2007 is over, and 2008 smells like recession. This should be fun. I remember the Reagan recession. "Why is this old man wearing makeup and lying to me?" It's true: the man wore a lot of rouge. There's now a generation for whom Reagan is only a wheezy voice tired impressionists try to mimic on late night cable. A reputation constructed to have world historic importance has vanished like so much flash paper. Interesting.
2008 smells like recession, and Manhattan smells like unoccupied condos. Sadly, I don't know of any way to make money from this guess. Everyone is hunkering down, the animal spirits are churlish, and the Zeitgeist is checking its watch, like in Klute.
The only liquor store in Manhattan I've found which sells Korbel brandy was closed New Year's Day. I blame gentrification.
The books of 2007 lacked luster in general. I read things that scratched my itch, but I was mostly filling in gaps -- there are gaps -- and overhang from 2006. I'm assuming this is a gestational pause, but I do try to keep my finger on the cultural pulse of things, and I'm not seeing the smart small group competition which generates cool stuff.
Here's an exception: the movie Juno, which was made on the strength of its script. I used to link to its writer, Diablo Cody. I wish I could say I had followed her blog since she was pretending to be a Russian secretary, but no, it was while she was making hilarious comments about working in Minneapolis peep shows. Somehow, the bizarre Zhdanovite 'culture warriors' of the American right have adopted her movie as a validation of their lifestyle, which is also hilarious.
Tomorrow: my election endorsements!
Not flash paper. Consider the Reagan War Memorial, at Masurian Lakes off the Beltway. Or the hoard of Reagan tchachkes currently for sale on QVC.
More like suppurating creosoted railroad ties.
Cripes it is hard to type one-handed.
Posted by: The New York City Math Teacher | January 02, 2008 at 06:12 PM
NYCMT, a war memorial no one has heard of and a product line on QVC are exactly the things one would expect from the near-total evaporation of reputation. Grover Norquist had a plan to brand the man's name permanently on the forehead of America, the Ronald Reagan Legacy Project, much as the Soviet Union had Stalingrad, Stalinabad, Stalino, et cetera. (Was there ever a Stalinakert?) It's pretty much dead.
It is fascinating to watch the American memory hole in operation.
Incidentally, the QVC distribution centers outside of their HQ area are located across the American South. Think of it as the secular, cable version of a 'Christian' gift shop.
Sorry you can't move your arm -- when will the cast come off? (And have you ever seen a court stenographer's keyboard? weird. But they're two-handed.)
Posted by: Carlos | January 02, 2008 at 07:25 PM
"2008 smells like recession, and Manhattan smells like unoccupied condos. Sadly, I don't know of any way to make money from this guess."
You jest, sir! If you really believe it, the possibilities are endless. Short the big financials, short listed holders of Manhattan realestate, buy bear funds, buy bonds, gather cash to snag the condos cheap in a year. And that's just the plain-vanilla shit. But you know this; why the depressive air?
Me, I'm gonna miss '07 like crazy. I can only hope '08 turns out as well.
Posted by: Bernard Guerrero | January 03, 2008 at 12:50 AM
Well, in the best of all possible worlds, I'll hit the academic job market just as the recession is hitting, but when universities are still operating on their budget from the FY before the recession. Then, ideally, after getting a job, the wife and I will be able to find some sort of a house as the market bottoms out.
Or then, I may wind up stuck in adjunct hell or worse, hitting the job market as even community colleges are instituting hiring freezes.
Still, I've got high hopes for 2008 and 2009!
Posted by: Andrew R. | January 03, 2008 at 01:18 AM
...and the QVC mothership is... in my neck of the woods, about 13 miles from my house. I've taken the tour (for much the same reason that I took the Graceland tour).
The Franklin Mint is about halfway between here and there.
Posted by: Dennis Brennan | January 03, 2008 at 02:12 AM
This is somewhat off topic, but the mention of smart small group competition plus the readership of this blog makes me think of SHWI, which seems to be almost completely dead now. I lurked there for many years, and really enjoyed the place, and I'm sure that many of you did too. Which makes me wonder - and I've e-mailed Carlos about this before - if anyone here has any idea how we might go about finding an alternative/replacement?
Posted by: King-Walters | January 04, 2008 at 04:49 PM
Yes, such city was. My father served in this town - Stalinakert
Posted by: mermaid | August 14, 2009 at 04:06 AM