merde! click on the pillow to get yourself one
I just discovered this morning that my food blog, which I’ve had since 2006, was deleted by the Gawker hackers. I’m hoping Google’s elves will be able to restore it but in the meantime I’d just like to go back to bed. Which I think would be an entirely appropriate gesture, both as a personal comfort and as a counter fuck-you of the non-confrontational variety. I have been meaning to write about this lately anyhow, but: refusing to get out of bed is severely under-rated as an act of dissent. It’s the ultimate No, it doesn’t hurt anyone or anything, and it’s way, way more fun than spending hours hunched over your keyboard.
Famous bed-ins of history, Exhibit A.
I think the last time I had a proper bed-in was maybe around 1999, an inexcusably long time ago. It lasted three days — just a practice run, really, but nonetheless effective — and all provisions were delivered by Sunnie and Annie’s. I highly recommend that you have your own bed-in within the delivery range of a good full-service bodega, one with excellent sandwiches, cold Red Stripe, reliably fresh coffee, printer paper for your manifestos, and, if you are age 22 or so, your favorite cigarettes. Back in the olden days we also needed the print NYT sent over with our breakfast every morning, and I do think the contemporary bed-in is better off without it. The internet version will not leave smudges on your sheets and your bed-in will be more successful if you keep those reasonably clean. Crumbs can be brushed aside, damp spots will dry, ink remains grubby.
On a related note, I recently sent the ex-Mr. Lunar Camel Co. a Susie Bubble blog post about her vintage 30s pajamas. He’s a former designer and I knew he’d appreciate them. He did, and he informed me that the people of Shanghai are very advanced in this regard — that they are in fact so devoted to wearing fantastic pajamas that the government tries to stop them from doing so.
Apparently meant to be cocktail pajamas, but I heartily endorse them for commencing a bed-in.
Anything the Chinese government is against is worth at least considering, if not doing, right? Maybe. This topic will require further consideration in bed, while propped up on my best thinking pillows. There are various explanations as to why the Shanghainese people cannot, will not be separated from their pajamas — a blurring of boundaries between private and public spaces, a suitable climate — but one needn’t sort this all out before deciding to join them as a sympathizer.
red pjs, Shanghai, captured by photographer Justin Guariglia (via The Year in Pictures)
blue pjs, Shanghai, with bonus fuck-you lady bag as man bag, also captured by Justin Guariglia (via National Geographic)
yellow pjs, Shanghai (via a Boing Boing post about the crackdown); another benefit of having a bed-in is that you won’t need to wear trainers with your pajamas
If you’re going to be starting your bed-in tonight, you’ll want to have a light but nourishing meal first, perhaps just some food for your eyes and your mind. Trust me, there will be plenty of time later for elaborate Seamless Web meal-planning. Here, comrade, are some flux sausages to get you started:
flux sausages from the fluxshop (via I’m Revolting)
May your dreams be pleasantly, non-violently seditious.
Lunar Camel Co. 