The Year in Review

What a long strange trip it’s been.
-The Grateful Dead

Now Mommy 1.0 won’t speak to us and got a job with Denton (again) on a different blog and her friend Moe got shitcanned partially because she got drunk and said a bunch of stupid shit on line.

Turns out that Unicorn isn’t so gay friendly afterall and we are looking at an economic abyss that may consume us all if global warming doesn’t kill us first.

Then many of us unmasked at the ball so we’re not just mere pseudonyms on a screen.

I have to say that this is by far the most fun I’ve had on the tubez ever and that includes surfing for pr0n (the real reason the ‘tubez was invented, right?)

Not get all sentimental, but I’ve enjoyed the company greatly. One thing I noticed is that as I get older, it gets harder to meet people and I see why old folks tend to get all weirded out by “new” people and fail to reconnect with anyone leading to becoming the crazy person on the corner everyone is freaked out about. I can see this beginning among my own friends who as time takes us, we close ranks. This place has definitely expanded my friend base quite a bit for which I am grateful.

It was a hell of a weeding process that got us here, even more rigorous than playing in in the Old Wonkette days. I remember staying up late in my little frozen room in Montana last winter when I was up there on a case logging on and keeping track of where we we heading.

The tubez has freed us from our corporeal beings and all that goes with it and allowed us to communicate freely as like minds, like an old fashioned correspondence begun with someone you don’t know but has similar interests. That pre-screening occurred at Wonkette.

But something else happened, which was the blossoming of the online relationships, the opening up in real ways, the building of friendships from the inside out, not the outside in. Facebook was the next logical progression for a lot of us.

For all the political strife and economic bad news we dealt with on the macro front, I had a pretty good life in 08. Lots of good positive, incremental growth. I became a partner at my firm, which made me feel smarter, more capable and gave me more freedom. My son amazes me (he just started making stews this weekend), Mrs RML and I are doing well and probably fell in love a little more the way people do.

I hope we all remain safe and well throughout the new year, that we make the sphere of our lives richer . Pray for your friends and families, your communities (like this one), for those who keep things running, for our earth and all it gives us. Stay strong, help out. Best wishes to you all for the new year and thanks for the company this year.

This place has been ten times as fun as Wonkette ever was. [But it ultimately doesn't matter, because there is pain and suffering around the world. That is why it is so critical that the federal government provide full support for the Millenium Development Goals.]

Seriously. Since the exodus, my infrequent visits have given me the impression that Wonkette has dipped heavily. We were (by and large) the only class in that joint, with respect to commenting. Now — Brand W : commentary :: Knock-knock jokes : comedy. (Perhaps Manchu can fill us in, as he sometimes comments there. Am I wrong in re quality control over there?)

Funny — we banded together because someone we believed was ONE OF US got shit on by professionals. And now apparently she’s not returning our calls. But we’re still together anyway. That’s a totally different kind of awesome.

This has become a great hangout. And you guys actually, erm, tolerate me? Is tolerate the right word? Anyway: for all the love you have shown me — thank you. I mean it.

LOYAL TRUE DRUNK AND DIRTY
HFA VOLUNTEERS FOREVER

Adding to the end of the post (and my pain):

Bill Cowher turns down Jets coaching job because of Brett Favre.

And Jesus wept.

Lets not ever, ever forget “my xon, you will dire.”

I am working on my 2009 resolutions. So far, I have:

Get a clam rake.
Go to Swinford.
Varnish my teak.

blogenfreude: If there is a saving grace, Brett Farve will not pull the eight-month I’m-in-I’m-out thing again. Jet Fan will put up with it for about three weeks and then bury Farve, right next to Hoffa.

(Incidentally: I saw Farve driving in his Merc one day in Madison years ago, as I was on my way home from the store. The license plate? GBMVPX3. Yeah. No ego on that guy.)

I’m totally glad that I have been part of this wild ride with you all. HFA forever!

A perfect illustration of why I love you all is the comment thread on the Tone Deaf post. Funerals, deviled eggs, California budget, Denton is an idiot, restaurants and site seeing in Austin – and oh yeah, politics in Illinois (and a little Georgia). And lots of weed!

Thanks for a great year, and thanks for coming along on the great HFA ride. I can’t believe it has been almost a year. I feel like I made so many great friends through that experience, although that week of writing nearly killed me (and cost me my relationship). I feel bad that I haven’t written more – I enjoy blogging, but it isn’t something I can just do at the drop of a hat. My mind just doesn’t work that way unfortunately.

And I look forward to the next chapter and being in DC for the beginning. Love you all!

@chicago bureau:
W attracts a much younger crowd with their Playstations and Emo rock and their typing Wins all the time.

Fewer females and gays than in the past I will say which lessens the snap quotient. A lot less literate at times with the comments. Strangely, Layne and gang (especially Newell) understands to back off and let the comments flow unlike other Gawker minions unless they get too insane and then Jim usually comes in a smacks the shit out of the offender.

The dumbass Chief Paynes of the world are few and far between these days, but they are fewer and far between everywhere, even HuffPo. And nary a peep from Paultards these days.

@chicago bureau: Favre hasn’t even said whether he’s staying yet they’ve gotten Cowher to take himself out of the running. Just fucking great.

And a Happy New Year to all of you – looking forward to maintaining the Stinque around here.

Ah, you know I love you all more than my luggage.

Hay, Prommie:, that’s a good idea…what are everybody’s resolutions? Mine are as follows:

1. Lose gross bag of fat that hangs from my midsection.
2. Take the Mr. out more often.
3. Buy less porn with names like “Cream of Sum Yung Guy”, as my ex-boyfriends keep showing up in it anyway and I’ve seen that already.
4. Finally, buy a show-quality puppy and enter the world of dog fancy, as is required of members of my family as we reach middle age.

@ManchuCandidate:

I’ve noticed the trolls are fewer- embarrassed by loss maybe? Even the dependable idiots on Sadly, No have been replaced by half-hearted parody trolls.

Here’s to auld lang syne, my lovely freaks. May the new year richly bless you…..

@ManchuCandidate: I briefly considered buying an ad over there, and then I realized that I had no interest in enticing that crowd to come here. Except for Lone Holdout Flores/Serolf.

I’m more of a visitor than a villager here. I often feel like I’ve dropped in to a great local bar. Been stopping in irregularly since W. Lot’s of inside things go by me, but conversation here is always good. So many people to thank for the evolution of this place- Megan for trying to raise the discourse a bit at W, HF for keeping it going, then CP, then Nojo for borrowing the car, etc… great posts and trenchant commentary from everyone…. Cheers to everybody and hoping for a better New Year

@nojo:

Angry Blak Guy can be amusing, at times.

@fupduk: Stop by more often, Fup a Duk. Stools open up all the time.

Speaking of which, how ’bout them Ducks?

@ManchuCandidate: The Rent-a-Center took their laptops back and the Paultards’ access is blocked at the local public library.

TJ: Anyone who has Time Warner cable is going to lose your access to Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert.

@fupduk: Don’t be a stranger. Pull up a stool anytime.

Only thing I can add is Don’t forget the Ark, suitably christened the SS Molly Ivins by Den Mother Lefty and partially spec’d by our own Prommie. Were the seeds for the Ark planted at W:, or had we already taken refuge with the HFA?

In any event, the various blogvehicles and all of you guys and gals have done wonders for my sanity this year. The wife and kids remind me nearly every freakin day that they knew Hopey was going to win even if I remained a cynicmopey right up until the Keystone state was called, and if it hadn’t been for YodaPez and CatStick and all you lugs I very well could have gone over the edge. That my reintroduction to US American life could be eased and, yes, enriched by becoming an idiot commenter on ‘snarky political blogs’ continues to amaze me.

Now, please stop talking about stools. It reminds me of the ‘scoping I have scheduled for Friday, and the fasting I’m forced to endure as I watch JoePa beat up on the University of Spoiled Children tomorrow.

the “Cheers” analogy has struck me also, except in our bar we have weed, acid, mushrooms etc. No speed — that’s for the Wasilia crowd.
Happy new year everyone, and may we all be together and healthy in 2010 and beyond.

@Tommmcatt Yet Again: Get a Cairn Terrier. Get into agility competitions, fun fun.

@fupduk: Just ask when curiuos about something inside, its fun ‘splainin.

@nabisco: My team is playing in April, I think, for the BCS championship.

@Prommie:

How weird, that’s what I was thinking. Either that or a Shiba Inu- they are great city dogs and I love the look.

My mom’s show dogs are Jack Russels, which have fun working competitions too. Kinda high energy for me tho. My cousin is raising basset hounds, but they seem like a lot of work to keep clean and healthy to me.

Is anyone familiar with the MulletHunt? Wherein one goes to walmart and discreetly snaps pictures of the most resplendant mullets one can find? There is a website where people post these pictures and they make much yucks with a snarky taxonomy thing. Here is a discussion of the sport: http://www.fanmanual.com/nascar-101-how-to-mullet-hunt-and-survive/

Can we do this? Not as obvious as mullets, but some kind of photo-hunt, and then we all post our captures here?

@Tommmcatt Yet Again:
You can use mutts in agility competitions.

And people I know who have Tibetan terriers adore them. They are really cute.

Some of my resolutions are similar to yours:

1) Lose the gut that makes people think I’m pregnant. Yes, my unborn child is named Martini.
2) Take the Mr. out more.
3) Start putting myself first instead of my job or the needs of ungrateful others.
4) Lose toxic relationships, nourish healthy relationships.
5) Stay employed. Keep Mr. SFL employed.
6) Take a vacation that lasts more than 3 days.
7) Get a dog.

Mullets, man I love them: http://www.mulletjunky.com/picfix1.htm

@Prommie: sometimes its more fun to speculate

@Tommmcatt Yet Again: I have a Cairn and a Westie, and both are the best best best best dogs in the whol;e world, happy lovey funny creatures. They amuse me greatly and make me very happy.

@Prommie:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wB1eQrCBw0k

@Prommie: Well, we do have the New Improved Monthly Jams starting this weekend, although they’re not limited to specific themes. But if I see a trend developing in the submissions, it’s easy to create a spinoff post.

@redmanlaw:
I don’t pay much attention to college sports, but when I was in OR and I had to choose sides, I couldn’t bring myself to root against the Fighting Beavers….

@redmanlaw: @fupduk: Huh? Wha?

Well, lookee there: 42-31 last night at the Fog Bowl.

I actually dropped by Monday afternoon’s pep rally at the Embarcadero because I wanted to see the Giant Foam Hands I designed for them. (And prove to my Eugene clients that I really exist.) Only to everyone’s surprise they turned out to be Tiny Plastic Fingers. Teaches them not to use 24-Hour Novelties & Box Wine Superstore.

@nojo: these? (you have to scroll in five or so pics to see a TPF).

@nabisco: Try that again — the link itself didn’t get pasted in. But if there’s a crowd shot with Tiny Green Fingers, they’re mine.

@nojo: I’ll try again here. Looks like one guy, one finger.

@nabisco: That’s My Finger. For that matter, that’s the pep rally. But they somehow managed to crop out my Big Sign behind the stage.

And look — Don Essig, Voice of the Ducks! Dude’s been around forever — he was the stadium announcer when I was a kid and in college.

@nojo: Why were your fingers so small? Weren’t they supposed to be big hands? Was there a Spinal Tap Stonehenge replica snafu?

@SanFranLefty: Stonehenge: Perfect.

Everyone thought they were going to be Big Hands. But the staff makes the arrangements, and I just get the templates. That’s the actual template size, but we all figured they’d be blown up to 24 inches or so.

Hello, Stinquers!

One last post before the equally promising and menacing 2009 is upon us.
The discovery of you folk was assuredly one of the real highlights of 2008.
Your collective boldness and insistence on truthfulness as an inalienable
right of the governed helped me weather the calamities that felt like golfball-sized hail, then increased in size and peril. I felt as though my
citizenship in this land and society had been cheapened by systematic,
unapologetic criminal activity by elected and appointed thugs who were
as accountable as deceased voters in Chicago’s cemeteries. But you, the people, saw me through. I haven’t thought about New Years’ resolutions yet, but there won’t be more than two, and one will doubtless concern itself with weight loss. My biggest concern right now, though, is the potential 1-2 million souls who will be more excited
about dinner at Prommie’s Sunday night than inauguration activities.

Effie sez: Happy New YEAR!

@ManchuCandidate:

The Paultards are all holed-up in their Paultard Palace plotting REVEnge against us gawdam Mooslem socialists and our fiat currency.

We won’t be laughing when Obomba hands us our Ameros.

THINK ABOUT IT.

@nojo:
@redmanlaw:

I did a stint at the Tektronix plant in Beaverton a few years back. The engineers fell in 2 distinct camps:
Eugene/OU/Duck or Corvallis/OSU/Fightin’ Beaver.

Well it may be true that OU is “Earth First!!” and OSU is “Earth First, we’ll log the other planets later” , but I still ain’t gonna wear a Donald Duck cap to a football game, so I’m going with the Beavers strictly on style…..

Unless, of course, it’s against a California team…..

Having said that, beating up Ok State is good, and congrats to OSU on that 3-zip pounding on Pitt…

My overall feeling on football is that its only good for betting and I’d rather bet on cards or horses….

@fupduk: Speaking of style, as a former OSU (OK) employee, I could only take comfort in the fug-leee uniforms on the Ducks. They looked like a Project Runway challenge gone horribly wrong. Unless nojo was involved, in which case never mind.

@Mistress Cynica: Due to the Nike connection to the university, U of O teams test all the new fabrics and shoes and technology being developed up the road at Nike H.Q. So that’s how they wind up sometimes with weird looking fugly uniforms.

@Mistress Cynica: My sins are limited to alumni novelties.

@SanFranLefty: Nike needs to rethink that diamond pattern on the shoulder pads then. It could give someone a seizure. Which reminds me, who lets newscasters and other talking heads go on the air in striped shirts? WTF? Mr cyn and I have this discussion every time we see an offender on MSNBC.

@Mistress Cynica: I lurve my Keiff Oh, but some nights those striped suits of his are about to give me a major seizure.

@SanFranLefty: Carson did that regularly.

My New Year’s Resolution is to write regularly for STINQUE! I’m finally coming off my jet-setting month of bitchy elegance and will be back home this weekend. I have many European and/or Gay Mafia opinions to share with my Stinquers.