[inlink]paul,2319[/inlink] -- well, (e:paul), I'm not entirely sure (as I haven't seen any of them around here), but I think that the Billionaires for Bush is part satirical, part performance art, part protest against the fiscally conservative right-wing.

I'd equate their tactics to what the Guerilla Girls have done in the past -- trying to draw attention to their message by spoofing what they disagree with. Or whatever. That last part I just pulled out of my ass.

Anyone go to the Rasputina show this weekend? I had a chance and wasn't able to go b/c my son was sick as a dog. I've been listening to this group more and more (thanks to the wonders of iTunes network share -- i swear people don't give Apple enough credit) and I think I'm getting to a point where I want to truly immerse myself in their music.

Yeah, I may look like a total white bread on the surface... but truth be told, I identify with the goth side so much more... and nothing says ennui more than a couple cellos and a driving beat.

oh momma -- between (e:paul) and (e:twisted) mentioning the sidekick (and being that I have T-Mobile), I am tempted... but I'm unsure if I want to pay even more in monthly fees. Is it truly worth it? Could I still buy the phone without the extra service and just walk around looking cool ;) ? Well, if it's good enough for Paris Hilton and Paul...

Also, I want to mention how tickled I am (yes, I said 'tickled') that (e:twisted) has become so entangled in the elmwoodstrip community. Between her bathroom chats with (e:paul) and a possible rendez vous in The Castro with (e:haikuster)... it's just too cool.

Side note here to (e:twisted) : I can't believe you have yet to go to The Castro for Halloween! I recall at some point they tried to move the celebration down to the Civic Center because there had been some hate crimes committed by people who drove in from places like Livermore, Stockton, and Walnut Creek to "see the queers" -- what-ev-er. I'm glad the civc center thing didn't take hold. Not having Halloween in The Castro is like not having Mardi Gras in New Orleans or not having Dingus Day in Cheekotwaga ;)

(e:Metalpeter) - sorry, I shoulda clarified. The tranny award on my co-worker's desk had something to do with a transmission sales quota or something. I work at a Business to Business ad agency, so awards like that are fairly common. Fact of the matter is, I was the only one to think it strange that it said "Tranny Award" on it. Most people here only find humor in fart jokes and videos of men getting hit in the nuts. Not that those can't be funny, but that can't be the entire scope of one's sense of humor.

But, I guess that would explain the popularity of Shrek (sorry all of you Shrek-lovers out there).

[inlink]metalpeter,178[/inlink] Well, let's start off by saying that I spelled it incorrectly -- it is not spelled "twinky" -- boy, I'm an idiot for blowing THAT reference to pop culture. This is from an explanation I wrote awhile ago to a few co-workers:

in the late-70's, a former San Francisco city supervisor got away with the assassination of San Francisco mayor George Mascone and city supervisor Harvey Milk and pleaded temporary insanity as he had eaten too many Twinkies and was high on the sugar. As he was primarily a health-nut, the sugar rush supposedly interfered with his ability to make rational decisions about controlling his anger.

The supervisor was convicted on a lesser charge of manslaughter. he was then paroled in the 80's and ended up killing himself a couple years later.

hmm... I guess that was a pretty obscure reference, wasn't it? I should mention that I first heard about it while attending none other than Williamsville South HS, so it can't JUST be a regional expression.