Stray Thought

"I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore" was from Network in 1976, he said without looking it up. Forty years later, does that capture the political mood?

Let me just reprint that speech for the non-link clickers:

I don't have to tell you things are bad. Everybody knows things are bad. It's a depression. Everybody's out of work or scared of losing their job. The dollar buys a nickel's worth, banks are going bust, shopkeepers keep a gun under the counter. Punks are running wild in the street and there's nobody anywhere who seems to know what to do, and there's no end to it. We know the air is unfit to breathe and our food is unfit to eat, and we sit watching our TV's while some local newscaster tells us that today we had fifteen homicides and sixty-three violent crimes, as if that's the way it's supposed to be.

We know things are bad - worse than bad. They're crazy. It's like everything everywhere is going crazy, so we don't go out anymore. We sit in the house, and slowly the world we are living in is getting smaller, and all we say is, 'Please, at least leave us alone in our living rooms. Let me have my toaster and my TV and my steel-belted radials and I won't say anything. Just leave us alone.'

Well, I'm not gonna leave you alone. I want you to get mad! I don't want you to protest. I don't want you to riot - I don't want you to write to your congressman because I wouldn't know what to tell you to write. I don't know what to do about the depression and the inflation and the Russians and the crime in the street. All I know is that first you've got to get mad. You've got to say, 'I'm a HUMAN BEING, God damn it! My life has VALUE!'

So I want you to get up now. I want all of you to get up out of your chairs. I want you to get up right now and go to the window. Open it, and stick your head out, and yell, 'I'M AS MAD AS HELL, AND I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE THIS ANYMORE!' I want you to get up right now, sit up, go to your windows, open them and stick your head out and yell - 'I'm as mad as hell and I'm not going to take this anymore!'

Things have got to change. But first, you've gotta get mad!... You've got to say, 'I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this anymore!' Then we'll figure out what to do about the depression and the inflation and the oil crisis. But first get up out of your chairs, open the window, stick your head out, and yell, and say it: "I'M AS MAD AS HELL, AND I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE THIS ANYMORE!"

Trump 2016. Or Feel The Bern.

SINCE YOU DIDN'T ASK: "Network" and "Rocky" came out in the same year and if you don't remember where you were when you saw Rocky, well...

Of course, you youngsters saw Rocky for the first time on television. Bah. I saw Mr. T as Clubber Lang in 1982 at a theater on Broadway and 83rd in the Greatest City in the World and I pity the fool who didn't see that for the first time on the big screen.

Comments

[Jack is Back!]

Eerst?

[DrJ]

Insomnia FTW!

[Jack is Back!]

Up early because we lost power and the emergency generator transfer switch decided to go on a sympathy strike with the recalcitrant fuel filter. When you lose power in the middle of the night I guess it's protocol to wake up everyone to let them know that. Eejits!

[hrtshpdbox]

Hey, with my bemused Mom I saw A Hard Day's Night on the big screen in 1964, as an eight-year-old with a Beatles haircut. I wasn't mad as hell then (I've never been, really), though that Network speech could have been given in 1964 or '54 or just about any other time in the history of mankind.

And, at any point in time, it's a laughably stupid exercise to go to the window and shout about how you don't like what's going on in the world. Change it, that's all. It takes a lot of effort and compromise and sober thinking and resolute action to turn a big ship around; hotheads are just a distraction riffing off the lower instincts of man.

[Jeff Dobbs]

Shoulda known there was a new thread going up as I was catching up.

Well, we won our match last night. We only needed one out of the five matchups to get into second place (first place was out of reach). I went up first, played the other team's best player (he's also the league operator) and wiped the felt with him, 4-0. Kablam!

Payout comes next week. Yippee

[Jeff Dobbs]

Morning Vote Update: James is out front 43-27 over Asena Blessed.

Keep Voting!

[Porchlight]

I did see Rocky for the first time on television. But I saw Mr. T as Clubber Lang at the old Merritt Twin Theater in Bridgeport, Ct, where I also saw Airplane!, Popeye, and Beverly Hills Cop. Now demolished. :(
http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/18676

[Marlene]

Good Morning! Katich won Dixville Notch because he was the only Republican to campaign there. Les Otten,the Maine businessman who has plans to restore the Balsams Hotel,which was once a beautiful mountain resort, met Kasich and found him impressive. Just FYI.

[Buckeye]

JiB

You might remind the maintenance crew at the rehab joint that:

Proper prior planning precludes the possibility of a piss poor performance.

[Marlene]

Autospell! Kasich.

[Miss Marple]

Good morning!

We got more snow last night but only a couple of inches. The plow already came by so I am good to go if I have to go somewhere today.

[NK]

TomM-- With the Rocky III reference! I did see it on the big screen early autumn 1982, kinda big screen, an old movie house in Nazareth Pa, hard by Andretti Racing. I was working as a paralegal doing national portland cement litigation document production. After work I would jog the hills outside Nazareth, you could feel the 20% unemployment in the Lehigh Valley as the 100 year old steel industry there collapsed. Couldn't get the 'Eye of the Tiger ' song out of my head as I ran.

[NK]

Daddy's question about 2nd grade address phone:
Mine were:

200-12 17th Ave
Bayside, LI 11360

212- HA(rrison) 8- 7460.

[NK]

Porch-- did you ever skate at the Wonderland of Ice?

[NK]

PS: Porch-- did you ever date any Fairfield Prep or Xavier Jesuit boys? Just curious.

[NK]

JiB-- how are you feeling?

Is Frederick enjoying this outbreak of snow? 0 degreesF coming Saturday overnight.

[Miss Marple]

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/09/opinion/i-miss-barack-obama.html?smid=tw-nytdavidbrooks&smtyp=cur

David Brooks praises Obama for his character and dignity, as well as the absence of scandals.

Seriously. You have to read this. Brooks is insane.

[Thomas Collins]

Allston-Brighton Cinema for Rocky.

[Buckeye]

Just voted for JamesD. Impressive comeback after what appeared to be insurmountable odds yesterday.

Shows the power of the JOMer ballot box stuffing operation!

[Jeff Dobbs]

Yup, my parents still live in the house we moved into when I was 9 months old. Know the address and the old phone number. And in the category of Mildly Interestingly, the zip code where I grew up - 75238 - consists of the same numbers as the zip code where we live now - 27358.

[Buckeye]

MM

Brooksie must be up for his annual performance review.

What a whore.

[hrtshpdbox]

"Under Sanders, income and jobs would soar, economist says"

That's the headline of the CNN Money piece, and they don't seem to have any clue how absurd that notion is; apparently, from the editor's note at the end of the article, they had to amend the article to include the little fact that the economist in question has done work for Bernie.

http://money.cnn.com/2016/02/08/news/economy/sanders-income-jobs/

[Jeff Dobbs]

Miss Marple:
David Brooks praises Obama for his character and dignity, as well as the absence of scandals

No praise for the crease in his pants?

[Beasts of England]

Laissez les bon temps neige!

[NK]

The invaluable Daily Maily. Love the photo, it looks like a Hillary! campaign staff meeting... or a 1920 Klan meeting. Just a bunch of rich white Lefties. Diversity for thee, but not for us: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-3438137/PICTURED-Academy-Awards-nominees-assemble-luncheon-amid-OscarsSoWhite-backlash-Sly-Stallone-reveals-didn-t-boycott.html

[jimmyk on iPhone]

"Kasich won Dixville Notch because he was the only Republican to campaign there. "

I might have said "despite being" rather than "because he was." But maybe he's better close up and in person.

[Threadkiller]

Another lawsuit.

http://5newsonline.com/2016/02/08/lawsuit-filed-to-remove-presidential-candidates-cruz-rubio-from-arkansas-ballot/

[Miss Marple]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3437567/Pakistan-lays-claim-Koh-Noor-diamond-centrepiece-Crown-Jewels-claiming-gem-forcibly-taken-Britain.html

[sbw]

Last thread: our culture has been decaying from the inside for 30 or 40 years.

Longer. Go back to the 1950s tussle between those who wanted the TV camera to show Elvis only from the waist up and those that wanted to toss out all traditions.

Both wrong, but it showed the collapse of the social framework after two world wars bitch-slapped the intelligentsia put adrift without functional history and philosophy.

Fold in subject-based schooling that left the eyes and ears unable to defend against words, words, words.

Still, I am optimistic. All it takes is a change of mind. All it takes to clue the others in is one kid to laugh at emperors parading without clothes.

[Porchlight]

NK, I did skate at least once or twice there. And I never dated any Prep or Xavier boys. They were out of my league as a lowly Monroe public h.s. girl (we didn't move to Ffld until I was a sophomore and I continued to commute to Monroe thru graduation). :)

I was a public school girl through and through and didn't even know about most of the CT private schools until I got to (private) college and people asked me if I'd gone to Choate and I'd never even heard of it.

[James D]

There are simply no words for how absurd that Brooks column is.

I mean, obviously there are, but they're not appropriate for a family blog.

And, actually, I'm not sure there are words to describe how delusional it is. It's like delusional to the nth power.

[Captain Hate on the iPhone]

Dickville Notch sounds like a haven for commies and RINOs with insomnia. Of course Kasich went there; the mailmen do and it's not like he has a state to run.

Good riddance to that dump for another four years; or, if I ever head up the RNC, forever.

[Appalled]

Hey you Trump fans -- if you think the Network Mad as Hell speech is a good idea -- a good thing -- much of the rest of the plot of Network is how the deep dark powerful manipulate Peter Finch into doing their bidding and mouthing their words.

Everyone knows how Trump would speak as President. I submit that none of you know what he would do.

[Porchlight]

2613 Kings Hwy
Louisville, KY 40205
(502)452-6676

I know someone else with a 6676 exchange here in TX and it always freaks me out a bit.

[Porchlight]

extension, not exchange

[Porchlight]

Appalled, no one really knows what any new president would do, except maybe Hillary.

[Captain Hate on the iPhone]

Laissez les bon temps neige!

Very appropriate greeting to these heathens, Beasts.

[Cecil Turner]

Aaaarrgh!

[Jane]

http://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2016/02/obama_may_be_ensnared_in_the_clinton_email_scandal.html#ixzz3ze9EOZjl

Was this already posted?

Obama may be Ensnared in the Clinton Email Scandal

[Threadkiller]

What should Trump fans do about the Clubber Lang quotes, Appalled?

[Cecil Turner]

. . . bitch-slapped the intelligentsia . . .

I am so stealing that (probably combined with a raised pimp hand). Now to find a place . . .

[narciso]

And TypePad swallowed up a long post re network.

[Threadkiller]

Obama may be Ensnared in the Clinton Email Scandal

This is why The State Dept dropped a dime on two other famous black people during black history month.

"Everybody does it."

[narciso]

So did the omen come out that year, it was inspired by buffett's partner, munger musings about the apocalypse.

[Beasts of England]

That Oscars™ composite is whiter than my front yard!! It's a yuge snow in the land of Dix!

And am I the only dude in America who doesn't understand the hoopla over Jennifer Lawrence? She's cute, but that's about it...

[NK]

BoE-- I am with you. She's cute, can't act and is a Lefty twit. .... OSCAR MATERIAL!!

[James D]

Still, I am optimistic. All it takes is a change of mind. All it takes to clue the others in is one kid to laugh at emperors parading without clothes.

I wish I were. I'm afraid the progs have done their work too well, when it comes to what rse calls mind arson.

I think there are way too many people out there who simply do not have the mental toolkit required to be self-sufficient citizens and human beings.

[Thomas Collins]

Trumpster would govern as Nelson Rockefeller would have governed, Appalled. Probably not as competently, but with similar policy proposals.

[James D]

And am I the only dude in America who doesn't understand the hoopla over Jennifer Lawrence? She's cute, but that's about it...

I think she's a pretty good actress. I thoguht she was great in the two X-Men movies, and in what I saw of Silver Linings Playbook (I hated everything else about it and turned it off after 20 minutes, but she did a good job). And I did see most of the first Hunger Games and she was good in that, too.

From the little I've read about her outside of acting, she's a typical Hollywood nitwit, but in front of the camera, she's earned at least some of the hype.

[Captain Hate]

And am I the only dude in America who doesn't understand the hoopla over Jennifer Lawrence? She's cute, but that's about it...

She was excellent as Rhee Dolly in "Winter's Bone" after which she must've started reading her clippings too much, or had her agent read them to her.

[NK]

JamesD-- one more DiBenedetto question for you. Any relations of yours on the Darien Ct PD? a very nice officer Di noticed that I had brilliantly remotely started my late model truck rather than remotely locking it in the railroad parking lot and left word at our home. A very annoyed wife of mine drove down to the station and shut it down.

[Beasts of England]

Glad to have a second, NK!!

In a normal universe, of course the email scandal implicates Øbama. The buck used to stop at the Resolute Desk. Now, the crease deflects all.

[James D]

Oh, and as to the thread topic, (unsurptisingly) I disagree with hrt above:

it's a laughably stupid exercise to go to the window and shout about how you don't like what's going on in the world. Change it, that's all. It takes a lot of effort and compromise and sober thinking and resolute action to turn a big ship around; hotheads are just a distraction riffing off the lower instincts of man.

"Change it, that's all." is a lovely sentiment. Unfortunately, it's the people who do all the "compromise and sober thinking" that have caused all of the problems we face today. And it is their complete lack of accountability that makes turning the ship around, impossible.

[Captain Hate]

TC might be right about Trump but Kasich is the closest imo to Saint Nelson of RINOville.

[James D]

NK, I don't believe so. I do (or did; it's been years since I've seen them) have some family in CT, but they're on my mother's side so they'd have a different last name.

[narciso]

as I was saying, Beale, was conforted by his rage,
when Baruch like figure, Rooney tells him 'resistance is futile' that's when he loses hope and the network ultimately puts a hit on him,

finch's jeremiad focuses on a number of pet liberal bete noires, like clean water, the Russians is a curious one, because we were in the middle of detente, herr kissinger's cunning cunning plan,the crime wave was in part the impact of miranda,and the subsequent by abandonmnent of the citizenry by law enforcement, deathwish prefigured this in the lindsey era ragnarok would come with dinkins, nearly 20 years later, at the time, the city was being subject to cloward and piven's
little experiment,

[Beasts of England]

Never even heard of that movie, Captain. I guess I need to sign up for Netflix. lol

Can we start submitting our predictions for New Hampshire? My hyper-competitive self doesn't want to come in T-3 again. Yikes!

[Thomas Collins]

Kasich would also do a good Rockefeller imitation, CH, although I think Trump's style wiuld be closer to The Rock's (note that I have no inside knowledge as to whether Trumpster takes private art lessons).

[narciso]

so many of chavefsky's complaints, voiced through finch did have rationales, of course it took b movies like escape from new york, to suggest draconian solutions,

[hrtshpdbox]

James D, what's the alternative? Tear down the walls? Shout out the window that you're not going to take it anymore? What does one do, I wonder, once they've committed to not taking it anymore?

We have a democratic process, it's the best process in the world, we have to work with it to achieve change. The world has gone to hell, I don't disagree with that but, barring anarchy, change involves hard work and patience.

[Captain Hate]

Beasts, you should really see that movie, the best recommendation I ever gave clarice.

[narciso]

you miss the point, the medici enabled the anarchy through the constructivist malware, mailman's son is deepsixing his state through medicare expansion that is unsustainable,

[NK]

Network was a great film because Chayefsky wrote it. Chayefsky was no completely predictable pigeonhole Lefty -- like today's 21st century brand who use hypocrisy as their stock in trade, he was a smart Lefty who attacked hypocrisy in its various forms. Lumet was a more cookie -cutter predictable Lefty, but he was more of a cynic than pigeonhole Lefty so his direction didn't screw up the great script. I swear the scene where the network suits contract negotiation with the LA Black Panthers is one of the great scenes in Hollywood history.

[Miss Marple]

Beasts,

Hollywood left me about 30 years ago. I now could only identify 3 people in that photo, have heard of fewer than 5% of any Oscar nominees, and have not seen one single movie nominated this year.

[James D]

Hrt, the alternative begins with the people who are in power OBEYING THEIR OWN F**KING LAWS.

It is completely in the power of our current leadership (both D's and R's) to defuse (most of) the anger that's out there. Unfortunately, they have shown no sign that they're willing to do so, or even that there might be a need to consider it.

As for what one does when one can't take it anymore, who knows? Maybe nothing. Maybe they go on an individual shooting spree and get themselves killed by the police. Maybe they get together with a bunch of like-minded people and shut down a city for a few hours. Maybe they get together with a lot of like-minded peopel and burn down a few city blocks, or more, over the course of a few days or weeks.

Or maybe a tipping point is reached, and a whole country goes mad, and you get France 1789 or Russia 1917.

But my point is, again, the power to prevent any of that rests in the hands of the Preesident, and the Congress, and the Supreme Court, and the party leadership of the D's and R's. But they seem tetermined to rub the rest of the country's nose in their superiority and refusal to be accountable for anything they do. And there is no way that ends well in the long run.

[narciso]

the coda to this story, was electing Carter was a much more cromulent result, inflation soared, drugs
were certified as legitimate from none other then the chief executive's own doctor, and the begining of our quagmire in the gulf,

[Beasts of England]

Will do, Captain. And I agree, Miss Marple - I rarely go to the movies any more. Probably two in the last three years. Too bad, as I like the medium.

[Miss Marple]

It's amazing how so much we are dealing with now can be traced back to Carter: the rise of Islamic extremism began when Carter stabbed the Shah in the back by insisting he let the Ayatollah return from exile, resulting in his overthrow.

The current mess in Israel is directly related to the Camp david Accords.

The giving away the Panama Canal reduced our influence in Central America and let the Chinese gain a foothold.

The pardoning of the draft-dodgers and allowing them to return from Canada legitimized a huge part of the leftist movement.

I could go on.

But somehow, Carter, who against all justice is still alive and kicking, serenely goes about the world causing MORE trouble, and no one ever says anything.

[NK]

I rarely go to first run films, much prefer wine/dinner with friends. There are 2 I DO want to see:
13 Hours (still haven't made time and "Brooklyn" reviews are uniformly terrific.

[narciso]

when she was the girl from the holla, she was more appealing, now that's she gone all new yawk, a pattern she exhibited first in the abscam film,
less so,

[Beasts of England]

Trump, Kasich, Rubio, Bush, Cruz

[Cecil Turner]

Concur with CH on Lawrence. She was good in "Winter's Bone" and unremarkable since. (Though I did like her in "Joy," it's surely not an Oscar caliber performance.)

As to governmental dysfunction, the primary issue today is the leftists turning the Executive into the overreaching unaccountable bureaucratic behemoth they supposedly decried for all those years when a Republican was in the White House. And fixing that means returning the power of the purse to Congress and getting rid of all those executive orders that run counter to law.

And to my mind, pretty much any GOP president will do it. So the main issue is to get one elected (preferably with some coattails).

[hrtshpdbox]

Exactly, James D - throw the bums out. Nothing at all revolutionary, or new, about that, at least not within the context of the U.S. system.

[NK]

Biggest issue? Lies, deliberate damnable lies by the Left who use government like a club to batter the majority into submitting despite elections. Here's a perfect example in the link; no scandals? this one example alone proves why Brooks is a fucking idiot, or worse: http://townhall.com/tipsheet/katiepavlich/2016/02/09/obama-lied-750-million-in-obamacare-subsidies-went-to-illegals-in-2015-n2116878?utm_source=BreakingOnTownhallWidget_4&utm_medium=story&utm_campaign=BreakingOnTownhall

[Cecil Turner]

Except we did elect that fool.

[hrtshpdbox]

Trump 30
Cruz 16
Bush 15
Kasich 14
Rubio 11
Christie 7
Carson 3
Paul 2
Fiorina 2

[Buckeye]

"barring anarchy, change involves hard work and patience."

All in for a bit of anarchy. I'm too old to be patient. And at the rate the under 30 SJW crowd is jumping on the Bernie wagon, a huge sea change is obviously needed.

Course WW3 might have a similar effect.

[Miss Marple]

Patience is overrated, if you ask me.

The squeaky wheel gets the grease.

[narciso]

greenlighting the odious 'formation' video, would be the kind of thing, Dunaway's character would do,

[hrtshpdbox]

That (Formation) is indeed one odious video; not only is the music terrible, but the lyrics are stupid and offensive to anyone with a brain in their heads.

[narciso]

well that's not the audience, it thunderdome,

[Dave (in MA)]

And am I the only dude in America who doesn't understand the hoopla over Jennifer Lawrence?

Am I the only dude in America who had to use Google to figure out who that is?

[Captain Hate]

Since nobody takes issue with my high praise for Winter's Bone, this would be a good time to pimp the author of the book on which it's based, Daniel Woodrell (he may have written the screenplay but I'm too lazy to check), the best writer about the modern South since the late Harry Crews. I think Porch is familiar with his work also. At least one of his other books, Give Us a Kiss, is even better and also has familiar characters such as more members of the Dolly family.

[Miss Marple]

Captain Hate,

Before I tackle that book, I need to know if it is depressing, because I don't care how good the writing is, I am not reading depressing stuff.

[Captain Hate]

No, it is not depressing; pretty humorous imo.

[Miss Marple]

http://nypost.com/2016/02/09/soldier-buried-alive-by-deadly-avalanche-saved-after-6-days/?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=NYPTwitter&utm_medium=SocialFlow

Besides the amazing story of this guy surviving, I did not know the numbers of Indian and Pakistani troops who have died on the Himalayan border.

[Miss Marple]

Thanks, Captain Hate!

I will try to borrow a copy at the library.

[glasater]

Am I the only dude in America who had to use Google to figure out who that is?

Dave (in MA)

Don't feel bad..I had to do the same thing for Lena Dunham.

Said on twitter..who's LD and that tweet got a lot of likes :-)

[narciso]

alicia vikander gave a much more nuanced performance in the man from uncle film, but gave it to her for danish girl, because it's the flavor of the month, transgenderism,

[Captain Hate]

All of Harry Crews stuff is hilarious with lots and lots of sex.

To be clear on my last comment, I was referring to Give Us a Kiss; Winter's Bone isn't depressing imo but it's brutal in parts and pretty violent.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

I thought Winter's Bone was a good but not great film and Lawrence gave a very good performance.
Otherwise....

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

--We have a democratic process, it's the best process in the world, we have to work with it to achieve change.--

Except the process is becoming increasingly pro forma.
We have two major parties, one of which is dedicated to thwarting the democratic process and one of which is seemingly dedicated to holding the others coat while it does so.
In the real world, shouting out the window is not a pointless exercise. It is the first step to warning the elites to step back from the brink before we begin throwing them out the same window.

[Cecil Turner]

I thought Winter's Bone was interesting, if rather creepy. And Lawrence's performance was not much of a stretch (Kentucky gal playing Appalachian hick), but she pulled it off well, and then went on to reprise it in the initial scenes of Hunger Games.

My point was more that her subsequent fame was at least partly a result of getting noticed (and nominated) for that one, as were the subsequent awards (and SLP seemed to me almost a consolation prize).

[Rocco]

Wow, Levin disembowels Christie (via Drudge)

http://therightscoop.com/mark-levin-exposes-chris-christies-liberal-record/

[narciso]

like Han did to the Tauntaun,

[Miss Marple]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3438666/Saudi-morality-police-arrest-sweet-shop-s-MASCOT-showing-skin.html?ito=social-twitter_mailonline

"Saudis ridicule arrest on Twitter, saying it made country a laughing stock"

Ya think?

[Frau Veilchendienstag]

If there are any actual Bernie Bros. I hope they catch Bent Willie and show him a ripping good time. They can depart with a rousing "Put some ice on it, pervert."

When did branding sexual predators stop?

jmh - I wish "crones" would not be used for Hillary! and her army of prolapsed progs. Iggy's used of "hag" is more apt, imho.

[Porchlight]

Cap'n, Miss Marple,

I first discovered Give Us A Kiss (described accurately as a "country noir") about exactly 20 years ago in 1996. It's terrific - funny, tightly written, NSFW in a couple of different ways (just warning you).

Then I read Woodrell's earlier novels, which were pretty enjoyable but not at the level of GUAK. The Ang Lee film of Ride With The Devil was not so great and neither was the novel, but it had its moments.

The sequel to Give Us A Kiss was Tomato Red and I couldn't finish it - didn't like the main character. Then I lost interest, so I've never read nor seen Winter's Bone. Like Faulkner and other Southern novelists he uses certain families and characters multiple times, so there are Dollys in Give Us A Kiss. But GUAK is thematically "light" compared to something like Winter's Bone.

Long post, but yes, I would still recommend that one book, if none of the others. I've given copies away and actually just recently lent my third or fourth copy to a friend last week, which was the first time in years I'd actually thought about it. Probably time to read it again.

[Captain Hate]

Porch, I've wondered if the main character of GUAK isn't Woodrell himself.

[Porchlight]

I always got that impression, Cap'n. His description of the character lines up pretty well with the photos I've seen of him.