Sep

30

Humorlessness.

Filed Under GLBT | 5 Comments

Attended another in a series of weekend-long trainings–this one in Kennewick–with individuals affiliated with Cascadia-based queer youth-oriented non-profits. On the table were an assortment of toys to keep the mind pleasantly distracted as the core information washed over. Play-doh. Pipe cleaners. Candy. And buttons. With messages created by the youth of the particular center hosting the training. Messages like “butch.” Or “queen.” Or “dyke.”

I donned the last of these, self-identifying as a “dyke” throughout the weekend training. With the simple explanation that I was “taking it back.”

By way of response, I encountered utter humorlessness. Many were barely able to contain their puzzled wrath. And I have to admit, I caved. When confronted with individualized pre-hostility, I came up with some sort of bullshit explanation that sounded enlightened and more-politically-correct-than-thou. Ugh. In the face of humorlessness in the future, I really should let the joke speak for itself and move on, not caring who I offend, and not pussy out with nauseating faux-intellectualism. A bit of me died on Sunday. And my only consolation is that I sure fooled her. Deeply unsatisfying resolution.

Sep

30

Gaming in lieu of working.

Filed Under Gaming | Leave a Comment

My brother wrote a lovely piece for The Escapist wherein he postulates that hardcore unemployed gamers are getting their employment satisfaction jollies from said gaming. Or something. I’m quoted at some point.

Sep

19

Funeral.

Filed Under Personal | 1 Comment

Flying to Maryland tomorrow for a funeral. Accompanied by Lou Reed, Kath Bloom, and Arcade Fire.

Sep

17

Charlie Rose, by Samuel Beckett.

Filed Under Humor | Leave a Comment

“Google? No, we’re not gonna do that.”

In an inspired bit of editing, some fellow has pieced together one of the most existentially hillarious uses of Charlie Rose to date, surpassing even the great “Peter Bradley Show.”

[From growabrain.]

Sep

15

Let’s have a Patrick Swayze Christmas.

Filed Under Film, Humor | 1 Comment

Today there is sadness over the passing of an acting giant. [Aside: why do all my favorite actors play chesters from time to time. Patrick Swayze in Donnie Darko. Dylan Baker in Happiness. Kevin Bacon in, well, everything.]

Mr. Swayze, in your honor, I’ll pledge this year, I’ll make it a Patrick Swayze Christmas. You, dear reader, should as well. Or I’ll tear your throat out and kick you in the ear.

Sep

13

Glenn Beck.

Filed Under Broadcast Media, Humor, Law | 1 Comment

I remember innocently going to a movie several months ago and beings subjected to a crying Glenn Beck in an advertisement for his concert film. Or something. I assumed at the time Mr. Beck was a Dane Cook-style comedian, i.e. unfunny, incoherently popular, and, from my perspective, completely out-of-the-blue.

Later, I learned he is a broadcast media personality with an apparently popular book. To date, I have never heard anything he’s said, and never read anything he’s written. So I’m not really in a position to judge the phenomenon.

But his name keeps coming up. Routinely mentioned in the newspaper in the same breath as Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity. The supposed source of controversial statements regarding Obama being a racist. Protests over his being given the key to the City of Mount Vernon, Washington. And, now, DidGlennBeckRapeAndMurderAYoungGirlIn1990.com, formerly GlennBeckRapedAndMurderedAYoungGirlIn1990.com. Which, despite knowing virtually nothing about Glenn Beck, tickles me. Not so much for the content–it’s pretty straightforward satire the cursed negative proof and apparent use by Mr. Beck–but because Glenn Beck is apparently so humorless that he’s threatened then took legal action.

Sep

13

Agriculture subsidies vs. health care.

Filed Under Politics | Leave a Comment

Heard Michael Pollan on “All Things Considered” yesterday, attempting to explain (part of) the rise in health care expenditures by reference to changes in diet. His concern is that whether we stick with the current health care system or move to another system, if we don’t address the root causes, we’re going to continue down the path toward a bankrupt system in the long term. I agree: we need to address root causes. And I’ll take as read that changes in diet is a significant factor.

Pollan noted with disdain the agriculture subsidies that make, e.g., corn production plentiful, and thereby cause Type II diabetes, heart disease, and other diet-related medical conditions. But then he goes farther, championing policy changes that require e.g. food stamp monies to be spent partially at farmer’s markets, and requiring health insurance providers to pay for preventative care. Government knowns best sorts of solutions.

But what about ending agriculture subsidies? Even the most ardent liberty-lovers among us can support that sort of change, right? Why not start with that and see what it gets us? If people stop eating McDonalds hamburgers, Coca-Cola, Pop Tarts with such volume, and the overall expenditures on health care go down on a per capita basis to mirror, say, Europe, isn’t that enough?

Sep

12

With meat.

Filed Under Food & Drink | Leave a Comment

Recently, we discovered that Cooper is no longer diabetic. The discovery was something of a surprise, given her supposed long-standing insulin dependence. But it was prompted by, well, running out and having little time to replace, as well as changes in behavior over the past few months. It was confirmed by a veterinarian.

Since we arrived in Olympia, her earlier shun of dry food subsided. But now that we’ve discontinued the twice-daily shots, it’s wet food, all the time. Which of course means we’re back in Friskies territory. Because of Cooper’s shun of the pretentious products with organically raised clearly defined animal delineations. And, presumably, without water sufficient for processing.

Of particular interest these days are the varieties labeled “with lamb,” or “with salmon.” I think she likes them because, well, each of them begs the question: what is the specified meat with? And, looking at the labels, apparently the specified meat is with, among other things, “meat by-products.” Which again begs the question, what type of meat, and what is the primary process that renders these meat by-products.

My kitty has such good taste, no? Like a former Winston, current Camel smoker who switched to avoid the dreaded flavor loss that comes with “additive free.”

Sep

11

The children of Brigham Young vs. reality.

Filed Under Humor, Print Media | 1 Comment

Orson Scott Card vs. Reality

Sep

11

Klosterman vs. The Beatles.

Filed Under Print Media | Leave a Comment

A few years ago, I subscribed to Esquire. The men’s fashion magazine. Which is somewhat puzzling. Because I’m not particularly interested in fashion. Only as it turned out, Esquire has other things to recommend it. Mostly nude pictures of Mary Louise Parker. Feature interviews with celebrities that usually don’t bore me to tears. A routinely amusing sex column. And Chuck Klosterman. Indeed, after letting my subscription lapse, I missed Mr. Klosterman’s rambling, silly, and oddly coherent diatribes on pop culture, Americana, and other superficialities in pieces that always seemed remarkably deep. And, because Esquire hasn’t quite figured out that RSS feeds by author is a desirable quality, after a lengthy absence, I started receiving the paper edition at home once again simply to read more Chuck.

Mr. Klosterman, however, had other ideas, and discontinued his column last Fall, at about the same time his novel came out. And so sadness reigned.

Which is why I was so pleased to discover that, what with the whole frenzy of Beatlemania that has been happening lately, in light of the whole Rock Band thing, and the whole remastered box set thing, Chuck deigned to write something clever. For the A.V. Club. And it’s good. Very good. A review of the entire The Beatles studio catalog from the perspective of someone who is under the mistaken impression that The Beatles are remarkably obscure. Chock full of in-jokes and intelligent insights. A masterful work, worthy of the nostalgia-tinged event. And worth a read.

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