No better way to introduce a clip show with a clip show
It's hard to believe this rotten, wretched year has finally run its course. Now we are on to 2019, which will certainly end up being a whole lot worse. But hey, I can at least look back at what I wrote in the past year and take stock. In case you missed it the first time around, here are what I think are my best pieces of the year.
Watching The Dark Waters of History Flow on the Armistice Centennial
This was a crossover with this blog and Tropics of Meta. It's a topic I have been thinking about for years, and I was glad to finally write down my thoughts.
It Crawled From The College Debate Circuit
Here's another ToM crossover, where I discuss how Ted Cruz's successes and his lack of popularity have a lot to do with his time as a college debater. Having been one myself, I feel like my expert opinion offers some special insights.
Listen To The Bubble Jumpers
This is the ToM piece of mine that I thought would hopefully change the discourse on regional political "bubbles." Alas, it was not to be. Still pretty damn good, though.
Life's Rich Pageant And The First Shadows Of Reagan Dusk
I think this is my favorite music piece this year, touching on how REM's 1986 represented the first green shoots of a post-Reagan mentality.
The Cold War Is Finally Over (Both Sides Lost)
A short post, but it sums up thoughts I've been having for quite some time.
A Requiem For The Faculty Office
The professors realized too late that they too were expendable.
Nostalgia for Other People's Nostalgia: A Gen X Disease
This is another piece that was bangin' around in my head for awhile. It's awful strange that Gen Xers are so in thrall to Boomer culture, and part of my generation's general overlooked-ness.
The Verve, "Bittersweet Symphony"
Probably the most honest I've ever been in any of my song posts.
Postcard From Virginia Beach
I wrote this overlooking the crashing surf at night. I can't wait to get back.
The Exquisite Propaganda of NFL Films
I think that a large of professional football's rise had to do with marketing, and NFL films managed to take a sport that was already well-suited for modern television and make it look positively beautiful. If I had the talent, time, and resources I'd write a book about it.
Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Regret
Sometimes visiting the beloved pop culture of one's youth isn't so pleasant.
A Shameful Father's Day
I wrote this after news of the president ripping children from their families went public. I'll say now what I said then, that the only way out of this is by remaking our country. There is no "normal" to return to.
An Overlooked Legacy of Watergate
Agnew, Nixon, and other Watergate criminals never had to go to jail. This set a dangerous precedent, whereby politicians who break the law never must face real accountability. Time to break the cycle.
Fight Dirty Or Don't Fight At All
This is basically my message to liberals.
Hollowed Out
This is a piece about my hometown written when I visited this summer. Like a lot of places in the rural Midwest, it is becoming increasingly empty.
Locker Room Talk
Dr. Blasey-Ford's testimony and Kavanaugh's angry denunciations brought discussions of "locker room talk" back into the national conversation. This kind of language works as a misogynistic ritual of male bonding.
The Long Shadow of the 2000 Republican Primary
Instead of praising or damning John McCain, I decided to talk about his role in the 2000 Republican primary, an election whose consequences are still being felt.
The White Supremacy of Not Caring
I know I am not the first to say this, but I think I said it well.
Billboard Top Ten Alternative Songs October 22, 1994
This is my favorite of my Billboard Top Ten posts from this year.
Fascism 2.0
This post didn't get much traction, so I hope y'all read it this time.
"Uncle Sam's Thanksgiving Dinner"
History does not move in a straight line, and those who think it does breed damaging levels of complacency.
Coming of Political Age in the Bush41 Years
The death of George HW Bush dredged up memories of his brief reign, and how essential it was in establishing my general political outlook.
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