Thursday, April 3, 2008

Bay Area politics in a nutshell


I snapped this in the Sunset district here in SF, walking back to my car after a late-night movie with some friends. (We saw "21," which is like "Rounders" except if "Rounders" was  really stinky.) I noticed this graffiti on the sidewalk in front of me, a perfect summary of this city's political life.

In the immortal words of Walter Sobchak, "at least it's an ethos."
 

9 comments:

Brotherman said...

Living in Colorado most people consider me a Pinko liberal from California, but I say I'm the true conservative. If I had it my way there'd be no cops, no DEA, ATF, NSA, No war on drugs or ban on prostitution or gambling and Americans would be free to live our own lives as we please. Here in Colorado the majority, although not by the margins you might expect, insist on voting for politicians who try to legislate morality. This truly offends my principalities. I mean I can't even buy real beer on Sundays. God Damn!

Unknown said...

I agree with you about "21." They took a compelling, true story and made an illogical, paint-by-numbers Hollywood script out of it.

And if I recall correctly, Mr. 8xUp, you thought "Rounders" was pretty stinky too when we saw it 10 years ago.

I agreed at the time, but you know what? When nobody's around, I pull down the shades and totally rock out to "Rounders." I fookin' love that movie, completely sincerely and without irony. So there.

Unknown said...

BTW, way to reference two completely enjoyable movies from 1998. If you were to throw "Fear and Loathing" and "Pi" in there, I probably would have an orgasm.

Daniel Morris said...

Dude, you are the true conservative. I wish Republicans were more like you. Meanwhile, I have a friend out here in SF who says: "I should be allowed to pay no taxes. Why? Because I'll live in a gated community and pay for my own security, my own health care, my own private schools for my kids, my own communications networks (don't need phone lines or anything like that). All I need is a military defense and roads. I'll pay taxes for that stuff, but nothing else." What kind of Bay Area liberal is that??

Daniel Morris said...

Rob, I came all the way around on "Rounders" -- it went from stinky movie to guilty pleasure to great flick. (So did "Lebowksi," now that I think about it...I damn near fell asleep on my first try, and have since seen it about 30 times.)

Unknown said...

Dan, tell your meatheaded libertarian friend that I will be waiting to kick him with steel-toed Doc Martens the minute he leaves his gated community, and also look forward to hijacking the distribution channels that bring him his food, water, and electricity. If he wants some kind of John Carpeter/Cormac McCarthy apocolypse, I think we can all provide him with one. Oi!

As our friend Teddy KGB says, "Give the Man heese mah-ney." (Ok, that's not what he meant, but it sure does bring things full-circle, doesn't it?).

Sarah said...

No one can enjoy Lebowski on the first run-through -- the mystery is just too complicated. It's only upon repeated viewings that you start to realize that The Old Man Knew the Whole Time -- Even When the Toe Showed Up! And: Every Bad Idea Starts with Walter! And: Dude Mostly Speaks in Echoes of Other Characters' Dialogue! Oh, and then the soundtrack is glorious... for the life of me, I can't remember why I championed The Hudsucker Proxy as my fave Coen movie all those years.

As for politics... I'd be more into our government if it were actually by/for/of the people. It's not. Those grotesque things barking on C-Span are totally androids, right?

I'd also mention to your gated community pal that "community" transcends A STUPID GATE. Anyone here read Oryx and Crake? The Elite in the Compounds, all others in the Plebelands? That was a dystopia, not an interesting new taxation scheme.

Daniel Morris said...

I tried explaining that he had just described dystopia, but he wasn't having it. As long as his air-conditioning is working, he'll feel pretty much set.


Rob, funny you mention the Cormac-opalypse -- I read "The Road" in one sitting. Then I made a sandwich and felt infinitely grateful for it.

rakiel said...

no comment..................