in actual traffic where you are ranked for a keyword phrase people actually search for. Ranking for your own name doesnt count.

If anything at least note how valuable such a term is. In this case I researched and found the term "bay area center for voting research" receives about 0 searches per day.

No results found for 'bay area center for voting research'. Please try again.

The term "voting research" with all longtail kw combinations gets about 10 searches a day. "youth voting research" being just about the only term with any value, and Bay Area (www.votingresearch.org)doesnt even rank.

I guess the point of the "hits" figure is apparent number of mentions. Yet really mentions are worthless without links resulting in SERPs, unless there is some huge natural internet word of mouth traffic.

|11.26.07 @ 3:41PM|#

I dunno about the think-tank - but the next time you're in Chicago, look me up and I'm sure we can arrange a night in the drunk-tank...

|11.26.07 @ 3:46PM|#

I dunno about the think-tank - but the next time you're in Chicago, look me up and I'm sure we can arrange a night in the drunk-tank...

Think tank, drink tank, what's the difference, really?

I always do my best thinking when I'm drunk. Just ask my wife.

Russell Seitz|11.26.07 @ 3:58PM|#

With enough ponies on the Advisory Committee, we can run rings around the Academy of Lagado

|11.26.07 @ 4:25PM|#

If I had my own think tank, I would wade around in the shallow end every day.

Franklin Harris|11.26.07 @ 7:19PM|#

If O-Girl considers waterboarding a form of BDSM, doesn't that automatically qualify as torture?

Only if nipple clamps are involved.

MattXIV, Director, Midwest Ins|11.27.07 @ 12:38PM|#

My think tank isn't for sale, but I'll make you an adjunct scholar for $1.50.