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The Cowboy Code is state law

February 25, 2011 by David Mark Brown

Cowboy-Morpheus — Cowboy Morpheus calling it in.

[dropcap2]I[/dropcap2]f you’re not the sort to hitch up your girth and your only stirrups are on the bottoms of your pants, then you may not be aware that the Cowboy Code (as it is referred to by James P. Owen and not Gene Autry) is already official state code in Wyoming and making news in Montana.

Jumping Jodhpurs! What in the name of John Wayne is the Cowboy Code? And does it mean I’m now required to tip my hat at women? (it’s basic human decency, people. You should be doing it already. And if you’ve gone out and acquired a spanky new sombrero, like me, then I suggest you start tipping it.)

The Cowboy Code before the senate in Montana is referring to a 10-point code taken from the book, “Cowboy Ethics” by James P. Owen. But what are the ten points? And have state senates gone buckaroo banzai by stamping it into law?

Slide Over Despots, it’s Revolution 2.0

February 21, 2011 by David Mark Brown

[dropcap2]G[/dropcap2]ood day, fellow freedom tweeters and liber-face-bookers. Have you been doing your part to bring down the fearsome specter of tyranny today? That’s right. Put down the AK-47 and pick up the mouse. The best weapons Westerners had in the 20th century for fighting repressive regimes were Levis, Starbucks, Madonna and McDonalds. (Fine weapons indeed. How could a quarter-pounder-sedated, espresso-wired, pointy-brawed, button-flied revolutionary ever settle again for boring propaganda films and scratchy blue pants?)

But for the 21st century, Westerners can revel in the fact that we’ve once again transformed the world! After dot.coms, there was Oprah and Twilight. Little did we know that the grandest revolution of all was twittering away on the nets, flibberty-jibitting about celebrity sex habits and BP cover-ups.

What of dieselpunk/steampunk for a redneckgranola?

May 1, 2012February 17, 2011 by David Mark Brown

Diesel_Forces — Diesel Forces by Stefan Prohaczka

As a casual pop culture observer you may have noted the recent trend in movies and books of gluing gears and goggles on everything. Or a slight bump in our collective fascination with things such as “Inglorious Bastards,” a recent film combining an alternate history of WWII with spaghetti-western styling. Whether you knew it or not, punk culture is creeping its tendrils into the crap factory of the American Idol age (extending from Madonna to Gaga.)

While scientists have yet to determine (what will certainly be) the catastrophic effects of such a mutant matching (think Michael Jackson’s Thriller meets the Sex Pistols at a Hogwarts reunion), for now we can all sit back and enjoy the ride. But to enhance said enjoyment you’ll need a primer on the evolving punk cultures/genres. So here goes!