Stranger Things indeed...

Though I agree with the overall premise of this article (Nancy wound up with the right person, and Steve was actually a pretty good kid, considering), I disagree with the reasoning on 2 points: 1) that Steve is a better choice than Jonathon, or 2) that Nancy's choice being right had even a single thing to do with either of the teenage male leads.

I'm a little abhorred with the tone of the article toward Jonathan. Yes, he was a creeper. Yes he has some real issues to work out. But I got the sense the author showed a real bias in regard to her analysis of the nature of the world's that the two teenage male leads grew up in as it related to their actions throughout the season. In a nutshell, the author seems  to be arguing that because Steve is a normal, well-adjusted upper middle class teen, that he shows any decency makes him good. But Jonathan's NOT a normal, well-adjusted upper middle class teen, so despite the fact that he shows any decency he's bad.

Like I said, I agree with the premise, and Nancy's story arc is a refreshing twist on the sixteen candles teen girl coming-of-age narrative (every action she takes is definitively her own choice, and every challenge placed before her gets dealt with on her terms). However, I think she misses the mark on why Nancy wound up with the right guy. It's not because Steve is a nice normal boy at the end of the day, but because Nancy decided she wanted to be with him. It's because she exercised agency in choosing to have (or not have) a boyfriend, not because Steve > Jonathon.

And just to tie a bow on that first paragraph, I reject the author's skin-deep analysis of the two male teens for one reason: it over values the idea of normalcy. Neither Steve nor Jonathon is better than the other based on their actions toward Nancy. Jonathon's are "weirder" because voyeurism isn't seen as an acceptable hobby, but Steve also violates Nancy's space by climbing to her room uninvited, fully intending to make a pass at her. And both -- eventually -- grow to respect her boundaries. Jonathon actually has a less problematic moralizing moment, as he questions her sexual explorations privately to her face, while Steve is a party to her public shaming. Long story short, Steve and Jonathon have an equal amount of teenage boy awfulness. Steve's is just more.... socially accepted.

Ok, I'm done for now, but "Stranger Things" is one of those shows that will require a part 2. So, you know. Stay tuned...

#shotsfired: Drew Everyday > Drake

I feel like I'm the best rapper alive. I don't think that's a very controversial statement. in fact, that's me at my most humble (seriously, I'm so humble it'll make your head spin). I'm really so much better than the term rapper can encapsulate. I'm like an orator supreme. Oh, you want some bars? ok, this is a show & prove age that we live in, I get it (hashtagpixoritdidnthappen) so y'all want some bars? y'all get some bars! check it:

I come through, what the hell

I come through, what the hell

I come through, with the extra swell

I come through wtf, I come through

hit 'em with that 1, 2....

three four

I come through,out the door

hit the floor

give them more

hear me roar

that's all you get fro free! AND I DIDN"T EVEN JUST WRITE THAT RIGHT THERE! THAT WAS THAT STRAIGHT OFF THE DOME, RAW FREESTYLE, SMACK DVD CLASSIC PIFF!! (#bars)

OK, OK, I know what you're thinking: "but Drew", you say, "you're a lawyer, not a rapper. You write memos and stuff, not lyrics!", to which I respond "I. CONTAIN. MULTITUDES! (#staytuned #foreshadowing #allthehashtags) also, as I sad before, I didn't even just write that. it was off the top of my head". 

so why am I greater at rapping than drake? you'll just have to listen to this special edition of my audio journal to find out....

the En Route gun violence special

in which I speak candidly and passionately about the incident involving guns over the past several weeks. I also speak about hatefulness (again) politics (again) and one of the myriad reasons I love video games. It may or may not come together in a coherent way by the end. enjoy!

ep's 3 and 3.5: relationships and compliments

more for ya! En route 3 and 3.5

the first two episodes of en route: hate parts 1 and 2

excuse the audio quality, I literally just decided to do this on a whim while in the car one day. maybe I'll get a studio quality mic at some point, but I just had to get these things off my chest at the time. there are like, 16 - 18 more of these coming, so... you know... stay tuned.... topics range from relationships to sport ball, from silly song parodies to how to properly foodie, heck I even make a confession somewhere in there. support me drewninites. join me on this journey.

this one's supposed to be titled "empathy and fruit"

T minus

Two things coming tomorrow:
One - the fun thing: audio rant in which I make an impassioned plea to a former wrestler.

Two: the first 3 part episode of my new podcast/audio log! It's a heavy three parter on the subject of hate. Stay tuned...

Hilary Banks 2016

want the shirt? follow the link here!

I think it's safe to say that I'm.... less than thrilled with the presumptive presidential nominees. Donald trump (#makedonalddrumpfagain) is a natural disaster. a dumpster fire next to wood and paper building with an old Buick leaking oil and gasoline parked precariously nearby. and in the Buick is a baby. and that baby is crying because  it's hungry. and there's a litter of kittens next  to the baby. what I'm saying is that he's, like, ultra mega bad. he's incredibad. literally anything would be favorable to a trump presidency, and I mean that. someone needs to put that fire out before the building burns down, and that poor hungry baby and those kittens get caught in a Buick explosion.

and Hillary? remember those old cartoons where there was a sheepdog guarding his flock and he would clock in every morning and greet the other sheepdog who was clocking out from the night shift? remember how there was also a wolf that would clock in at the same  time and they would e cordial, but then the wolf would try to steal the sheep? and sometimes the wolf would dress up like the sheep to try to blend in? but then they would break for lunch and have a nice meal of sandwiches and coffee together before doing the whole thing over again?

these guys

I can see your head brains churning over there, and the answer is no. Hillary ain't the wolf. she's the sheepdog. lemme explain:

the dynamic of Sam the Sheepdog and Ralph Wolf (that was their names) was that despite the appearance that they were on opposite sides of the sheep herding business, in reality, they worked together in a carefully balanced system that was mutually beneficial. the wolf was a hunter, but hunting the woods is a huge gamble. there is no guarantee that the wolf would be ale to catch enough substantial prey to satisfy his unending hunger. but the herd of sheep? they didn't move around much. they were oblivious to the wolf's lurkings. they were a constant and steady source of food. and they were easy pickings for the cunning wolf. ut then there's the sheepdog. the sheepdog guards the sheep but looks rather disinterested a the sheep don't really do much. they can essentially run themselves so long a  there's a ram or two to handle the tough stuff, but there is no ram. just the sheepdog. s the wolf gets an idea: "we're cut from the same cloth, that sheepdog and i. and with no danger to the sheep, he's pretty useless. perhaps I can convince the  sheepdog to let me pluck a few sheep. that makes the sheepdog important. then the sheep need him. then I get to eat."

and then there's the sheepdog. sure, the sheepdog watched the herd, but that was easy work. like I said before, the herd didn't do much in the way of moving. the sheepdog could sit up high on its perch and do nothing much at all. but this is a dangerous proposition for the sheepdog: what if the sheep start to realize how little the sheepdog is doing? what if they decide they don't need the sheepdog anymore? they might decide to move on without the sheepdog. but then comes the wolf. the wolf is a threat to the sheep, but the sheepdog? almost the same species as the wolf, the sheepdog gets an idea. "if the wolf is a threat to the sheep, the sheep will keep me on my perch to protect them from the wolf. I'll probably need to let the wolf take a few sheep just to keep the at up. But at least I'll have my perch secured."

so the sheepdog and the wolf meet up one day, probably the wolf buys them a nice steak dinner (the wolf has a house full of gadgets and transportation while the sheepdog walks to work suggesting that the wolf got loot. so the wolf buys). they discuss the plan, assurances are given and the system is in place. good luck to those sheep now, because their protector and their predator are in cahoots.

to me that encapsulates the relationship between Hillary -- and honestly  most politicians -- and the big money interests: big banks, big oil, big pharma, big agriculture, etc. not to mention the media which benefits from the system to the tune of billions of dollars in ad revenue during election cycles and "access" to the politicians and the big money interests the rest of the time. the interests give millions to Hillary and other politicians to ensure that the politicians can stay on their perch, which in this case is the office or seat they hold. in return, these politicians create favorable conditions for the interests to operate in: whether it's subsidizing oil and agriculture, deregulating banks, or allowing corporate lobbyists to draft legislation. and, and just like Sam and Ralph, when those politicians are democrats, part of the deal is that they give the appearance of protecting us from the big bad wolf corporations. 

couple with that Hillary is friendly with wall street, and she's almost literally a real life Sam Sheepdog: playing protector to the sheep from her Wolf buddies.

Hillary's spirit animal

For the reasons above and much more, the only Hillary I acknowledge is Banks.

#imwithher

AND IF YOU HAVEN'T DONE IT ALREADY, CLICK THIS LINK TO GET THE SHIRT

the tale of oliver and jane: Part 1

Gather round, drewninites, I have a story to tell.

oliver: a man of great mustache

This is a story about a guy named Oliver and his lady love, Jane. Oliver  and Jane were star-crossed lovers in the old south. oliver dreamed that one day he would be a successful lawyer, but after he finished his undergraduate studies a remarkable thing happened. one day as he was visiting old friends at his alma mater he was introduced to the most rearkable young lady he'd ever seen. this young lady was named jane, who dreamed of making a difference in her community. needless to say, oliver was immediately struck by her. she was gorgeous and fun ad smart: in a wrd perfect for oliver.

jane:a woan of great shoulder flair

 oliver had his reservations about approaching jane. she was a vision, and he, a mess in his eyes, not to mention, he had inquired with a friend about his conudrum who thought it best for him to stay away. but oliver, being headstrong and determined, went with his feelings and began a casual reationship with jane. a few months later he had won her over. the next year was lissful as the two young lovers fell deeper ad deeper into each other. oliver could not elieve how he had gotten so lucky to have a womman so perfect fall for him too.

it's at this oint in the story where I have to take a step back. you see, oliver had always een wary that his fortune was tooo great to have found such a woman (he, a true believer in the whole "ifit's too god to be true, it probaly is" philosophy). so before they embarked he wavered. he went to jane and expressed hs concern about her interest in him. he warned her that the honeymoon period, the luster of who he is wouldwear offone day and that when shine wore off, she would think less of him. oliver knew he was a flawed man, despite how great he might have seemed.

oliver had a mission: he would get to law school. one cannot ecome a celebrated legal mind if one does not first get legal training. unfortunately, he would have to leave jane behind to attend. as much as it hurt him: and as much as she hated it, they oth knew this ws necessary. things seemed to be in order at first. oliver would study and attend classes, givig every free moment he could to write jane about his experience, to check on her well eing to affirm and reaffirm his love for her. and she would write back when she wasn't at work in the community. this system, oliiver thought, worked just fine considering the unusual circumstances.

however, it wasn't long before oliver began to notice that jane's letters became less sweet, more elancholoy. elancholoy turned to hurt, hurt to spite. oliver knew he had to do something. jane, who's words to oliver had become short, cold even, began to speak with some excitement aout a new acquaintance she'd made. thi acquintance was very friendly and understanding of jane's feelings. oliver felt tht this acquaintance was more than a willing ear to jane, so one day he asked if there was soething he should know. jane's letter came back as sharp as the others:

"Oliver,
          No. He simply listens.

    Jane."

something seemed  off to oliver. he could feel hiddenmeaning in jane's words.meaning that was meant to cut to oliver's core. oliver had expected that a lovely young lady such as jane would havecallers while he was away, and he, being the overconfident type, was willing to discuss other arrangements for him and jane's relationship while he was away. so in a breif series of letters decaring their desire to make thigs work, he got to the root of the issue: jane had been with this friend. and had lied about it. olver was crushed by the weight of this news. for one, he had prepared himself for aforce of nature indescretion. but this felt pointed, deliberate, and worse, continuous.

oliver was at an empass. onone hand, he didn't want to give up on Jane. she was the most amazing person he'd known I his life. she was the love of his life. he 'd planned to prpose marriage to her at the end of the academic year. but on the other hand, he could not believe tht she would hurt him in this way. not somethig this apparently uncarng and cold. he couldn't bring himself to accept her back into his good graces.

it took time, but oliver decided; jane was too important to him to give up. no matter what it took, he would figure out how to make it work. She was worth it. in the middle of his most important academic year, this was worth the extra stress.

ok, kiddies, old Mr. Everyday has to get on now.

oh... you want to know what happened with oliver and jane? didthey make it? was it ultimately a good thing for him? how did jane cope with the distance?

you'll have to wait for another night. goodnight drewniverse

#RP: Louis C.K. asks you to think with your brain

the following is a postscript to a blast email about why it's no longer ok to vote for Trump. also you should go watch Horace and Pete, it's great. #makedonalddrumpfagain:

P.S.  Please stop it with voting for Trump. It was funny for a little while. But the guy is Hitler. And by that I mean that we are being Germany in the 30s. Do you think they saw the shit coming? Hitler was just some hilarious and refreshing dude with a weird comb over who would say anything at all.  

And I'm not advocating for Hillary or Bernie. I like them both but frankly I wish the next president was a conservative only because we had Obama for eight years and we need balance. And not because I particularly enjoy the conservative agenda. I just think the government should reflect the people. And we are about 40 percent conservative and 40 percent liberal. When I was growing up and when I was a younger man, liberals and conservatives were friends with differences. They weren’t enemies. And it always made sense that everyone gets a president they like for a while and then hates the president for a while. But it only works if the conservatives put up a good candidate. A good smart conservative to face the liberal candidate so they can have a good argument and the country can decide which way to go this time.  

Trump is not that. He's an insane bigot. He is dangerous.  

He already said he would expand libel laws to sue anyone who "writes a negative hit piece" about him. He says "I would open up the libel laws so we can sue them and win lots of money. Not like now. These guys are totally protected." He said that. He has promised to decimate the first amendment. (If you think he’s going to keep the second amendment intact you’re delusional.) And he said that Paul Ryan, speaker of the house will "pay" for criticizing him. So I'm saying this now because if he gets in there we won't be able to criticize him anymore. 

Please pick someone else. Like John Kasich. I mean that guy seems okay. I don't like any of them myself but if you're that kind of voter please go for a guy like that. It feels like between him and either democrat we'd have a decent choice. It feels like a healthier choice. We shouldn't have to vote for someone because they're not a shocking cunt billionaire liar.

We should choose based on what direction the country should go.  

I get that all these people sound like bullshit soft criminal opportunists. The whole game feels rigged and it's not going anywhere but down anymore. I feel that way sometimes.  

And that voting for Trump is a way of saying "fuck it. Fuck them all". I really get it. It's a version of national Suicide. Or it's like a big hit off of a crack pipe. Somehow we can't help it. Or we know that if we vote for Trump our phones will be a reliable source of dopamine for the next four years. I mean I can't wait to read about Trump every day. It's a rush. But you have to know this is not healthy. 

If you are a true conservative. Don't vote for Trump. He is not one of you. He is one of him. Everything you have heard him say that you liked, if you look hard enough you will see that he one day said the exact opposite. He is playing you. 

In fact, if you do vote for Trump, at least look at him very carefully first. You owe that to the rest of us. Know and understand who he is. Spend one hour on google and just read it all. I don’t mean listen to me or listen to liberals who put him down. Listen to your own people. Listen to John Mccain. Go look at what he just said about Trump. "At a time when our world has never been more complex or more in danger... I want Republican voters to pay close attention to what our party's most respected and knowledgeable leaders and national security experts are saying about Mr. Trump, and to think long and hard about who they want to be our next Commander-in-Chief and leader of the free world.”

When Trump was told what he said, Trump said "Oh, he did? Well, that's not nice," he told CBS News' chief White House correspondent Major Garrett. "He has to be very careful."

When pressed on why, Trump tacked on: "He'll find out.”

(I cut and pasted that from CBS news)

Do you really want a guy to be president who threatens John McCain? Because John McCain cautiously and intelligently asked for people to be thoughtful before voting for him? He didn’t even insult Trump. He just asked you to take a good look. And Trump told him to look out.

Remember that Trump entered this race by saying that McCain is not a war hero. A guy who was shot down, body broken and kept in a POW camp for years. Trump said “I prefer the guys who don’t get caught.” Why did he say that? Not because he meant it or because it was important to say. He said it because he’s a bully and every bully knows that when you enter a new school yard, you go to the toughest most respected guy on the yard and you punch him in the nose. If you are still standing after, you’re the new boss. If Trump is president, he’s not going to change. He’s not going to do anything for you. He’s going to do everything for himself and leave you in the dust.    

So please listen to fellow conservatives. But more importantly, listen to Trump. Listen to all of it. Everything he says. If you liked when he said that “torture works” then go look at where he took it back the next day. He’s a fucking liar.  

A vote for Trump is so clearly a gut-vote, and again I get it. But add a little brain to it and look the guy up. Because if you vote for him because of how you feel right now, the minute he's president, you're going to regret it. You're going to regret it even more when he gives the job to his son. Because American democracy is broken enough that a guy like that could really fuck things up. That's how Hitler got there. He was voted into power by a fatigued nation and when he got inside, he did all his Hitler things and no one could stop him.

Again, I’m not saying vote democrat or vote for anyone else. If Hilary ends up president it should be because she faced the best person you have and you and I both chose her or him or whoever. Trump is not your best. He’s the worst of all of us. He’s a symptom to a problem that is very real. But don’t vote for your own cancer. You’re better than that.

That's just my view. At least right now. I know I’m not qualified or particularly educated and I'm not right instead of you. I’m an idiot and I'm sure a bunch of you are very annoyed by this. Fucking celebrity with an opinion. I swear this isn’t really a political opinion. You don’t want to know my political opinions.   (And I know that I’m only bringing myself trouble with this shit.) Trump has nothing to do with politics or ideology. He has to do with himself. And really I don't mean to insult anyone. Except Trump. I mean to insult him very much. And really I’m not saying he’s evil or a monster. In fact I don’t think Hitler was. The problem with saying that guys like that are monsters is that we don’t see them coming when they turn out to be human, which they all are. Everyone is. Trump is a messed up guy with a hole in his heart that he tries to fill with money and attention. He can never ever have enough of either and he’ll never stop trying. He’s sick. Which makes him really really interesting. And he pulls you towards him which somehow feels good or fascinatingly bad. He’s not a monster. He’s a sad man. But all this makes him horribly dangerous if he becomes president. Give him another TV show. Let him pay to put his name on buildings. But please stop voting for him. And please watch Horace and Pete.

Do you even podcast, bro?

I do. And you should go listen to the man of every hope talk smart about relationships and stuff with his friends at the heart piece podcast. Listen to me, Drewninites!