Free Sale

As I was crossing the continent on Monday trying to fall asleep, I couldn't stop postulating on an idea I had read about weeks earlier.

It's the notion of a Free Store. I read about it in Abbie Hoffman's Steal This Book and more recenlty in a Crimethinc piece.

A Free Store, is kind of like a garage sale, but nothing is for sale, because everything is free.

It's one of those few times in our society where people can truly engage each other without spending a dime.

I was thinking that it wouldn't be that hard to stage an event of this caliber a week after Christmas. So I think I'm going to.

The headline might read:
FREE SALE, come over, hang out, bring things you want to get rid of, no currency.

It seems like the perfect setting for a progressive party.

Time Traveling

Deja Vu was good? Lord be praised, I had no idea. It just seemed so laughable from the explications and trailers. I mean, time traveling? What a tired trope.

For a spell, many of my friends referred to the act of drinking a lot of alcohol as "time traveling". We probably stole that from a movie or something. We, like so many of the drunken frat boys who surrounded us, often lacked the wit or courage to make our own jokes and so stole from those who get paid for it. There is no shame in this. It is not only a communicative act of humor but it also serves to strengthen the group dynamic, i.e. oh yeah I saw that too... it was funny.

Heller has previously derided this as the worst kind of lazy humor, and really not funny at all. I can't really disagree, his points are valid (perhaps he can explain them) and his observations correct. But it still won't stop me from screaming "Jesus Christ!" at the top of my lungs every time I need to act surprised or horrified. I mean, that may be the best delivered line in all of cinema.

Wherever you stand on plagiarist comic turns, you can agree that when you blackout, you definitely have all the hallmarks of a man who traveled into the future. You are disoriented, confused, bleary eyed, possibly sick to your stomach, and completely without knowledge of an entire period of time. You ask questions like, how did I get home? or: my pants look different, did I puke on them? The questions of an erstwhile H. G. Wells might be, how did I get into the 31st Century? or: your pants look different, did Gianni Versace's zombified corpse take over earth? Same problem solving process; really not very different if you ask me.

Re: Deja Vu

I saw Deja Vu without knowing anything about it. I thought that the time travel premise was stupid.

But Deja Vu was successful, because it made me change my mind. Fifteen minutes into the movie, I wouldn't have guessed that I'd like it, but ninety minutes later I really enjoyed it.

Perhaps this speaks to a larger idea, or a potential party theme.

Mid-Week Update

I have been hoodwinked, instead of a poorly scripted sci-fi action movie we watched a poorly scripted inner-city dance movie. Antonio Banderas does not a party make my friends. At least I gorged myself into a mini-coma so I was only marginally conscious throughout. Shout to Lee with the greens and hot sauce and J with the pecan pie.

Hump Day and Other Reasons to Party Mid-Week

Right now, I'm at work. But it's ok, I won't get fired for writing this (well, probably won't) because nobody in my office is doing much of anything today. It's Thursday, usually our slow day anyway, and because it's the Thursday before Thanksgiving we are having a potluck: nothing too special by wage-slave office standards. But here's the kicker, we are going to watch a movie after lunch. The rest of my office and I are going to sit around and watch some crappy Denzel Washington movie and get paid for it. I couldn't really explain the reasoning behind this if I tried. Honestly I'd rather have the 2 hours off at the end of the day without pay than sit in awkward silence while watching a movie I never really wanted to see.

But it's a party, celebrating the time that the indigenous people of this continent saved the asses of the colonizers before being massacred and culturally destroyed. But it means turkey, and gravy, and stuffing, and pies made by my friend Joanna so I guess I should shut my trap, or at least fill it with food 'til I can't talk.

And so, in honor of the brave men and women who decided to sail across the world to give my office a reason to eat food and watch actors portray laughable premises, I salute the mid-week party in all it's glory. Workers of the world unite at the bar!

The Hump-Day party is a staple of all working people around the globe. With the advent of the 5 day work week thanks to religious pressure (I knew there was something I liked about you guys!) people finally had a reason to give a shit about Wednesday. Other than being an oddly-spelled word, Wednesday is notable only for its proximity to both the beginning and end of the week. This so-called Hump-Day was a revelation, we can party cause we got halfway through another hell-week. Lots of people tie-one-on after work but Hump-Day is a radically different proposition. People throw actual planned parties on Wed. and people actually come. Beat that Tuesday.

The impromptu boozefest is another favorite of mine, as it has no real antecedent to speak of. it's really just a collection of people who had a rough day and need a drink. After 4 or 5 drinks the inhibitions slip away and before you know it, co-workers are making out and people are swinging collared shirt around their heads. This is the work-related (because most drinking is inextricably tied to the deep soul-crushing we call work) party of parties. It represents purely the innate desire among all people to shirk their responsibilities and wild the fuck out.

A Rough Day on the Market is not really a party, but deserves mentioning nonetheless. We've all seen them, a bunch of guys (almost always above 90% male) sitting at the bar taking way too many shots. They don't appear happy, they may not be talking, and they may not even be making eye contact. Clearly you have no idea about financial markets cause if you did, you'd know that toady was a bear. These guys just lost more money than you can imagine in a mtter of hours. They need a drink or 10. Give them a wide berth and they might surprise you, they often come out of their monetary-induced stupor and decide that they should be having fun. Be wary if this happens, for they are definitely blotto at that point and anything might be considered acceptable, including (but not limited to) hard-drugs, prostitutes, racism, fighting, trips to Tijuana, and maybe even a quickie marriage. Avoid.

The typical Mid-Week party is mostly hamstrung by the fact that you have to get up early the next day and go back to the spirit-diminishing hell-hole you work in. Take solace in the fact you don't work in a basement as I do. I think I speak for most people when I say that often the Mid-Week party is what gives me the strength to soldier on. I just try to avoid the normal adjuncts listed above as much as possible. Some more progressive party ideas for Mid-Week will follow in another post, but to be honest, I think I'll do that one on a lazy Saturday instead.

Escobar With The Medicine

After reading that diatribe you must be exhausted and in need of something to pick you up. Here you go:

M.I.A - Jimmy (DJ Eli Remix)

Thank god for DJ Eli Escobar and his friend from Sri Lanka by-way-of London, M.I.A. You'll notice I put Eli first, because that beat would still be hot as hell without the grime princess's inspired (insipid?) rhyming and cooing all over it. Her, you've heard of (how do I know? You read blogs) but you may need some background on him. DJ Eli has been killing it in NYC for some time now and this remix proves it. Next time your party needs a shot of string led epicness, slip this on and watch 'em all stand back aghast at how they didn't know. Eli is known among DJs (good ones anyway) for his treasure trove of slick edits. You can hear his wealth of experience all over this track, the pacing is just phenomenal.

If you want more from the guy, you got two options: mosey on over to his blog, or wait for his Money Lotion 12" to drop over here.

No RSVP Necessary.

Whoever you are, you love to party. Birthdays, Bar Mitzvahs, Christenings, weddings, graduations, most people find lots of reasons to party. Still more find just about any reason to party acceptable; it's Friday, I got paid, hell it's Tuesday, whatever works. That's part of the reason why we started this blog, the subject matter is just so appealing.

Taking the simplest of plans (or lack thereof) and making a riotous, foolish, fantastic good time is what we care about. Taking the party back where it belongs, into the streets and avenues, into the homes of good people. Taking the spirit of the party deep into your consciousness.

We aim to celebrate celebration, to take it out of its normal confines and explode it upon the world. A revolutionary party awaits, if only you have the resolve to make stupid decisions and wear funny hats, to wander aimlessly and talk in a goofy accent. To step out of your comfort zone into a place far more comfortable: a really, really good party.

So cheers with us! We'll give plans and ideas for progressive partying. We'll post great party songs to keep your energy up and your head adrift. We'll discuss (at length) the philosophical questions surrounding a good party, and a good life. And we'll ask for nothing in return. The way a party should be.