Methinks They Protest...Not So Much Anymore

Lately, something has been missing in our lives, something less obvious and more insidiously absent than the ex-boyfriend, an adequate paycheck, and even sunshine. When the venerable Dr. Thompson popped himself last week, it hit us like a bullet to the brain: we miss politics. We miss giving a shit what happens to this freakshow we call America. Last year was full of it--the protests, the conventions, more protests, bomb scares, and the books! Bestseller after bestseller, the left and the right were nearly equally represented, alternating Hardcover and Paperback slots up the Times list in a literary race almost as close as the real one. It was intoxicating, and not in the way that's been making it hard for us to get up recent mornings.

But now, we're kind of tired. We've been reading a lot of old-millenium classics, avoiding newspapers. We haven't logged onto Slate or Salon or MSNBC or Wonkette for almost 4 months. We've lost something with this last election, something more than just our naive faith and idealism that all shall be set right with the world. Good riddance to what little was left of that after 9/11 anyway. No, it's worse--we've lost our sense of humor about politics. But not even in a sensitive-leftie-taking-it-personally sort of way. That's the problem--when we took it personally we had to find it funny. It was the only way to keep going. Now we just don't find it at all. But to remind ourselves that once upon a time we used to put up a pretty good, silly, irreverant fight, please enjoy two pictures from the New York City anti-war protests of 2004.


 

Sadly, Scott's "Hangin' in the chow line!" poster was too busy panhandling across the street to join us for this photo.


 

After a successful confusion campaign the confused must walk home in the rain. The confusing get to pimp the stretch limo downtown. Thanks to a few airplane nips and a midday stop at the Gingerman, this limo ride ended with us beating the shit out of each other with what was left of our protest signs.