Why.

Biff wrote: "Suits aren't comfy, nor are they practical everday attire...unless you do nothing but order TEDs around.
Thanks, but I think I'll remain a proletarian."

You missed the point of my post, and your gut reaction ('fuck that shit, I'm a proletarian') is exactly the response those with the power want you to have. When people think back to the late 60's early 70's they don't immediately remember the struggle for civil rights, anti-war demonstrations, women's liberation, gay rights or early environmentalism. Their first thoughts are of dirty hippies getting high and dancing in muddy fields like assholes. This is a cultivated image. Poor dirty leftists as laughable is an image meant to undermine their message. The worst thing a young proggressive like yourself can do is fall so easily into this trap.
Do you think I've gone GQ, sipping pink martinis on the 35th floor of the bank tower after a hard day of enslaving the masses through consumer-based capitalism? Obviously you've mistaken me for someone else.
There are many issues that I have thoughts on that need to be shared with people, including but not limited to peak oil, global climate change, homogenous monolithic private media, public healthcare, and public higher education. These are all issues that we have a duty to address and change. This means you too, bike hippy. If you address your fellow man in a brazing apron, you may come off as a wierdo in a brazing apron. Other leftists may hear you out, but these are not the individuals you need to convince. It is those lost in a sea of rampant consumerism that need your words to guide them.
You are an articulate, bright dude. You can change peoples minds, but you must get them to listen to you first. Take a cue from the Nation of Islam. Adopting the style of dress of the ruling class is a way to avoid getting ignored out of hand. By insisting on ostracizing yourself you are ultimately doing the proletariat a disservice.

Now who's with me?

I've decided to bring back the suit as the default garment for mens dress in public. Jeans are great for fishing or hiking, t-shirts are good for working out or gardening, but quite frankly we are too casual a society. I blame this overall laissez fair attitude towards dress on the downfall of western society. Reality TV, Hippies and Glam Rock are all outgrowths of the accepted action of men dressing like boys (sure I don't have a causal link, but I don't need one, I'm on a rant). As Carl Larson posted here, wearing a tie to court is a good step towards not getting BS fines. This year at the war demonstration most people were dressed as though they were headed to the woods, not as if they were marching for peace and social justice. The PoPo are less likely to club you in the head if you look like you can afford a lawyer (again, idle speculation but bear with me). Damned if anyone wants to hear a C students opinion on anything, but put him in a suit and he could become president.
If one is to participate in society it must necessarily be on societies terms, and if your leather jacket wearing blue haired self has complaints about being kept down by the man then get a haircut hippy.
(Except Sean, he rocks out with his c*ck out.)

Sprock Spalding

I answered a CL add for a bassist yesterday, and got a call back from these guys. They have an interesting sound, like halfway to experimental from indie rock. CK hated them, so I knew they had potential. They were trying out another bassist tonight as well, but they decided I was probably going to work out better. They asked me back to jam, and I told 'em next week sometime. Some of their work is in crazy ass time signatures, specifically half a song that seems to be in 7/8 time and they are chock full of ritardondo and all other manner of tempo changes. I blame the drummer for not putting the smack down on the guitarist, but I'll be able to pick it up.

Political Jiu Jitsu

Most of the results are in but not formal. I don't think anyone harbored hope of a result like this in their deepest heart of hearts. The Lower House is certainly Democratic and the Upper House is also likely to be controlled by the Democratic Caucus. This is amazing, and I guess Rove didn't have The Math afterall.
This news led to the ouster of Rumsfeld, which is a great piece of political jiu jitsu. Given the force of the Democratic tide this was a beautiful move on the part of the president's team. One can only hope that Rumsfeld would have been sitting in a front of a Senate sub-commitee getting grilled over the mismanagement of Iraq by the middle of January. There would have been a lot of questions asked that the executive branch isn't prepared to answer. There will still be questions about the cash that is being lost to the contractors, but with a new Secretary of Defense it won't be the same bloodbath it could have been. Although I'd have loved to have seen Donny get his, his removal by the President is good for the Dems too. Running Rumsfeld up the flagpole would have been seen as partisan and divisive, costing a lot of political capital. This way they have the possibility getting work done without the battle that would have ensued when taking down a high-ranking cabinet member.
I hope this new batch of middle of the road Dems can plug the leak in the financing of this war if nothing else in these next two years.

D^2

I drove down to the Sylvania campus to take my math midterm tonight. I hope I caught all the minor points for full credit, other than that I smoked it. On the way home the I listened to the Philosophy Talk Guys. They were talking existence of God, and what I brought away from the discussion was the fact I couldn't be a philospher. I'd wind up laying the smack down on some east coast button down types. I'll re-listen to the program when they put it up on their website, and hopefully I'll make coherent post on the subject. Math midterm+Philosophy Talk=Charred Brainstem.
I was supposed to meet this guy who wants to start a Political Punk Folk band. He said he had a vocalist who could play fiddle, and all he needed was another guitarist. Sweet, thinks the Nate, just what I'm looking for. In our E-mail communications he then indicated that he would not play for money, for he thought music should be free. Crap, thinks the Nate, this guys is obviously a D^2 hippy trustafarian. I tried to explain the capatilist monetary system to him while not coming off like a young Republican, but I can't imagine this project will get off the ground for me.

If you're problem is everybody thinks you're a east coast elitist....

Then keep your fucking mouth shut about the fact they send the poor to die. That's unspoken on both sides for a reason. It's certainly true, that if you're broke and uneducated you have a good chance of winding up with a gun in your hand in some shithole part of the world. That's why the war mongers don't say it, it makes them seem like the users they are. If they opened up their mouths they could foment revolution.
But if you are not a member of the proletariat you keep your mouth shut about it because nobody likes to be called stupid. It opens up the defensive contrarian reflex that runs through people who know they are broke as fuck. It allows your opponent to put on his southern drawl and pretend they are the blue collar mans buddy and protector.
You never start a dialogue by questioning the worth of the other party. First you have to earn their trust, make them understand their worth and validity. Then you can bring up difficult facts about their role in society and how they might better that role. It's like Don says, Willie Nelson understands how to get the farmers to accept Farm Aid because he first builds up their confidence and lets them know they matter and that he is their guy. Nobody want's to hear it from the Senator from Massachusetts.