Archive for April, 2007
second »
Monday, April 16th, 2007
First is young. She appears to be just below the age of drink. She has light brown hair just past her shoulders up in a mussed tie. It’s rough and exposes bits of tan scalp. She’s too tan and wears a beige tank with thick straps over a white t-shirt and jeans. She’s on her cell, an average flip that probably has a camera and multimedia features. She speaks loudly so her words ring of false import. The conversation is light and uninteresting. She carries with her a small luggage bag with handle and wheels and a large pocketed purse. She walks up and stops too close with the confidence of one who takes attention for granted. Her voice is abrasive and rings through my obtuse headphones. I hear slices of dull conversation between bursts of Bloc Party. She walks just behind me toward the doors when the train pulls up.
Second is already on the train as I step over the yellow line and she’s slightly older. She’s probably more my age. Her brown hair darker and short, barely to her shoulders, but held back with clips from her face. Over her pink-purple shirt is a gray zip-up sweatshirt that comes down just below the belt holding up here denim. She’s also on the phone, but quiet and unassuming. She stands to my left at the doors, leaning against the plexi-glass. She has a small backpack over one shoulder and a new-model Pod in her left hand. As she finishes the conversation she replaces the buds and shifts slightly to her right while passing the phone to her Pod hand. Her phone is new; an all-in-one model.
First’s conversation starts to pick up momentum. Something on the other end is “traumatic” and she relays much of her day’s events. I barely listen and turn up the music slightly. She appears to have just under fifteen pounds of excess flesh, but with the thick upper-arms it appears she tries to keep up with exercise. She probably runs at least twice a week. She looks around but never out the window. She looks people up and down, facing toward the back of the train. She stares too long, sure of herself. She reaches her right hand in and pulls her cell up to the edge of the purse to check for a message. She has a Julia Stiles look. Not that she looks anything like Julia, but she has the same dead eyes.
Second is by her lonesome. She has an unfortunate body type. It looked as though she had a thin inner-tube under her sweatshirt. She was squatty and probably almost fifty pounds heavier than her stature. She looked down almost the entire time and even moved slightly closer to the door and faced out the windows. She didn’t look around and tried her hardest to have a little impact on the ones around her as possible. It was almost as though she flattened into the hard plastic divider.
First has had everything handed to her. Guys let her pass in a busy Target isle. Her friends tell her she’s attractive, that she can get anyone. Her parents feed into her ego by letting things pass and giving her things she may not ever need. She’s in college because her friends went. She can handle herself around a book, but has trouble keeping up with conversation above a People level. She gives sympathy on the phone when she’s supposed to. She can make people think she cares. She attaches herself with any guy that will show her the attention she desperately craves. She spends frivolously because there has always been money. She sees the brighter side because there’s been no other way.
Second has had to fend for herself. She spends most of her money on the newest gadgets to impress because her looks don’t. She was ridiculed or, even worse, ignored. She spent more time around the house or with friends of similar social stature. She’s seen people around her turn to drugs and alcohol not just for a good time, but for a crutch. She reads and keeps up with the typical gossip, but tends to talk about more pressing issues. She has friends that she genuinely cares for and the relationship is mutual. Any attention is good attention, but she’s used to not having it. She’s more realistic because she has seen both sides of coin.
Who do you mildly pity? Who do you sympathize with?
First will sustain hollow relationships for most of her adult life. Her husband will feel no real connection beyond appearance and because of this, and other pressures she places on herself, she will never feel comfortable in her own skin. Her friends will have little to no attachment and thus will never have any help to offer if it’s ever really in need. She will have a social circle of other like-minded people who will raise their children in the same fashion, if at all. She will never fill a void that she doesn’t even know is there. She’ll will take things for granted that most could go through their entire life without.
Second will find a man who loves her for who she is because he has no choice. He won’t be an Abercrombie model, but he’ll be genuine and smart. Their children will have a level of common sense that First’s will never reach. They may not be as successful, but they will likely be happy for at least part of their lives. She will be surrounded by friends that will not only help her through rough times, but probably enhance her life in some way. She will be genuinely happy because she’s seen what could happen and somehow avoided it. She wasn’t encumbered by the typical social pressures because she was shunned so often. Because of this she will appreciate it.
These are fictional characters because everyone knows First will be superficially happy and Second will crave the ease at which First goes about her life. I may not ever have sex with Second, but she will be a hell of a lot more interesting than First, and for that I’d at least get something out of her being around.
aged »
Monday, April 16th, 2007
He’s about a block ahead of me. I’m gaining on him steadily. He walks with an exaggerated limp on his left. The foot there angles sharply and points more at his ten o clock than his intended direction. The knee looks unstable; it shakes slightly with each step. As far as I can tell he makes the walk daily. His pace is such that I come up on him quickly as he pauses to look off to his right. The movements are arduous and, from the outside, appear painful and uncertain.
While his age is ambiguous he has been involved in, or at least seen, more than I likely ever will. He’s seen gruesome images; either in a paper, on television, or intimately of war and other horrendous acts. He was alive during four major United States conflicts. He could have been to the countries and in the battles that I’ve only seen described on the History Channel. His closest friends may have died overseas or in his arms. He may have numerous siblings lost to disease or other untimely deaths. His wife may have recently passed. I have only seen two wars on television; both appeared as video game demos, with no connection to reality. The only deaths close to me have been a girl in high school I crushed on, but rarely talked to, and a grandfather who I hardly ever spoke with.
He has been married, or was married, for likely twice my lifetime. They have gone through blessed times and cursed times. They probably raised at least a small family. His wife probably stayed home out of expectation. There was social pressure for her not to have a job. They have grandchildren that are probably my age. My mother chose to relinquish her career in favor of raising my siblings and I. We may have ended up with more money if she had remained an accountant, but I’ll never know. I’ve never asked her how she feels about that choice. My longest relationship was fourteen months.
The Depression was probably real for him. He either remembers it in detail or was a part of the relief just after. He has a real sense of money and was likely unfazed by the eighties. He saw socialist programs try to bring about change and saw the Big Business backlash to them. He’s had to deal with exponential inflation. Whatever money he had stashed for retirement is probably much less than he needs. I’m from a suburb and, while my parents are probably somewhere in mid-middle class terms, I haven’t had much for want. I also don’t have the same attitudes toward currency as some of my peers, so that may help. I’ve never gone without food or had to sacrifice in order to pay for a months worth. I rarely had hand-me-downs. I’ve seen pictures of the bread lines in books.
I could probably ask him a hundred questions about where he’s from, what he’s done, what he’s seen, who he’s met, how he feels, and what he thinks. And even those would only reveal a fraction of the scope of his life. Our perspectives could be dichotomous or almost identical with the only difference being genuine experience. He turns and flashes a quick smile with a spark of kindness in his eyes. Hi, he says.
“Morning,” is the only response I can muster, but the smile that comes with it is sincere. I resume walking ahead at my faster, and steadier, pace.
fill it up again… »
Monday, April 16th, 2007
So while CopyRanter seems to disagree, I think this is a fantastic campaign. It’s not remotely thoughtful, innovative, or even something someone should be proud of. But tell me you don’t look at this and feel the need for a drink. Thirsty? Yeah… So it may be sophomoric, but it’s effective. Or affective. Can never remember.
I guess maybe I’m not the best judge for this. I think that campaign that’s on a billboard and bus stop poster along Lake is quality too. The one with the two chicks, mostly Spanish copy, and they’re holding the bottle of If I could remember this name it’d make this a shitton simpler wouldn’t it?. The effectiveness is probably directly related to how much torso the one on the left is displaying. Appears when it comes to hawking booze I’m a dark on dark, curvy fan more than I’m concerned with smart design concepts. I’ll just admit now to being an easy sell when it comes to the sauce.
Bobby »
Sunday, April 15th, 2007
We’re talking wicked cast. Stacked. But unfortunately there’s roughly three that are worth their checks. For the record those three are Hopkins, Macy, and Shia [[only cause this kid is fucking hilarious]]. The rest are the typical piles of ridiculous that you see padding decent scripts. I’m curious how Estevez has that sort of pull in a town such as this. The kid had to change his name when he had a sweet dad and a clinical brother. But i guess as a dramatic debut it’s not too bad. The problem lies in that i know where he was trying to go and he never really made it. Sort of like a father before he realizes he swings and throws like a girl.
The story itself has a lot behind it. It’s based on the people involved in the shooting that resulted in the untimely death of the other Kennedy. It traces the activities of these people, including a campaign helper and some folk working at the hotel. It all takes place the day of the shooting. It’s relatively well done, but what it tries to do is apparently too lofty. It wants real bad to be the type of movie that makes the viewer think hard and portray the dramatic representation of the sentiments of the period. It does this to a point because it describes pretty well the feelings and attitudes that were saturating the culture at the time. There should just be more.
The stories are sort of dry. I didn’t find myself getting into most of them. So much is packed into the storylines that it’s tough to really feel for them. I get into movies more than i should, always have, but at the same time this one didn’t hit home. I actually cashed out for a bit. They’re interesting, but they’re also painfully predictable. The only reason i didn’t try to foresee the ending was that I’m not a big enough student of history to know who was involved in that’s nights proceedings. I didn’t have the prerequisite knowledge to know who was who and yet it didn’t mean i didn’t have a pretty strong idea by the half as to what would be going down.
The acting was sub-par for the duration with only a few exceptions. The three above with the addition of Sheen [[and he’s not on the first because they didn’t even use him enough]]. His interaction with Hunt was poignant and strong. The rest were trite and forced. I mean for shit’sake you can’t have a believable interaction with a chick that shows the beav on film and another that does it frequently for free.
The directing was at least decent enough that i didn’t notice any glaring issues. The interplay of file footage was done well up until the last half hour. The appearances were quality as to period garb and settings and other such things.
Ultimately this just had so much room to grow. The storylines could have been broadened or at least made less obvious and the acting choices should have been better. This was a movie based on the unfortunate death of probably the last politician who could have made a difference. It needed to be strong and thoughtful. It attempted to draw parallels to current situations, but those connections are already obvious to anyone who’s not an avid Faux News viewer.
It’s just a series of unfulfilled promises that ring of organized religion.
**
tribal »
Friday, April 13th, 2007
It started with the mammoth. An animal of immense size that needed teamwork to be brought down. The teams would leave for hours or days at a time to bring back sustenance. The best hunters came home to the most prized of wives. These hunters traveled together and talked amongst themselves to find new and better ways to kill great beasts. They were powerful within the tribe and respected. Their children played together and inherited the power their parents had.
Then came the crops. The ability to grow large amounts of food was paramount and the best farmers were able to provide for the most prized of wives. They talked between themselves and taught each other the smartest ways to work the land. New and better ways of raising crops were developed. They were powerful and respected among the community.
The value of land caused a need for growth that created rivalries and competition between neighboring communities. Fights broke out for more land and, by proxy, more power. Wars were fought and the best warriors gained control of the best lands. These warriors talked between themselves and learned new and smarter ways to disable an enemy to more quickly control more lands. The warriors were powerful and respected and won the affection of the most prized of wives.
Warriors became kings and controlled not only portions of land, but the people residing in them. There was constant haggling between kings for more lands and juxtaposition of power. They talked with each other about how to best control their subjects and increase their influence. Their children interacted with one another. They inherited the influence of their parents. They married the most prized of wives from families of similar standing in other countries. They were sometimes respected but always powerful.
The people revolted and started electing their own officials. These officials and representatives worked together to give themselves more and more clout. They found ways to earn money on the side and simultaneously increase their wages at rates much higher than the typical citizen they represented. They formed partnerships with their counterparts in business. They were able to wed the most prized of wives from other influential families. Their children existed in the same circles. They were respected and powerful.
Corporations grow on the exploitation of their workers. They merge and split, are created and destroyed, according to profit margins. When the governments needle them with moral changes they work with those governments to decide together on profitable solutions. The CEOs are compensated very well monetarily. They discuss among themselves and with those of similar status in these governments to find the best ways to make themselves the most money. They determine ways to keep money from the government that in turn finds ways to give them more. They use their power and influence to generate more power and influence. They buy the best cars, best houses, best wives and their children go to the same schools and workplaces.
Since the day a sparsely clothed tribesman brought back a gigantic piece of mammoth not much has changed. Except maybe the respect.