Ingredient: Catharsis

Y’know what word pisses me off? Synergy. It means “combined action or functioning.” By itself, it sounds like a neat word, doesn’t it? The problem I’m having is with how it’s used, how much it’s used and who is using it. If you read magazines such as Forbes or CEO or perhaps even the Wall Street Journal, you’re probably familiar with it.

This is one of those office go-getter buzzwords you see kiss-ass corporate sales and marketing representatives use when pitching an idea to their clients and business partners. Chances are, they wouldn’t even know the word if they hadn’t heard their promotion-whoring dickwad co-worker chanting it like a mantra. Kind of like those people who use any chance to say the word “corporate” when talking about their company’s HQ. “Gotta call corporate.” “Corporate just called.” Seriously, you’re not that important, go to your desk and we’ll find you if we need to.

I can see “synergy” being defended as more efficient than, say,”let’s use our creative energies together to achieve a common goal.” The fact is one sounds sincere, and the other makes you sound like a tool. Can you guess which?

Synergy has another definition as well: “the cooperative action of two or more stimuli or drugs.” Yeah, coffee and testosterone.

Ingredient: Gloating

Remember Fundie Week? Rolling Stone just ran an article about journalist Matt Taibbi (one of my RS favorites) joining a southern megachurch and infiltrating a weekend revival. Not only did it validate everything I’ve said on the matter, but agreed with my basic premise of criticism: there is no reasoning with these people.

Though this one was marginally more eccentric, I recognized the format from churches I’ve visited in Peoria. Casting demons out, speaking in tongues, etc. After reading the article and reflecting on what I had witnessed time and again while still undergoing my ideological incubation, I cannot help but agree:

“The thought that any politician could claim this kind of experience and not be immediately disqualified from public service seemed utterly terrifying.” — Matt Taibbi, Rolling Stone

If anyone is curious, this article takes place in the church of controversial pastor John Hagee. Not intentionally–the article was in the works before he made his endorsement of John McCain. But Bush has been a longtime buddy.

Ingredient: Befuddlement

Why is it that Obama support is written off as sensationalized “Obamamania,” as if it were some passing fad, while Clinton support is not? Last I checked, Obama was only ahead by maybe a few percentage points. That seems pretty even to me, not a landslide of a hyped-up candidate caused by the overzealousness of fanatics.

At this point, I’m not sure if it comes from the Clinton camp (Ferraro saying he’s very lucky to be who he is) or the Wrong-Wing Radio/Faux News camp. I’m fingering the latter this time. This is the same group that marginalized him as a “halfrican” and refer to any criticism of the administration as BDS. Since they’re so experienced with incorrect labels, they’re the most likely suspect.

Any thinking person can come to the conclusion that “Obamamania,” not Obama, is what is being hyped by doing nothing more than looking at the numbers.

Ingredient: Ridicule

Speaking of Radio, I noticed something about Rush Limbaugh that I’d missed previous times. He often refers to his show as the “Limbaugh Institute of Advanced Conservative Studies.” Anyone who has an inkling of what “conservative” meant pre-Bush and what people are calling conservatism these days knows that conservatism is truly dead. The result has been unquestioning support of the Republican party, regardless of how non-conservative they actually were.

Since there’s no such thing as a mainstream conservative (I call them other things) in the year 2008, we need to change the name to the “Limbaugh Institute of Advanced Republican Studies.” Or, LIARS. This name is a million times better, and apparently somewhat original too. I googled it and found only one hit.

EDIT — The reason there was only one hit is because I got the original quote wrong.  It’s the “Limbaugh Institute for Advanced Conservative Studies.”  Anyway, I’m still pleased.  Google only gave 22 results for the correct LIARS acronym.  Still, not bad.