then and now

[davemerrill]

disgusted: Supreme Court rejects limits on corporate political spending You thought the parade of lying shills was bad NOW, it is about to get a lot worse. First Amendment my ass; the idea that "corporations are people" is a convenient legal fiction, and a clumsy one at that. For those who aren't paying attention, this is why Supreme Court nominees matter.

amused: STUPID COMICS is a day late and a history lesson short as Archie and the gang go back in time to visit what Al Hartley thought the past was like.



Note the patented Al Hartley "Wow I Never Thought Of It THAT Way" face Veronica is making here. People only disagree with his worldview because, you know, they just never actually thought about it at all. This comic comes to us courtesy parasitegirl who was kind enough to send us a big stack of Riverdale's Finest! (and no, I don't mean the primo weed Dilton produces in his super scientific grow-op.)

BIG PLANS FOR THE WEEKEND: Um, clean things up and putter around the apt. Throw stuff away. Do some relaxin'. Enjoy the return of Mr. Sun.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

heh, what timing!

A few days back I was youtubing (that IS a real term, right?) and came across a couple of vids of AWA 2009. Woah! Talk about fantasyland! Of course I don't have to run the thing...

So I started thinking about a goof story where a bunch of anime con regs (circa 2009) get magically transported back to Akon 1 (or worse!). I think more than a few minds might melt over the differences. Scratchy vhs in the vidroom! Raw japanese! No costumes?!!! Six tables in the dealer's room! How the fuck did these people live like this?! And, mind you, this is only 20 years ago!

Of course I know nada about the current state of cons, so it's gonna have to stay something that only brings me occasional mental yuks.

RWG (but the whole "lack of females" thing manages to bring a laugh)

[davemerrill.livejournal.com]

Anime cons circa 1991 were mostly male, mostly college age or older fans who were a part of the larger SF fandom, for whom anime was an adjunct to their fandom as a whole. There were always costumers, though.

Anime cons circa 2009 are half and half, if not 60/40 female, college age or younger, and are people for whom Japanese animation/manga/video games are their primary fandom.

The interests of the anime congoer have been shifting away from the cartoons and towards manga, webcomics, Japanese bands, and a vague "otaku culture" that fiercely embraces a lot of fringe interests. There's a impression that anime cons are the place young people attend to socialize - they've become de facto youth culture festivals. And while that's really hard for people of our generation to adjust to and accept, the fact is that most anime is made for children or teenagers and when anime attracts children and teenagers, we can hardly be surprised when the attendees want raves and bands and other youth-culture accoutrements.

[lyneidas.livejournal.com]

Yes...Bill Gates can't buy a political candidate himself, but if he goes through his business he can spend 30 million on an ad campaign and crush the opponents with swift boat campaign lies.

I used Bill as my example because he's the only major businessman I can think of who might possibly be trusted NOT to use swift boat tactics.

[sobieniak.livejournal.com]

We can solve all mankind's problems "Life With Archie" style by simply pretending to live in past eras which never actually existed.

*sigh* If only I could live back then with the steampunk mod, then I'd be set for life!

[kuniopt.livejournal.com]

That isn't a "history lesson" as much as it hilariously spins around going ALALALALALA WHAT DO YOU MEAN THERE WAS POLLUTION AND WOMEN WERE TREATED LIKE SHIT I CAN'T HEAR YOU

[parasitegirl.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you're enjoying your stash of the finest.

And, how I wish, oh do I wish, that I could travel back to simpler times and know that I'd be treated better and that the combination of internal-organ crushing corsets, the trauma of popping out babies (oh, prolapsed uteruses, how rare you are now) and the beatings I might get for not knowing my place would make my life shorter, and thus bless each day as a precious moment due to the ephemeral nature of my life.