Post-post Election Day
Dear Blog,
Sorry about the unimaginative Entry Title, but honestly this Election thing has completely changed my outlook on life. It's like I'm on meds, or something. The days of the country being ruled over by the richest rich controlling the dumbest Dumb are past. I'll have a decent summary of the Elections - now that we know who has the Senate - on the politics blog. Check the sports blog for a preview of this week's college ball action.
Other than still being high from the Elections, today was a rather mediocre day. The weather sucked. I made fish and thought that I had fucked something up real bad, but everything turned out OK - even the fish. So that was a little bit of a roller coaster.
Work - bleh. Nothing too horrible (now that I think about it, I rarely have a "bad" day, compared to how many I had when I first started working there, which was most of the time. Either things don't bother me as much, or I am getting much better, or a combination of both. I hope it's the combination...), but not a really great night, either. Oh, I forgot to mention yesterday, but Tuesday Night/Wednesday Morning we finally had our pizza party for seniority graduation. I'm still waiting for something else they owe me for passing the cert tests, but they assure me it's coming. Now, that was a good night. I even got sent to North Sort for the last half-hour or so, and it wasn't too bad. So, things were going my way.
I gotta tell you, I've been on such a role of good things happening to me lately that I'm as happy as I've ever been, although I miss seeing my friends. I can get in touch with many of them over the internet, but that's not really the same, either. I'm going down to Pasadena this weekend for a couple of weddings. It'll be good to be back there again. Hey, that's just another good thing happening to me, again! Score!
Of course, the biggest thing to happen is the Elections. Ladies and Gentlemen of America, we thank you for finally crossing over to our side. Like I said in the political blog, we aren't going to judge you for making the decision a little later than, perhaps, you should have. You're one of us, now.
That being said, let me welcome you to the most satisfying part of leaving the Dumb People behind: you get to have taste, now. The Dumb People call it "sophistication"; as in, "we ain't sophisticated, or nothin'." But all it really means is, you can differentiate between what is good, and what sucks. When someone says he isn't "sophisticated", what he is really saying is that he is too dumb to be able to pick out what he likes from among the tons of crap being force-fed to him. That's it. Any other definition is being Kind. Kind is good, sometimes. But not in a blog. Blog is for Mean and Condescending - at least, when you're talking about your enemies.
But I'm among friends, here! Yes, you folks, the ones who read every now and then, you guys when wholeheartedly our way. The right had it's usual collection of freaks, geeks, and whole-sale lunatics, but the key vote was the ole "one in the middle." Middle America became our America - right down to goddam Ohio! If the Democrats were smart, they'd nominate Paul Hackett for President. That motherfucker could be elected Pope if he tried hard enough for it. That guy has Clintonian charisma. And I don't mean the Junior Senator from New York.
But I'm digressing. Taste! That's it. You can have taste, now. You couldn't have taste among the Dumb People, because they mock you for it. "Ooooh, look who drinks expensive beer now!" Anyone who has ever told you that, when they spotted you with a Sam Adams or even a Yuengleng, I guarantee you is still bummed about Tuesday's election. They HATE people with taste. Mostly because they hate themselves.
You see, "redneck" is a term used to describe the vast unwashed horde. It's been an insult forever because not a single trait describing a redneck constitutes as "wholesome" or "desireable". But the rednecks have adopted the term and use it on themselves. That they call themselves an insult illustrates the self-loathing. Because the redneck has been sold a line that hasn't worked anywhere in the Western World since the Enlightenment: that if you have money than you are "better" than someone without it. And if you have less money, there is something wrong with you and you don't deserve to have anything. That is now a uniquely American belief. And when you are able to sell a poor person that line - that they don't have taste because they were born without the ability to have taste - it becomes self-loathing. So, you lash out. You lash out at anyone different than you, whether be they more educated, a different color, whether they speak a different language, or worship differently. Hate hate hate. But who is it that you really hate?
The truth is, anyone can have taste, even the Dumbest of the Dumb. But you have to want it. And they don't want it. You've moved past them. You've seen what they have to offer, and you ultimately rejected it. Now, welcome to the club.
The first thing you need to do is read, read, read. All those movies you liked that were based on a book - go get the book. It really is better - we're not just making that part up. Everyone tells you the book was better, and it's almost always true (although I wouldn't tackle Lord of the Rings, just yet). The only times it's reversed is when you get a book that nobody really liked (like, say, The Devil Wears Prada, which even my sister, who enjoys that kind of shi- err, literature, said it was unspectacular) and make it with a bunch of ridiculously good thespians (like, say, Merryl Streep).
Digressing again. If you find that you enjoy the book as much as you probably will, keep reading that author. Go to the library and ask the librarian for other authors like him/her. Read as much as you can. But don't read EVERYTHING - if something sucks, stop reading it; that's the essence of taste. But try to expand what you think of as "good". And if you read something being referenced and you don't know what it is - that's what Google is for. Literature likes to reference the same things, over and over. It'll take you no time to memorize about 3/4 of the stuff you'll find in modern literature. And the other 1/4 is so obscure, if you talk to anyone about it's meaning, they'll know you looked it up. The fucking authors had to look that shit up.
Fucking Dennis Miller does that shit non-stop. He looks up some obscure fucking factoid, brings it out with him, and just does his best to work it into the routine, and you feel like an asshole because he "obviously" knows so much more than you.
Yes, Literature is full of fucking authors who are full of themselves, but no more full of themselves than the average Pro Athlete or movie star. Just like those guys, these fellows are in the tippy-top of their profession, it's just their checks are smaller and most people haven't heard of them. Still, when is the last time you ever heard of a famous literary author got arrested for firing his gun in the air outside a bar or beating some dude up with a phone?
Once we get you reading, we can get you into watching some good movies, but we'll get to that another time.
Sorry about the unimaginative Entry Title, but honestly this Election thing has completely changed my outlook on life. It's like I'm on meds, or something. The days of the country being ruled over by the richest rich controlling the dumbest Dumb are past. I'll have a decent summary of the Elections - now that we know who has the Senate - on the politics blog. Check the sports blog for a preview of this week's college ball action.
Other than still being high from the Elections, today was a rather mediocre day. The weather sucked. I made fish and thought that I had fucked something up real bad, but everything turned out OK - even the fish. So that was a little bit of a roller coaster.
Work - bleh. Nothing too horrible (now that I think about it, I rarely have a "bad" day, compared to how many I had when I first started working there, which was most of the time. Either things don't bother me as much, or I am getting much better, or a combination of both. I hope it's the combination...), but not a really great night, either. Oh, I forgot to mention yesterday, but Tuesday Night/Wednesday Morning we finally had our pizza party for seniority graduation. I'm still waiting for something else they owe me for passing the cert tests, but they assure me it's coming. Now, that was a good night. I even got sent to North Sort for the last half-hour or so, and it wasn't too bad. So, things were going my way.
I gotta tell you, I've been on such a role of good things happening to me lately that I'm as happy as I've ever been, although I miss seeing my friends. I can get in touch with many of them over the internet, but that's not really the same, either. I'm going down to Pasadena this weekend for a couple of weddings. It'll be good to be back there again. Hey, that's just another good thing happening to me, again! Score!
Of course, the biggest thing to happen is the Elections. Ladies and Gentlemen of America, we thank you for finally crossing over to our side. Like I said in the political blog, we aren't going to judge you for making the decision a little later than, perhaps, you should have. You're one of us, now.
That being said, let me welcome you to the most satisfying part of leaving the Dumb People behind: you get to have taste, now. The Dumb People call it "sophistication"; as in, "we ain't sophisticated, or nothin'." But all it really means is, you can differentiate between what is good, and what sucks. When someone says he isn't "sophisticated", what he is really saying is that he is too dumb to be able to pick out what he likes from among the tons of crap being force-fed to him. That's it. Any other definition is being Kind. Kind is good, sometimes. But not in a blog. Blog is for Mean and Condescending - at least, when you're talking about your enemies.
But I'm among friends, here! Yes, you folks, the ones who read every now and then, you guys when wholeheartedly our way. The right had it's usual collection of freaks, geeks, and whole-sale lunatics, but the key vote was the ole "one in the middle." Middle America became our America - right down to goddam Ohio! If the Democrats were smart, they'd nominate Paul Hackett for President. That motherfucker could be elected Pope if he tried hard enough for it. That guy has Clintonian charisma. And I don't mean the Junior Senator from New York.
But I'm digressing. Taste! That's it. You can have taste, now. You couldn't have taste among the Dumb People, because they mock you for it. "Ooooh, look who drinks expensive beer now!" Anyone who has ever told you that, when they spotted you with a Sam Adams or even a Yuengleng, I guarantee you is still bummed about Tuesday's election. They HATE people with taste. Mostly because they hate themselves.
You see, "redneck" is a term used to describe the vast unwashed horde. It's been an insult forever because not a single trait describing a redneck constitutes as "wholesome" or "desireable". But the rednecks have adopted the term and use it on themselves. That they call themselves an insult illustrates the self-loathing. Because the redneck has been sold a line that hasn't worked anywhere in the Western World since the Enlightenment: that if you have money than you are "better" than someone without it. And if you have less money, there is something wrong with you and you don't deserve to have anything. That is now a uniquely American belief. And when you are able to sell a poor person that line - that they don't have taste because they were born without the ability to have taste - it becomes self-loathing. So, you lash out. You lash out at anyone different than you, whether be they more educated, a different color, whether they speak a different language, or worship differently. Hate hate hate. But who is it that you really hate?
The truth is, anyone can have taste, even the Dumbest of the Dumb. But you have to want it. And they don't want it. You've moved past them. You've seen what they have to offer, and you ultimately rejected it. Now, welcome to the club.
The first thing you need to do is read, read, read. All those movies you liked that were based on a book - go get the book. It really is better - we're not just making that part up. Everyone tells you the book was better, and it's almost always true (although I wouldn't tackle Lord of the Rings, just yet). The only times it's reversed is when you get a book that nobody really liked (like, say, The Devil Wears Prada, which even my sister, who enjoys that kind of shi- err, literature, said it was unspectacular) and make it with a bunch of ridiculously good thespians (like, say, Merryl Streep).
Digressing again. If you find that you enjoy the book as much as you probably will, keep reading that author. Go to the library and ask the librarian for other authors like him/her. Read as much as you can. But don't read EVERYTHING - if something sucks, stop reading it; that's the essence of taste. But try to expand what you think of as "good". And if you read something being referenced and you don't know what it is - that's what Google is for. Literature likes to reference the same things, over and over. It'll take you no time to memorize about 3/4 of the stuff you'll find in modern literature. And the other 1/4 is so obscure, if you talk to anyone about it's meaning, they'll know you looked it up. The fucking authors had to look that shit up.
Fucking Dennis Miller does that shit non-stop. He looks up some obscure fucking factoid, brings it out with him, and just does his best to work it into the routine, and you feel like an asshole because he "obviously" knows so much more than you.
Yes, Literature is full of fucking authors who are full of themselves, but no more full of themselves than the average Pro Athlete or movie star. Just like those guys, these fellows are in the tippy-top of their profession, it's just their checks are smaller and most people haven't heard of them. Still, when is the last time you ever heard of a famous literary author got arrested for firing his gun in the air outside a bar or beating some dude up with a phone?
Once we get you reading, we can get you into watching some good movies, but we'll get to that another time.
posted by k - L - g | 4:04 AM
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