I Need Queer Eye for the Liberal Guy

http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20080925/sc_livescience/conservativeorliberalworkspacerevealsall

So I find this article to be fascinating and quite spot on. I mean, I've never been a big decorator in the traditional sense, but my clutter tends to be somewhat nice looking in my own eyes.

In every job I've had I always wind up putting the many books I read over the a course of time lined up somewhere for reference or just so I feel proud and smart for reading so damn much. I've torn pages out of magazines that had great articles that should be posted. When I interned for the state I had all my Hunter S. Thompson memorabilia out including a large font explanation of why George W. Bush is a blundering idiot compared to Richard Nixon who was a mean old "gin sot" in his own right. I definitely got some looks and everyone knew where I stood politically.

In my office now people talk half heartedly about politics and where they stand. I honestly can't bear the thought of being upset over someone else's party being different from mine when I've got more work on my plate that I know what to do with.

Currently my cubicle's entire top shelf is nothing but books that I have read this year. About 30. I let people come by and borrow them as they like. I move so much I figure even if I don't get a book back it's one less thing to box up when I hit the road again. Plus it's a great conversation piece! I mean seriously; who wants to strike up conversation about a framed picture with some flowers or a dog in them? No, I'm a stinking liberal and I want to talk about literature.

Don't even ask me about what was on television last night because unless it involves mixed martial arts or politics I probably didn't see it.

So, should I make my work space more neutral and boring like many other people have theirs, or should I keep it the way I like it? At least I feel comfortable to some extent. Plus when the networks go down I'll have something to keep me entertained.

***On a side note, I left Worcester at 7:15 am and got to work at 8:15 am with very little traffic. Nice!

Liberal Chicken, Conservative Egg Head

Which came first? On my commute today I pondered the statements made by several wealthy uncles of mine who are positive that all liberals eventually evolve into conservatives after the age of 30. Clearly taxes, gays and abortion takes on a new meaning once you've seen one third of a century. Clearly they've never been to Cambridge, Newton. I do understand they're observations of the many wealth middle-agers who may have marched in a demonstration or two in their earlier years and maybe even smoked some pot in the process. Those examples surely must be the Jones' down the street who are extremely concerned about and lose sleep over sex education in the class room and the terrorists poisoning their suburban water supply.

But, what is the human material that converted liberals are made of? Those are liberal chickens in my mind. They're the types that probably were so dewy eyed in their youth that any handsome or loudmouthed organizer that fed them chunks of liberal propaganda was suddenly the next Jesus Christ. I know that exact type when I think hard. I've met so many young men and women who go off to college and are caught up in the excitement of politics or social issues. The problem is their relatively sheltered existences before college have left their psyche's relatively fragile and pliable. This can lead to major self-discovery or an absolute burn out when that individual wants nothing to do with "the movement."

Maybe I am a liberal chicken. Maybe I'll cower and shrink from the liberal ideologues. I'm just concerned how I'll socialize as a new conservative. I definitely cannot afford to go to their gatherings at high end restaurants and gentleman's clubs. Maybe the conservatives can start a social welfare program helping liberal chickens to integrate into their new found political beliefs.
Of course illegal conservative immigrants would not get this benefit, because they cannot vote.

Just kidding. F*ck the man. I'm going to listen to the new Nas album :-)