This is a personal view of the past year, coloured by emotion.  This is from memory, so the timelines may be mixed and confused, and facts may be completely wrong.  I don't care.  This one is about the visceral side of politics, about my emotional response to all this.

A year ago, I wrote a lament for socialism.  Brown had secured the leadership of the Labour Party without an election, and so became Prime Minister.  I predicted he would be the same as Blair, only with different presentation skills.  Well, I suppose he tried to be the same as Blair, but his lack of presentation skills of any sort scuppered that.

Meanwhile, 256 has spent nigh unto two years doing little else but meditate upon what sort of act could possibly venture next onto the stage warmed by Comics Fun Challenge the Third.

As I'm making plans to move out of state, I've been making a priority out of catching up with friends that I've not kept up contact with so that we can share one last visit. Hence, the arrival at my house of my former classmate Sarah to partake of dinner with my family last Friday evening.

Little did I know what events this dinner would put into motion.

It was a long night with record takings at the bar. I got home at 4:45, less than sober, and woke up to the cat's demand for fresh water some four and a half hours later. There's stuff to do around the house before I go back to the bar tonight for what will probably be an exercise in thumb-twiddling and navel-gazing. I grabbed a T-shirt from the "not publicly wearable but still serviceable" pile, suitable for housework. It was an old trophy and it made me think of Gilly.

That's "Spoken Word Fun Challenge Number 0".

Update [2008-4-14 0:3:35 by R343L]:Because I can (and someone asked), the deadline is extended until Wednesday midnight.

Theme: Underground.

Be Careful What You Wish For

Confession is supposed to be good for the soul. I hope it helps mine. I feel so dirty, not about what I did but certainly about the results. My actions helped spark new interest in an organisation I wish would go away because their real interest is "brand awareness" rather than their stated and perceived goals. They're so bad that one of their founders left in disgust and started a new group which uses its funds for action rather than more fund-raising and showy but pointless gestures.

The secret's revealed here, Richard. I am responsible for that damned whale being called "Mr. Splashy Pants". I didn't make up the name (that honour goes to Omar Zayed), but I made it popular.

Pointless poll included.
x-posted to da brog.

So, here's the deal.

[editor's note, by ana]Note new, extended deadline!

Okay, let's cut the crap. Normally these little WFCs are small beer. But this time, boys and girls, the writers on this here site are going to be single-handedly responsible, as a group, as a group of single hands, for the triumphant resurrection of an honest to God lost and dead genre.

Stuff

A style guide

What's Wrong with America™ and what you, yes, you (but, well, no, not you slozo), can do about it. Revised Edition: Now with Nixon-y goodness.

This was a mega-rant I posted as a reply to a Hole entry by Blixco (which shall not be linked), which he continued in these recent ruminations on the subject of the Big Crisis.

I kinda dashed through multiple topics from working in IT to banking and capitalism to web marketing to sustainable living to escaping the Empire, and features the original quote:

"Capitalism is a pernicious fractal algorithm that, left to iterate for more than a few generations, will completely destroy society." --Me

Read on to get pissed off at something. Probably me...

"Pyramid Patchouli. There was only one joker in LA sensitive to wear that scent, and I had to find out who he was."

Find your fedora and make sure the spare clips are in your pocket, because the next Writing Fun Challenge is crime.

Rules over the fold.

Since there have been exactly zero submissions for Photo Fun Challenge 5, I'm extending the deadline until Jan 10.

I was probably crazy to think anyone would get around to a PFC this time of year. So y'all enjoy your holidays, and keep an eye out for that perfect shot.

Ob. geometric inspiration

Children singing non-sectarian rhymes

Yes, it's time for MFC XIV already. And the theme has to be Jeebusmas.

Update [2008-1-12 9:54:59 by Herring]: The closing date is now Sunday 13th. Also, notafurry has created an upload site here.