“The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present” – President Abraham Lincoln
Israel sucks and Roland Burris is a phrase you’re not suppose to use to describe black people. It’s all over at the Politics page. Wallow in the controversy.
Then over at SP Sports and the Society page you can read our 2008 highlights of posts from those sites.
Turkey and beer have made my holidays very sleep inducing. So we’ve been sort of inactive. But fear not because there will be a new Procrastinator newsletter at some point in early January. And as of now I’ve got a new post at the Politics page asking what the US should do in response to Israel’s attacks on Gaza, plus there is a sort of 2008 highlight reel of the posts we’ve had at the Society page. So check those out and as soon as we get back into the swing of things, we’ll be post regularly once again.
Today is the holiday of Festivus. It’s Festivus for the rest of us! So if you have anything to say about the website or the newsletter, feel free to gather around the aluminum Festivus pole and air those grievances (I’ve provided space for comments about the newsletter in the post below this one).
Since it’s the holidays, readership will probably be down and so our posts will probably take a break until the non-holiday season resumes. Until then, enjoy the holidays and don’t eat or drink too much because it slows your reflexes, which you’ll need for the feats of strength.
One of the things we’re interested in at this site is intellectual (and/or funny) conversation via comments about our posts. Well the same thing goes for the The Procrastinator newsletter (click here: procrastinator_12-192), which we do with the folks for the AD Hall. So I’d like to offer you the comment section of this post as a place to voice your thoughts on the newsletter.
Personally, I think this issue is excellent through and through; all the way down to the personal info following the articles (ie Trey is a world class hater and your angry Arianna Huffington-esque emails can be sent to dantzlersmith@gmail.com). But I’d really love to hear your thoughts on the articles, the fiction, and the satire so please let us know your thoughts in the comment section.
Here, I’ll even give you some points to mull over for the various articles:
The League of Ordinary Gentlemen by Trey Smith
- Will Senator Clinton use the position of Secretary of State to advance her own agenda? Will she use the position to set up another Presidential run? Do you think her nomination was a good or bad idea for President-elect Obama?
The Credit Rapture by Winthrop Sheldon
- Can you get rich, like JD Rockefeller or Warren Buffett, without being cutthroat (put another way, can you be both moral and super-weathy)? Buffett and Rockefeller avoided the excess of wealth and we applaud them for that, so why is it that we also like news about Paris Hilton and shows like Laguna Beach or Housewives of Orange County, which are examples of the worst kind of wealthy excess? Will China pass the US as the global economic power and if so when? When did the US stop making things? Who would win in a fight, Rockefeller or Buffett?
The Blame Game by Michael Orr
- Since Michael posts things under the name “Mao” and since he’s the driving force behind the newsletter, shouldn’t we henceforth refer to him as “The Chairman”? Why has Chicago been notorious for corruption since prohibition? Is it the fault of the voters that they keep electing corrupt politicians? What are the chances that Blagojevich actually gets off scot free? What’s up with his hair?
“Can You Not Also Build Bridges Out of Stone?” by Michael “The Chairman” Orr
- How many 20-somethings are like Michael (and myself, Jim, and Jeff) and would join a public works plan if they started one? Is the US workforce actually “shovel ready” or is the workforce primarily comprised of technology and business degree people who don’t want to dig ditches? Would public works programs actually fix our economy? Isn’t Monty Python’s Holy Grail one of the best movies ever?
Discuss …
The Procrastinator (click here to read it: procrastinator_12-192) is a newsletter that currently exists in pdf form online and was created by the people at this website and the people at The AD Hall. Spike Lee would call that a Stormy Present AD Hall Joint. The newsletter contains opinion pieces on anything from politics to sports to book/movie reviews to life in general. We also have a section called “Bonfire of Inanities”, which combines fact with fiction in a style similar (but not copy write infringement similar) to The Onion. Most recently, we added a section called “The Fifth Column”, which displays works of fiction. So you get a wide variety of stuff from the newsletter and I implore you to read it.
Maybe you’re wondering, ‘why do an online newsletter when you already have a blog?’ It’s a fair question and the answer isn’t clear. For me, it’s nice to pretend that somehow we could eventually produce a physical newsletter that would be like a more thoughtful version of Creative Loafing. While that’s not very likely, fuck it, you only live once so it’s worth a shot.
But even if this online version is as far as it goes, it does provide a space for more essay-like thought pieces. The blog is great for open-ended, short posts that invite discussion, but the newsletter provides a more traditional forum in which to express a fuller and more complex argument.
Of course that leads to a significant problem; we are just a bunch of dudes off the street, so why should you read our essay-style opinions, analysis, or thoughts? Really, there is no reason you should take our word as Gospel. However, there is no reason to take 99% of the other so-called professional mainstream writer’s as Gospel either.
Look, there is a lot of bullshit out there and what we provide is a regular person’s reaction to it. We don’t have special access and we don’t break news, but since we don’t have sources to protect or a product to sell or company to cater too, we don’t have an agenda.
And most importantly, we can be honest. I wrote a piece in this issue about how I think Hillary Clinton is a terrible choice for Secretary of State, but I am fully aware that every single word I wrote could be entirely wrong. So feel free to tell me that I’m an idiot, because unlike other places for opinion, we invite that sort of debate.
So if you have any thoughts on the newsletter (reactions to a particular article, comments about the overall layout [which is great by the way and was kindly done by graphic designer Darsey Culpepper], words of encouragement/discouragement, whatever) please write them in the comment section of this post. And if you’re so inspired/disgusted with what we’ve written feel free to submit your own work.
Thanks for giving us your time
President Bush just can’t win for losing. But seriously, to quote Austin Powers, who throws a shoe?!?! Really?
In all honesty, President Bush handled it really well. First of all he ducks both shoes. Secondly, he quickly turns it around by pointing out that the guy who threw the shoe is doing a disservice to whatever cause prompted him to throw a shoe. All in all, well played Mr President.
Anyway, we’ve got Total Consciousness College Football Picks: Bowl Edition up at SP Sports. Picks have to be in before 11am on Dec 20.
At the Society page there are two submissions to the Enemies List. The first is one from Michael Orr about the TSA and the second is from Brad Wright about PETA. Give those a read and then discuss.
Finally, at the Politics page you can check out a video of Jon Stewart and Mike Huckabee debating homosexuality and gay marriage. Then you can read about the latest goings on in Zimbabwe, which will be the premise for a later post about when the US should use force to implement change in foreign countries. And that, my friends, gets us back to Iraq, which is where President Bush had a shoe thrown at him.
See how that all came full circle? Pretty good huh?
Go to SP Sports to make your bowl picks in our Total Consciousness College Football Picks: Bowl Edition. There are 34 bowl games and at least 10 of them are terrible (Duke won 4 games this year and two of those victories came over bowl teams).
Over at the Society page you can read about Michael Orr’s submission to the Enemies List, the TSA. Vote whether or not you’ve got his back.
At the Politics page you can read about how Germany’s Angela Merkel’s current silence about the economic crisis has dangerous repercussions for Europe’s future economy.
Nice variety right?
This is our 100th post on the main page. Since blogs don’t require readership or quality writing to continue existing, our longevity is really just a testament to the fact that we haven’t totally lost interest in writing stuff for the site. Given that we are generally slackers, 100 posts is fairly impressive.
Since this is 100th post, I feel like it should announce new stuff on all 3 sites. So go to SP Sports to read about our plans for Total Consciousness College Football Picks: Bowl Edition. Also, read Jeff’s post about how a Congressman in Texas is going to introduce a bill in Congress that will eliminate the bcs (not capitalized on purpose). And following Jeff’s request, we’ve put up a post that asks you the readers how a college playoff system should be structured. So go to that post and write your suggested playoff structure in the comment section.
At the Society page the first submission to The Stormy Present Enemies List, the Daily Kos, has been rejected but Michael Orr has submitted a new candidate for the Enemies List. So give that a read and then comment on whether or not you’ve ‘got his back’ and the submission should be added to the Enemies List.
At the Politics page, well there is nothing up right now, but later today I’ll have something up on Germany, the EU, and the financial crisis. Try to contain your excitement.
A horrific sports weekend (Duke lost, my 2nd place fantasy football team lost in the playoffs, etc) combined with computer problems knocked me out of action for a while, but I’m back and things are once again on track. The society page features our first submission for The Stormy Present Enemies List so go give that a read and then vote on whether or not the person/thing submitted should go onto the Enemies List.
I’ll have stuff up on the other two sites by then end of tomorrow. Until then, try not show everyone watching football on Fox your big black dong. Seriously, Janet Jackson’s boob nearly destroyed American society as we know it, but this guy’s wang is clearly visible after an afternoon football game (ie a time when kids could be watching) and no one is freaking out. Someone explain that to me. I’ve been to Mardi Gras and can tell you that if a chick whips out her boobs she gets beads, but if a dude whips out his manhood the cops will arrest him. So why aren’t the same tightwads with what must be wildly unfulfilling sex drives up in arms over this instance of public nudity?
New content on every page! The final week of the regular season for Total Consciousness College Football Picks is up over at SP Sports and I’ve penned a weighty tome called ‘Bailouts and their Consequences’ for the Politics page. So enjoy checking those out.
Now for some quick and fairly random thoughts I had while watching the Duke game last night:
- Can you really call it the ACC/Big 10 Challenge if: a) the Big 10 actually has 11 teams and b) the ACC has won the “challenge” every year. Challenge implies a degree of difficulty and the only team from the Big 10(11) that has a winning record in the “challenge” is Michigan State who is 5-3 and about to go to 5-4 when they lose to unc tonight.
- Speaking of records in the ACC/Big 11 “Challenge” (which is what it should be called), Duke has never lost in the “challenge”. Take that Midwest!
- Who makes the schedule for the ACC/Big 11 “Challenge”? Indiana is playing Wake Forest tonight. Really? Wake Forest is number 17 in the country, could compete for the top spot in the ACC, and they are matched up against an Indiana team with 1 scholarship player?!?! This game is only fair if Wake spots IU 20 points before tip off. Again, this calls the whole “challenge” thing into question.
- Love that Gangsta University (Miami) lost due to the fact that their best player tried to punch a guy and got ejected. How’s that ACC expansion working out for ya?
- Purdue fans suck. They made a big deal about how important and huge this game was, then I turn it on and the entire student section is in the corner of the area. I guess they decided to put baby in the corner. This isn’t football, so you can’t claim to have a good basketball venue if the student section is behind the endzone. Then, this allegedly good venue for basketball was silent once Duke got ahead. Way to support your team Pur-don’t students. So let’s stop giving Pur-don’t their dues in terms of raving about their ‘rocking stadium and great fan support’. After all, last year PU lost to Wofford on that very court.
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