Author Archives: Mike Austin

About Mike Austin

Arguably 6'1''.

The Ballad of “Old Cottonmouth”

One of my favorite pieces of Revolutionary War lore revolves around the Green Mountain Boys.  This band of Vermont militiamen played an important role in the war, and their ranks once included Colonel Benedict Arnold.  They also unsuccessfully attempted to … Continue reading

Posted in Commentary, History | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Attention, Strangers: Buy My Unborn Child These Things

Many thanks to those loyal Axis of Ego readers who recently emailed me to bid congratulations on my impending procreation.  Some of you have also asked (very thoughtfully) where this precocious foetus is registered.  Let me stop you there. Yes, … Continue reading

Posted in Commentary, General Culture and News | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Fake Religion / Fake Apostate

Lawrence Wright’s 26-page New Yorker exposé of Paul Haggis’s defection from the Church of Scientology is a balls-out hit parade of insanity.  In “The Apostate,” Wright reveals the squirrel-on-skis nuttiness of the church and its equally nutty celebrity adherents, complete … Continue reading

Posted in Commentary, General Culture and News | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

An Entirely Qualified White Professional Previews this Year’s Grammy Nominees (Rap Categories)

There are many benefits to living in a post-racial society:  The rise of the minority-owned business, political de-polarization, proliferation of “possession receivers” in the NFL, King Magazine, etc.  One important benefit (to me, at least) is that a thirty-something, well-to-do … Continue reading

Posted in Commentary, Music | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Highfalutin’ Legalisms and the Super Bowl

If you watch any television at all this time of year, you’ll undoubtedly notice the awkward phrasing of certain commercials that euphemistically refer to the Super Bowl as “the Big Game” or “Football Sunday.”  As a licensed practitioner of the … Continue reading

Posted in Commentary, Sports, Television | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments