The Appropriation of Fear

I don't know where to start. Somewhere in the timeline of the appropriation of fear, you'll find: Vanilla Ice and Eminem, Queer Eyes, glam rock, hair products for men, football quarterbacks, basketball coaches, Jesus. Essentially, fear is reduced if you can appropriate your enemies' values and strength and use them (or mock them) for/to your own benefit. The timeline continues with a Muslim (Mussulman) bent:

He so loved the world, He gave Himself. (Or: I Wish Bruce Tinsley Was a Shmoo)

I vaguely knew (or knew vaguely) the story of the Shmoo. But after reading the dogpatchusa article, I am convinced that Al Capp is our George Orwell. Damn those people who know how to slip social commentary into the Sunday comics with an artful, funful flair. Unlike this batard (there's a circumflex on one of them there ays).

Ah, here it is: â

¨

^-- umlaut in a snowstorm

One Out of Three Ain't Bad (or: Whew! My Middle Name Ain't Wayne)

In a chart of serial killer - childhood development characteristics - created by Ressler, Burgers and Douglas (1990), the three most frequently reported behaviors included day dreaming, compulsive masturbation, and isolation.

Vorpal swords

Oh yeah. I forgot to thank all you fuckers that voted for Bush and supported a foreign policy of death and torture.

"Secret" Army memo about Abu Ghraib

O frabjous day!

Sorry for the down time, faithful readers. Binge drinking, busted ignition amplifier, tooling around in a rented Mustang, geocaching (!) with the nephew, and other stuff I can't remember. What I do remember is this:

1.) Dear Mr. J.G. Ballard, thanks for writing Crash (as well as all the other fine books). After removing and installing a new pickup module in the Volvo, I now understand better the car/body connection. Note to the ladies: find a blind mechanic. (You know what I mean...)

2.) Dear Buttercup, thanks for the music and the politics. Keep on rockin' in the martial-law world.

3.) Dear N****, you are a bastard. I think you are a drug dealer. Don't let me catch you, fatty.

4.) Dear Terry Gilliam, please remind folks that The Adventures of Baron Munchausen is for kids *and* for adults with an Orwellian bent. I don't know what was going on in the world when you made the film, but it resonates strongly today.

lastly...

5.) Dear Spongebob and Patrick, I want to ride the Hasselhoff!!!!! I'm a goofy goober, you're a goofy goober, we're all goofy goobers!!!!!! Goofy goofy goofy goofy gooofy goo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!