Where things will go your way...or they won't

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

The Lost Weekend


My liver has launched a protest against the holidays. Let us review.

  • Friday- Solstice party.
  • Saturday- Cowboys game, I was good and did not go out to the after game party, but probably couldn't have if I wanted to anyway.
  • Sunday-1100 am to 1230 am at 7eo. This was probably a mistake in retrospect, but well worth it. As BBA said, "Football Sundays, Better than sex."
  • Monday and Tuesday-Xmas eve and Xmas. Xhausting.
All this is leading to the above picture. I love lolcats.

Monday, December 24, 2007

Best. Christmas. Card. Ever.


A friend gave me a card that said:

Like, I wonder what Chancelot's inner dialogue will be today?
Who will he offend?
Will he pull a double shift?


Sweet.

And yes I pulled a double at the 7eo this Sunday. I'm too old for this shit.

Baby Jesus and Football

KSK nails it. Again. Teh funny is KSK. Merry Holidays!

Saturday, December 22, 2007

Solstice Party review

I went to the xsil's Solstice party.(We decided this was my 12th solstice party, I am fucking old.) It was fun, cold, but fun. Thirty-one hosted the usual gala event. Otterbutt and fam were in the house. Ashton was definitely in the house. I'm afraid I was not much of guest because of this. I was either just chillin and not really talking to anyone, or I was rambling about something only I found vaguely interesting, I have to work on that. I couldn't get past the feeling that I was at a class reunion.

Really it was more like a family reunion, a bunch of people who I have been friends with or friendly with at one point, but now see rarely(read at the solstice party). This inevitably leads to "What are you up to?" questions* which I have several pat answers none of which are serious.

Them: "So what are doing, now?"
Me: "Same ol' same ol', just smokin crack, whorin myself, and corrupting the youth of America."

Like that, you see. This is meant as a way to change the course of discussion but was not as successful as I might have hoped. I figured it was better than the truth. Drinking, hanging out with waitresses and generally becoming even more of a misanthrope that I am naturally. The fact is almost everyone there was a grown up which always has a disquieting effect on me.

The party was accented by some strangeness.
  • The woman in the Santa outfit crouching down and acting like a rabbit. At least that is what I think she was doing, it was all very strange and I was very inebriated.
  • Thirtyone drinks scotch.
  • Some dude passed out and fell off the six inch high deck. I didn't see this, which is bummer given my well known love of falling down humor.
  • There were no less than 5 blogger folks there but no one had a camera? Note to self: remember the camera next year.
Overall, a good time was had by all. So to all my old friends, good to see you. Until next year. Happy Kwanzaa from here in Blogfrica.


*I never ask people this question, unless I know the answer is going to be some variation of nothing. I'm not sure why this is, other than I find that most people are more than willing to talk about themselves without prompting. I also find myself to be a relatively boring topic of conversation.

Friday, December 21, 2007

Thursday, December 20, 2007

Rove returns to the shadows

I have to start reading the Onion more often.

"I've been away from the shadows too long, and it's put a strain on my relationship with those black forces I hold dear," an emotional but upbeat Rove said. "There are many personal projects I'd like to pursue all alone in an opaque void, where God Himself dares not peer, so this just seemed like the perfect opportunity to slink off into murky blackness."

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

I'm a fascist, He's a fascist. Wouldn't you like to be a fascist too?

Wingnut extraordinare Jonah Goldberg is taking a beating(rightfully so) for his new book Liberal Fascism. Crooked Timber giggles and sneers. Sadly No! is confused.
Remember Ezra and Matt having fun with mister "It is a very serious, thoughtful, argument that has never been made in such detail or with such care." They are at it again here and here.

Now I throw the F-word around as much as anyone, but Goldberg seems to be arguing that liberalism in America was part of the same movement that created Mussolini, Franco, and Hitler(crowd hisses) if Yglesias is correct in his interpretation.

He's saying that "the New York Times, the Democratic Party, the Ivy League professoriate, and the liberals of Hollywood" just are the "modern heirs" to the American tradition of fascism "an international movement that appeared in different forms in different countries." Contemporary American liberalism, in short, doesn't resemble Nazism. Rather, according to Goldberg it's a variety of fascism, albeit a "friendly" one.


The ludicrousity of this position is difficult to quantify. As a commenter on Lawyers, Guns, and Money put it.
I wonder if he ever stopped to think why no one has ever made this argument in such detail or with such care? Is it because usually arguments that dumb are made after many bong hits and are forgotten about after a bag of Cheetos and a nap?

It would seem much more reasonable that the totalitarian impulse exists on both sides of the ideological spectrum. You have liberal nanny state policies, smoking bans, transfat bans, etc. that want to protect me from myself. Conservative policies that want to protect me from everyone including myself especially teh gay, teh brown people, and teh evolution, even if they have to torture me to save me. I'm pretty sure that you can make arguments that all of these policies go beyond the mandate of the state. The impulse to increase the power of government is a human impulse that seems more tied to the holding of power than any particular ideology.

I haven't read the book so I won't get too snarky but Goldberg seems to have misunderstood fascism, and I imagine liberalism as well. Fascism as understood by its founder Mussolini sounds much more like the wingnut critique of America than the politics of FDR.

Mussolini says:

The foundation of Fascism is the conception of the State, its character, its duty, and its aim. Fascism conceives of the State as an absolute, in comparison with which all individuals or groups are relative, only to be conceived of in their relation to the State. The conception of the Liberal State is not that of a directing force, guiding the play and development, both material and spiritual, of a collective body, but merely a force limited to the function of recording results: on the other hand, the Fascist State is itself conscious and has itself a will and a personality -- thus it may be called the "ethic" State....


This is the man of the left according to Goldberg. Or this gem which single-handedly seems to destroy Goldberg's house of cards.

"Fascism, which was not afraid to call itself reactionary... does not hesitate to call itself illiberal and anti-liberal."

Wilhelm Reich:
"Reactionary concepts plus revolutionary emotion result in Fascist mentality."

If there is a better description of the the wingnut culture warriors than this I don't know what it is. Tradition and mindless acceptance of authority and received wisdom are the hallmarks of both fascism and modern American conservatives. The empty worship of a mythical past where everyone got ponies is the wasted dream of the intellectually and morally bankrupt. They make no arguments, they foment fear and divisiveness with dog whistle racism and jingoistic policies designed to distract people from the greatest threat to their freedom, their own government.

When I have read the book I will have a more in depth review.


Update: Apparently, I don't need to read the book. Jon Swift has it in lolcats form. He brings teh funny.

Chapter 1: Hegel

Friday, December 14, 2007

Drink Liberally

I didn't know this but SLC has a Drinking Liberally group that meets right by my house. So instead of the 7eo I think I will check it out.(Well, maybe not instead, but before.) See if you have a Drinking Liberally in your area.



Update: Did not go, I am a failure.

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Rocket 88 Flares Out: Ike dead.

Ike Turner died yesterday. If you only know Ike from his abusive relationship with Tina. You are selling Ike short. The song Rocket 88 is widely considered the first rock n roll song. Here is a cool video of the song.



See ya Ike.


Update: NY Post classy as always. "Ike 'Beats' Tina to death" I don't care who you are thats funny or appalling.

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Monday, December 10, 2007

The week in review: everything breaks edition

Here is a list of things that happened to or around me since last Monday.
  • A guy I work with was arrested for murder.(no link but it made the paper)
  • My phone committed suicide in the toilet.(I have replaced it and once again have a phone.)
  • My MP3 player also died too soon.
  • The dryer broke.
  • Ravens and Steelers lose to Pats.(I am now resigned to the Pats going 18-0 and playing the Cowboys in Phoenix. And the Boys end the perfect season.)
  • Cowboys clinch NFC east.
  • These folks started a new blog check it out.(They are Ezra's old weekend bloggers.)


I'm just sayin...

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

Repeal Day

Its Repeal Day. Just what I needed, another drinking holiday in the middle of the week. I don't suppose I'll complain, though.

Power to the people!