Brain Drano

June 30, 2009

A lull in the action. A peaceful moment wrapped in the notion of: Now.
Right. Here. This sense of calm. Quick, someone fetch my rifle because something’s not okay. Honey, I’ll be up in the clock tower if you need me.

–

Would your rather flip the switch or switch the flip?

It’s your choice.

–

I prefer the $10 haircuts because I like the smell of cheap disinfectant when it’s rubbed close to my neck, ears and eyes.

The $10 cut is also very convenient when you’ve only got $11 in your pocket.

Here, sweetie, take it all.

–

Online find of the day: E-flux.

Check out this first question in an interview E-flux did with the fabulous Raoul Vaneigem of Situationist “fame:”

Hans Ulrich Obrist: I just visited Edouard Glissant and Patrick Chamoiseau, who have written an appeal to Barack Obama. What would your appeal and/or advice be to Obama?

Raoul Vaneigem: I refuse to cultivate any relationship whatsoever with people of power. I agree with the Zapatistas from Chiapas who want nothing to do with either the state or its masters, the multinational mafias. I call for civil disobedience so that local communities can form, coordinate, and begin self-producing natural power, a more natural form of farming, and public services that are finally liberated from the scams of government by the Left or the Right. On the other hand, I welcome the appeal by Chamoiseau, Glissant, and their friends for the creation of an existence in which the poetry of a life rediscovered will put an end to the deadly stranglehold of the commodity.

Go to E-flux and read it all.

–

Speaking of Obama and his merry band of Democrats who can’t shoot straight, the honeymoon appears to finally be coming to an end. Whew. But the middle-of-the-roaders who are now coming to grips with the obvious conclusion that Obama is not going to lead them to their promised land of “Ignorance is Bliss” will not maintain their kitten-like snarls for long. Nope, because sooner rather than later (read: election season) they’ll realize that issues are far less popular than candidates. And, damn it, they’re not going to risk a good cocktail party in the pursuit of a stupid issue. The war? Health care? Corporate welfare? Pfffft. They’ll love Obama (again).

I hate to say, “ I told you so,” but….

And Ralph Nader is now saying the same – poor fella. But now that it’s not election season and the ninny-liberals can’t blame him for “stealing” an election, perhaps we can all listen to his words with a bit more care. Here’s what Ralph’s email had to say to me this morning:

“I want my money back, President Obama!” That’s the title of Marie Marchand’s column in Common Dreams this week.

Marie Marchand says she gave $20 a week for seven months to the Obama campaign — plus $60 every once in a while for a t-shirt and sticker.

“I gave of my modest purse joyfully,” she writes. “I thought I was supporting change I could believe in, not more of the same bloodshed and war!”

She now feels betrayed. Millions of Americans are feeling betrayed.

They thought Obama as President meant change we can believe in.

They thought Obama as President meant withdrawal from Iraq.

They thought Obama as President meant standing up to Wall Street fat cats.

They thought Obama as President meant a living wage.

The joke’s on you, America.

–

But the bad news is that people now finding the chutzpah to speak out against St. Obama will certainly be bah-bah-bahing like sheep again when the campaign machinery of 2012 cranks up the fear, fear, fear of “the other.”

Rinse and repeat, indeed.

–

Reading: Carolyn Chute’s new novel, “The School on Heart’s Content Road.” I’m a Chute fan so I’m a sucker for almost anything she writes. She’s the real deal, living the good life of rural radicalism and churning out words to match her deeds.

Here’s a taste from her new book:

Be afraid. Poor people are lazy and immoral, and violence is on their fingertips for some reason, who knows the reason, it’s just their idea of fun. It’s always this way; they steal cars drugs money and gunnnnnz! They are filled with sex and rotten teeth and food stamps and Cadillacs and bad English! The men are bozos and incestuous. Poor women are all victims of poor, domestically violent men. But the big thing to remember is poor men for some reason all want to be armed and want to hurt hurt hurt kill kill kill. Here comes another one out of the court, shackled and in an orange suit for shooting three times in the air to scare his girlfriend, who had all the charge cards. Weeee are so lucky to have police and politicians to keep these poor and violent and lazy-for-some-reason guys off of you and your darling Brendan and Olivia and your golden retriever and your stuff.

Priceless.

–

Obesity: Everywhere.

I thought Vermont was different.

Oh, of course, we use better (read: Vermont bought) sugar in our cupcakes. You can get it at Shaw’s up by the mall. It’s better there. And what a view! Of the hospital, and the men and women shackled to the tubes that say: We’re better too! Because it’s also better to be sick in Vermont.

And our video games are better because they are played here, in Vermont – the better state. And we like Tony Stewart because he races his NASCAR in Barre. Go, Tony, go – in Vermont!

I love the loveliness of self-love. I love me for being in Vermont. I want to kiss the mirror and say: You are lovely because you are Vermont.

I’m going to bake three hundred cakes and give them to three hundred kids for the Fourth of July in Worcester. And if anyone gives me money I will donate it all to next year’s class trip to Six Flags Over New York (oh-my-god, have you had their funnel cakes!?).

And none of it will bother me because being bothered isn’t what I’m looking for anymore. Not now. Not since I decided to love Vermont more than you apparently love Vermont.

You got any chocolate for that milk?

I love it.

Posted by M. Colby | Filed Under blog 

Comments

6 Responses to “Brain Drano”

  1. Valuable Internet Information » Brain Drano on June 30th, 2009 5:28 pm

    [...] See original here: Brain Drano [...]

  2. Peter Buknatski on June 30th, 2009 6:44 pm

    The “Poetry of Life” is politically incorrect, doncha know. Discrimination against the ‘Stupid’ who just want to get along…get along. We must take the poetry out of life and face up to our new challenges. Everybody wants to belong to what makes them comfortable. One nation, one world, one color, under God, with many stores. So much to buy, so little time. Wardrobe is everything, and no nose-hair, please. Vermont shall lead millions to a sustainable and all natural sleep, by candlelight. And the Birdies will go Tweet. And just before the big ones go off, we will have time to blog our deepest, most passionate, and most perverse desires for aliens from other planets to find and say: “What the Shit?” O Bliss. Mission fulfilled, Almighty Spirit. This planet is signing off…………………………………..

  3. fearless on June 30th, 2009 10:43 pm

    “Discrimination against the ‘Stupid’ who just want to get along…get along.”
    I always wondered about that
    why discriminate against stupid ?
    don’t stupids perish because of their stupidity?

    It doesn’t seem to work that way, does it?

  4. Peter Buknatski on July 1st, 2009 12:57 pm

    Americans just get fatter, rather than smarter. Stupidity is IN. And me too. I actually believed Obama would ‘do something’–but we seem to be just laying on the couch with the remote and a pile of ’super-sized’ snacks, and our ‘politics’ have become “what’s the latest on the latest sex scandal?” and “what will they find in the catacombs of Neverland?” And the Wars go on…and Justice?…hell, Petey, waddya want–we did justice last November. I want another cheeseburger.

  5. Peter Buknatski on July 2nd, 2009 12:05 pm

    Michael, the blogoshere is about to go Batshit with Denial–Counterpunch’s “The CIA & Daily Kos?”

  6. Peter Buknatski on July 2nd, 2009 1:16 pm

    Well, never mind. Counterpunch has ‘pulled’ this Website of the Day and replaced it with another. Call Cockburn and get the story. Do it now.

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