Choire Sicha

Saturday, October 11

I am a schnook. ⊕

The other day I asked Leslie Harpold if a guy I hadn't met was "hot," which surely goes to show how fucking mature I am. She had the best answer ever: "I don't know, I've never seen him hold a guitar." ⊕

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Thursday, October 9

The Mars Volta is playing at Roseland in a couple weeks, and the show is sold out. I will cry and cry if I can't freak out in that mosh pit.

I seriously be needing some tickets. A ticket, really. Or two. Please to help me out for a price? I give you things. Even money. Whatever you want. Thank you.

I even took out an ad on Craigslist for tickets. My first ad ever. Oh, I'm lying -- it's my second, but the first one was a joke to entertain Elizabeth. ⊕

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Wednesday, October 8

California contenders, big salads, and the media profit centers: The Media Lunch, my piece in today's Observer. ⊕

For one reason or another, the people of California have put their mouths where someone's money is. The lovely, if slightly haggard, Miguel Marquez is reporting on CNN from Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom McClintock's concession party. Mr. McClintock, incidentally, held a higher "approval rating" than Arnold Schwarzenegger; Mr. Schwarzenegger's election is a testament to the depth of natural or manufactured hatred of Governor Gray Davis. We see clearly how large groups of people will mob together across sometimes quite substantial differences against the target of that disgust.

A necessary cynicism informs voting nowadays. In the last Presidential election, "vote-trading" was instituted between Al Gore and Ralph Nader supporters to ensure that Mr. Gore received necessary electoral votes. Whoops. Today we saw demonstrations of Mr. McClintock's supporters voting for Mr. Schwarzenegger to ensure a Republican candidate in Sacramento. In both cases Americans show savvy, jaded behaviors that do not conform to the idea of a simple act of voting one's conscience.

Mr. McClintock, from my old horrible suburban hometown of Thousand Oaks, seems pleased to lose; he's happy enough with the monstrous Gray Davis ousted. 22.6 million dollars later, Mr. Schwarzenegger is chomping at the bit to begin industry deregulations. Perhaps he will give Mr. McClintock a job. My friend Mr. Marquez seems pleased enough to report from Sacramento, the center of a very dark storm. He has, to his professional credit, not punched anyone.

In an odd echo of Joan Didion, Arnold Schwarzenegger has said that there is a "tremendous disconnect" between the citizens and government in California. His plan then must be populist. His thoughts: cut the "car tax," take money from the Indian reservation casinos, "renegotiate" union contracts, of course "streamline bureaucracy," and repeal the law that gives driver's licenses to "undocumented immigrants."

A bit out of series, that last one. As we watch Gray Davis concede a bit before 1 a.m. Eastern time, we of course understand that there is a tremendous disconnect between politicians and citizens. I'm not sure how the introduction of the more overt issues of the wealthy celebrity class into the breach will decrease that sense of disconnection.

I am however quite certain that the people of California will get what they were paid for. ⊕

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Tuesday, October 7

Number of Californians registered to vote in today's election: 15,380,526. ⊕

Now it is 1984
Knock knock at your front door
It's the suede/denim secret police
They have come for your uncool niece.
California Uber Alles

⊕

The world began in Eden and ended in Los Angeles. The polls are open. ⊕

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Monday, October 6

I'm incredibly excited about tomorrow's election. I totally absolutely believe the people of California are going to go for the recall and elect that sexually-assaulting Nazi-loving steroid-enhanced asshole -- about whom they know absolutely nothing -- as their new Governor.

And what, do you suppose, will the voter turnout be like? Do you think it'll break 50%? Can you imagine? The millions of eligible voters who don't show up tomorrow should have their fingers broken. I know, that's not terribly democracy-loving of me -- but I'd gladly gallivant about the state myself, checking voting records and nut-cracking absentee fingers.

Schwarzenegger is the third horseman of the apocalypse. At least it won't be much longer for us faithful, when at last we're all taken up in the twinkling of an eye away from this particular vale of tears.

Go ahead, California: I dare you to disappoint me. Please, please do, in fact. ⊕