THE YEARS: TIME magazine has declared this the worst decade ever.
Calling the 2000s “the worst” may seem an overwrought label in a decade in which we fought no major wars, in historical terms. It is a sadly appropriate term for the families of the thousands of 9/11 victims and soldiers and others killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. But the lack of a large-scale armed conflict makes these past 10 years stand out that much more. This decade was as awful as any peacetime decade in the nation’s entire history.
Considering George W. Bush was president for 8 of these 10 years, I’m inclined to agree and so is this guy (I think, I only read the first three pages of excellent points until my Pet Peeve meter kicked in that this article is unnecessarily divided into FIVE PAGES just to up page views, which personally is one of my least favorite things about this fucking decade). Mediaite points out that TIME already called this one in 2000, when, fumbling for the right word for 00s, haphazardly named the decade ‘The Whatevers.”
We would like to direct you to the classic film Dazed and Confused which was obviously produced in 1993, far before things began to suck:
Cynthia:“It’s like the every-other-decade theory, you know? The ’50s were boring, the ’60s rocked, and the ’70s– Oh, my god, they obviously suck. Come on. Maybe the ’80s will be radical. You know? I figure we’ll be in our 20s and, hey, it can’t get any worse.”
So because the ’00s obviously suck, the ’10s will rule. She was wrong about the ’80s/’90s thing, but that’s another story, and we’re running out of time.
FACEBOOK: If you are someone who does not have a conflicted relationship with Facebook, do not click on this link – but also, stop lying to us and yourself. Why are we obsessed with it? This author postulates that it’s because of her complex sixth-grade best friend drama! Maybe she’s right, who knows! – At 34 years old, I finally feel like a popular seventh-grader. How sad is that. I am someone with a life. I have a career, a son, a husband, an active volunteer life, and many current and real-life friendships that need maintenance. I have a work deadline in three hours, plus dinner isn’t ready. The laundry remains unlaundered. Why, then, am I sitting at my computer, concerned to distraction over the activities of the people who were cruelest to me during my formative years? (@salon)
RIP: Veteran Trans Sportswriter Dies. Veteran Los Angeles Times sportswriter Mike Penner, who made headlines in 2007 when he announced that he was transitioning from male to female—from Mike Penner to Christine Daniels—has died. The 52-year-old, who last year began identifying as a man again, was found dead at his L.A. home. Suicide is the suspected cause of death. (@advocate)
DADT: Titled “Dont’ Ask, Don’t Tell,” L.A. photographer Jeff Sheng’s latest project consists of a series of stark, sometimes sad, portraits of U.S. soldiers who are forced to hide a part of who they are.
GAY CHURCH: Five years after same-sex marriage became legal in Massachusetts, the local Episcopal bishop yesterday gave permission for priests in Eastern Massachusetts to officiate at same-sex weddings.
FOOD STAMPS: The New York Times reports that the stigma of food stamps is fading and one in eight Americans are on food stamps. I think it will now be one in seven, because right now a bunch of people like me are wondering if possibly I qualify? The Disconcerting Reality of Food Stamp America America’s food stamp welfare program is now feeding one in eight Americans, and almost one in every four children. This is terrifying for a number of reasons, the least among them being “everyone’s poor.” (@gawker)
GREY: You could think of Sasha Grey as a het porn star, or as a pretty self-possessed and interesting lady who has accomplished a lot both in acting and directing, especially with this year’s art flick The Girlfriend Experience. If you’re more inclined towards the latter, you might be interested in her thoughts on things like the modern family and relationships: “I don’t think it’s a breakdown, I think it’s actually a good thing, because maybe people are learning how to grow and be individuals – for a long time it was come home from work, pregnant, babies, marriage. In that instance, you end up hating the person you are married to because you share no similarities, you have no emotional connection, and you never did. That’s because for one person it was based on family and another it was based on circumstance.” Also, she is the same age as Intern Rachel, who is apparently very underaccomplished. (@nerve)
FEELINGS: Is ‘Emo’ a hip way to police emotional expression? I’m concerned that at the core of the “emo” label is a judgment of both the validity and the presentation of another person’s strong emotional expression. (@bitch)
Two fun things to end this daily fix:
The 29 Greatest Chalkboard Gags in Simpsons History: The Simpsons” is in its 21st season, making it one of the longest running shows of all time. Over the past two decades its producers have churned out over 450 episodes, each with an opening chalkboard gag. We sifted through hundreds of openings to narrow it down to the top 29 for your amusement and judgment. Vote!
Nerd-tivity Scenes: (via @buzzfeed)
