Are you insane? Am I?

Maybe.

Who cares?

Let's jam!

That's what you're asking? For some of us to get out of your way? I guess I was confused by the title of the post, which seems to explicitly take issue with the fact that I, and others, pay little to no attention to pop culture.
And reading that "stodgy, grumpy conservatives" can change?  I guess I totally misunderstood that too.

I understand what you're saying - but what gets my hackles up is being told that we MUST engage. Sorry, no. My life is too short. I'm happy to connect with people but I won't be leveraging Big Bang Theory or Lady Gaga to do it. 

No matter how often I hear about how conservative MUST ENGAGE with popular culture, I always come back to the Underpants Gnomes:

1. Conservatives engage with popular culture

2. ???

3. winning!
It's a tactic without a plan. 
However conservative her lyrics may, or may not, be is entirely irrelevant. Her fans think: Ooooh! Beyonce and Jay-Z are partying with Obama.  Obama rawks!

So what's the plan? "Engage" means you want active participation so, obviously, we're not talking about merely listening to pop music. So what's being suggested? Discussion groups? PhD dissertations? Blog posts? Parenting? If there's a concrete answer in any of this, I would love to hear it. Until then, conservatism is pretty much on the same trajectory whether or not I choose to watch the Oscars or subject myself to the latest Auto-Tuned "diva".

Yes, R, I could have gone on. There is just so much to unpack in this one little story...

Another thing that continues to bother me is that there is actually a "Students for Liberty" group. Really?" Yay, freedom!" is something that needs to be overtly endorsed now? Innocuous as the group might be, you just know there are others on campus who think they're radical nuttters. 

I'll give the organizers credit for recognizing that protecting the freedom of expression is not a priority for the university but if they're conceding that some things are beyond the pale, then they've missed the point.

Oh sweet jeebus - we do indeed have us a career undergrad...

You really know how to cheer someone up... :P

I've given this a little more thought and I'm actually more disheartened.

As easy as it is to mock this intellectually stunted, perpetual undergrad, the fact of those three points means that the premise of his argument has been tacitly accepted, even if his specific remedy has not.

My real concern is whether this thinking is largely confined to the institutions of higher learning, or is it more pervasive?

Don't have one, never will.

Back in the (early?) '90's, it was de riguer for Beemer driving boardroom-types around here to buy Harleys and cruise around in their store bought, ersatz-support gear, leathers and bandannas. They were in no way bikers but they were happy to give the appearance of being bikers.

Maybe it's just me but a lot of the current tattoo culture (such as it is) - particularly amoung young women - seems to carry the same whiff of desperation to be seen as some sort of unconventional free spirit, or outsider. Just like everybody else.

Nah - people liked Gilligan and he wasn't afraid of pitching in, work-wise. 

Obama is closer to Wrong Way Feldman. Check out the description of his second visit to the island.

Going with something light for summer so I'm re-reading Confederacy of Dunces, by John Kennedy Toole.

Likely followed by Daniel Silva's The Messenger.

I love you people.

When making simple syrup, I recommend not stirring it at all. Let it boil gently (gently!) until the sugar is dissolved. If you're feeling cocky at that point, pour the hot mixture over a bed of 18 or so mint sprigs, cover and refrigerate overnight. The resulting syrup works well for Mojitos and Mint Juleps and should remain fresh for a week or two.

Also, mint need not be muddled. Put it in the palm of your hand and clap a few times to gently release the oils. It works well and keeps your drink free of leaf fragments.

I'd like to say this is unbelievable... but who am I kidding?

At least we can be grateful that Barney didn't immediately apologize with "Oh! Sorry! You probably knew him."

And isn't interesting that you always seem to find a healthy dose of smug self-satisfaction & superiority among all of the above? Maybe it's a coincidence but I'd bet that it isn't.

I'm such a sucker for this stuff.

Equality before the law?

Never heard of it.