A couple of things about the area of northern Louisiana that I'm from--not sure if they rise to the level of custom/subculture.  Also, since I have been away for a number of years, they may be less common now.  When I was growing up, convenience stores and other places of business would often fry fish on Friday afternoons.  It was also reasonably common for an office or other place of business to procure margharitas/cold beer/frozen daiquiris and chips/salsa or other light foods for late Friday afternoon imbibing by the office staff.  Also, all over Louisiana the drive-through liquor store/daiquiri stand is a common sight.  Just pull up to the window, order your favorite flavor, and receive your frozen treat in a go-cup with a straw.  Enjoy responsibly!

We live far away from family.  Facebook is a great way to post pics/notes about the kids for their grandparents, who see them twice a year at most.  They can look at old pics anytime they want, all neatly organized.

But Facebook violates my basic good sense, in that my parents always told me it's best nobody knows when you're away from home, especially for extended periods like vacation.  Every time I post a vacation pic while I'm still on vacation, that little voice in my head says "bad idea, bad idea."

Our kids are too young for Facebook, but it seems that usage by my nieces and nephews is tapering off.  They used it a lot as they got their i-phones, but I'm thinking they went back to living after a while.  Although at this point texting is probably more natural than talking for them.

For me, when I'm not working, I mostly use the computer as a purchasing tool.  If Facebook gave me ads for things I might actually buy, I'd be much more interested.  Hint:  I'm not buying anything based on a "weird tip."

My favorite cookbooks are my Justin Wilson and my Nippy Carville cookbooks.  Re New Orleans, "How Ta Tawk Rite" is always fun:  http://www.gumbopages.com/yatspeak.html

Oh, Alphonse, I am howlin' me.  I would give a lot for a giant bowl of Don's etouffee r'at now. And some crab claws.

Ricocheteurs or Riconteurs ... plenty of raconteurs and entrepreneurs at Ricochet.  Ricoterie?  A little frou-frou maybe, but still appropriate.  I like Ricochetti, too.

People like to have sex.  Sex frequently produces children, intentionally or not.  The function of marriage is to provide a proper environment for any children so produced.  It's a commitment that two people will mutually provide for any children resulting from their physical union.  As Thomas Sowell has said in a different context, you can change the price of something at will, but doing so does not change the COST.  So, you can change the "price" of sex in society as a whole, by adopting the premise that people can have sex all they want without paying the price of the marriage commitment.  But you can't change the "cost."  Our society has chosen to pay the cost by financially subsidizing single parenthood and allowing the children to absorb the human cost of growing up without both mothers and fathers in the home.  However, the traditional family unit is a much more efficient vehicle for bearing these costs, while at the same time providing other benefits to society as a whole--i.e., married men are more productive than unmarried men, etc.

A friend and I refer to this syndrome (as experienced in the workplace) as "just waiting to get found out."  We've remarked on it many times over the years.  At some point somebody is going to review a list of salaries and responsibilities and say, hey aren't we paying this gal too much?  But I've realized it's not just about how smart/expert/legit you are; it's about how hard you're willing to work.  And I am willing to work VERY hard.  Credentials do not crank out the work.

As for Ricochet--I'm out of my depth and guaranteed to get found out in pretty short order.

For me, Billy Joel's 52nd Street, a gift from my sister for my 11th birthday.   For my younger brother, Kiss Alive--pretty sure he wore it out. 

Agree on the writing, Palaeologus.  The most striking impression I came away from the article with was a sad detachment from life, of looking at one's life from the outside just to poke it with a stick and see what twitches.  I reflect on my highly-circumscribed life to help my writing group construct better narratives.  The first time I read through, I thought it was a howler from start to finish.  The second time through, I just thought it was beyond sad.

So, does that mean a Tea Partier who likes Joel Ward would be an impossibility?  Ward is a former Nashville Predator.  I urge progressive blogger to show up at Bridgestone Arena next week--he'll find no shortage of Tea Partiers who like Joel Ward.

My gosh, with all those narratives, arcs, tropes and stories, I'm surprised she can get to the grocery store and back, much less manage a meaningful relationship.  Some money quotes:  "one of my life goals is to be close to other people, but not to get tied down to them" [good luck with that] and
"[w]e set out trying to live an unconventional life" [wow, that's some goal].  Here's an insight:  Quit trying to occupy deviant narratives with your own meaning (paraphrasing a bit there), and try living instead.

I'm enjoying the good clean fun being had here, but my own undergraduate work makes me sympathetic to Misthiocracy's point, though I can't even claim the mantle of creative endeavor.  As an English major I was required to churn out vast amounts of critical commentary on, yes, Shakespeare, Milton, Dickens, and other lights of Western civilization.  How the profs must have howled in the faculty lounge.  What original thought could a 19-year-old Southern gal possibly add to the body of understanding on these authors?  But I managed to competently rehash generally accepted ideas in papers of 6 pages or more in coherent English that conformed to reasonably rigorous stylistic standards.  I got A's, and my professors probably got some entertainment much along the lines of what's going on here.  Thankfully, my "productions" will never see the light of day again, much less be written up in the campus paper.

Kudos to Troy for being the lone Predators fan at the Kings game.

Best. Song. Ever.

Bonus points if you can tie your bowline one-handed.  That would put you over the top.

No blocks!