Sculpture As Prophecy

The above sculpture can be found by a Seventh Street Washington Mutual entrance in Los Angeles. In front of the statue is a poem by Phillip Larkin which follows.

They said
I had a head
for business.
They said
to get ahead
I had to lose
my head.
They said
be concrete
& I became
concrete.
They said
go, my son,
multiply,
divide, conquer.
I did my best.

The sculpture was built in 1990 to protest the '80s saving & loans bailout (provided to the American taxpayer by John McCain, Shambollocks shall remind you). Its current placement proves distinctly prophetic. Two decades from now, let's make sure hard lessons will be learned so that this statue reflects an understanding that the market not only provides but can just as casually dissolve assets at an alarming rate.

Picture from View From A Loft.

Poetry, Metaphysics, and Looney Tunes

The Warner Bros. cartoons of the '30s and '40s reside on a pinnacle of animation with their Disney feature-length peers from that time and, more recently, the Pixar films (can't wait to see Wall-E this weekend). Bugs, Porky, and Daffy lead a crew of characters who closely engage in a completely visceral universe where the laws of normal human behavior and nature are besides the point. The whole point is to get the laugh. The method which generates the laughter, the sheer madness of their pursuits and misadventures, inspires a sense of child-like awe in even the most jaded viewer.

And it inspires poetry.

The Wall Street Journal has a great article by former poet laureate Billy Collins on how Looney Tunes has effected his art. Billy is absolutely correct that artists recycle influence lists, and what is most influential is the stuff subsumed into the culture.

The 60s Never Happened

The 60s never happened
no, they never did
those pictures are all ads
the music made by corporations
the scene a marketing campaign

The 60s never happened
no, they never did
no white youth marched with King
no press helped end the war
all this history I don't believe

The 60s never happened
no, they never did
And if they did-
Where is that white youth?
Where is that honest press?
Where are the 60s now?

The 60s never happened
no, they never did

The Royal Club

Writers block sucks (and doesn't really exist physiologically, but that's a whole other post). Many times you just have to steal ideas where you can get it. So from time to time I'll post photos which I riff off. Today's photo is from here.

The Royal Club

What magic mix

wines beer & music

a smile plastic

wines beer & smoke

lust from longing

wines beer & women

fears long gone

wines beer & company

a transient state

wines beer & remorse