The Tortoise and the Pond Scum I

2008-12-18T12:21:00.001-08:00

The Tortoise and the Scum I by ~miss-information on deviant ART

The Tortoise and the Scum II

2008-12-18T12:18:00.001-08:00

The Tortoise and the Scum 2 by ~miss-information on deviant ART

The Tortoise and the Scum I

2008-12-17T02:05:00.001-08:00

The Tortoise and the Scum by ~miss-information on deviant ART

The Tortoise ad the scum II

2008-12-17T01:57:00.000-08:00

The Tortoise and the Scum II by ~miss-information on deviant ART

The Clerk

2008-12-15T01:25:00.001-08:00

The Clerk by ~miss-information on deviant ART

The Stoplight

2008-12-14T13:35:00.001-08:00

Chronicles:The Stoplight by ~miss-information on deviant ART

The Stoplight p.2

2008-12-14T13:32:00.000-08:00

Chronicles:The Stoplight II by ~miss-information on deviant ART

Chronicles:"Allegal Aliens III"

2008-12-12T08:14:00.002-08:00

Chronicles:Invasion III by ~miss-information on deviant ART

Chronicles:"Allegal Illiens II"

2008-12-12T08:14:00.001-08:00

Chronicles:Invasion II by ~miss-information on deviant ART

Chronicles:"Illegal Aliens I"

2008-12-12T08:12:00.000-08:00

Chronicles:InvasionRevisited I by ~miss-information on deviant ART

Chronicles:Roadkill Grill

2008-12-10T20:43:00.000-08:00

Chronicles:Roadkill Grill by ~miss-information on deviant ART

Come on down to the Roadkill grill!

Chronicles:Homeland Securitease

2008-12-03T07:31:00.000-08:00

Chronicles:HomelandSecuritease by ~miss-information on deviant ART

Chronicles: The Clerk with No Name

2008-12-03T05:51:00.000-08:00

Chronicles:theCLERKwithNOName by ~miss-information on deviant ART

Beach Bailout II

2008-11-25T04:41:00.000-08:00

Chronicles:Beach Bailout II by ~miss-information on deviant ART

Beach Bailout

2008-11-25T04:39:00.000-08:00

Chronicles:Beach Bailout by ~miss-information on deviant ART

O Bomb-A!

2008-11-17T00:28:00.001-08:00

Oh bama by ~miss-information on deviant ART

Hope

2008-11-17T00:27:00.003-08:00

Hope by ~miss-information on deviant ART

The Times They Are A Sinking

2008-11-17T00:27:00.001-08:00

The Times they-Are-A-Sinking by ~miss-information on deviant ART

Whiteness

2008-11-17T00:26:00.001-08:00

Whiteness by ~miss-information on deviant ART

Jim Crow

2008-11-17T00:25:00.002-08:00

Jim Crow by ~miss-information on deviant ART

Cookie Monster wants you to Smoke this Shit

2008-11-17T00:25:00.001-08:00

Say No to Cookie by ~miss-information on deviant ART

Cookie Monster Wants you to eat Brocolli

2008-11-17T00:24:00.000-08:00

Cookies on the Streets 2 by ~miss-information on deviant ART

Cookie Monster goes to the Doctor

2008-11-17T00:23:00.002-08:00

Cookie Monster goes to the Doc by ~miss-information on deviant ART

Cookie Monster Goes Cold Turkey

2008-11-17T00:23:00.001-08:00

Cookie Monster's Nightmare by ~miss-information on deviant ART

Hope

2008-09-14T17:43:00.000-07:00

Yankee Stadium Blues

2008-08-09T12:27:00.000-07:00

Starbucks Universe

2008-07-21T20:48:00.000-07:00

These visuals are based on an article by one of my personal heroes, RDL:

Here is the original article:
Wednesday, June 11, 2008

The Starbucks Universe
By RDL

Now before I go off on one of my usual self-righteous tirades, I must first divulge that this particular piece contains no moral outbursts, it is merely as the title suggests an observational piece on our present run muck consumer culture.

Right then, now that a disclaimer has been issued, let me proceed.
For about a year now, and in between the boozing and smoking, I have had the amazing opportunity and privilege to travel around Europe. My wanderlust however, was somewhat unfulfilled, as my would-be unique European experience was nothing more than a whiskey-drenched Thomas Kinkade painting. There seemed something genuinely un-genuine about Roman Fortresses and Gothic Castles when next to them were SWATCH, FOSSIL, and Foot Locker stores. From Dublin to Stockholm, to London and Barcelona, I couldn't shake these fucking stores along with their corporate feces that dotted every other neighborhood, subway system, and bus bench. Maybe the mushrooms I had in Amsterdam haven't quite worn off, and maybe I'm still in Sweden up North somewhere, where the Northern Lights are fucking with me. All of this post-modern shit is finally making sense to me, but not in the pseudo-intellectual way, but in an actual lived experienced, where the vestiges of pre-modernity and modernity have been twisted, perverted, and infused with Western Corporate Branding to create some sort of billboard monstrosity that promises me 5% off my next double-macchiato with pressed cinnamon and lightly frothed cream. Now I expect this in America, where the mindless masses eagerly consume anything shinny, electronic, or fat-free (that last one still puzzles me). More recently, there has been a rise in more socially conscious yuppies (Scuppies), that nonetheless mindlessly purchase anything labeled organic or fair trade, a highly suspect if not dubious label, meant to quench the cognitive dissonance of an otherwise equally mindless and politically-stupid, excuse me (politically misinformed), demographic of the highly comedic American population.
And so, I feel robbed, to the point where I didn't exactly know what to expect while in Europe, but knowing that being immersed in ethnic-themed shopping malls, was not it. Being a consumer myself, as if any of us have a fucking choice, I feel that I should write to the EU to demand a refund. Like any other corporation, they should be obliged to offer nothing short of spectacular one-on-one customer service, and will hopefully take my grievances into account. As a paying customer, I fully expect them to do everything in their power to make my next European excursion more authentic. Perhaps more frog-legs and less McDonalds, more Gypsies and less Canadian tourists, more German Nazis and less investment bankers (albeit, an almost impossible distinction granted), and maybe just maybe, more of that famous European high culture, and less of that plain fucking stupid American pop-culture.
Of course returning to Los Angeles, home of the Public Relations industry (corporate propaganda for you Family Guy types), will offer no remedy. In fact, it's probably the equivalent of giving weed to a Schizophrenic. (That's a really bad thing to do by the way, so don't do it). Still, it should be quite interesting to see how far down my increasing neurosis will take me. But that leads to the general thesis of this piece, which is, at what point does one just become a complete vegetable and accept a life of mindless subservience to a dipshit you hate, to purchase things you don't need. Seriously, I'm really asking this, as a world-famous sociologist (a Sri Lankan sweatshop worker makes more than me), I have not figured this out. Sure I have my theories, but at the end of the day, I can't help but wonder how people in the West can continue to work for long hours, in completely idiotic, unfulfilling, alienating work, just to maintain a lifestyle surrounded by empty materialism. Are the Laker jerseys that worth it, or the Hummers for that matter, or the Armani suits. And again, I fully recognize the hypocrisy or watching Democracy Now on my video ipod, but I recognize that I could live without it (the ipod that is), or more importantly, that I would rather eat British cuisine, than to have to work for some asshole to raise the money to buy one. Fortunately, for me, mine fell off the back of a truck. This isn't even an anti-capitalist rant per say, it's really a question. The World Health Organization reports that by 2020 depression is going to be a worldwide epidemic. That should at the very least, lead us to suggest that our current lifestyles are not making us happy. Yet we continue our Nike obsessed dreams, brought to us by the kind folks at the pharmaceutical companies. But I guess the Prozac and the Zoloft do help; they should since they are literally depleting you of serotonin, (again, a bad thing look it up).
But I guess, much like Coupland's rigidly pretentious, yet astutely vivid Generation X, I too can take solace in comic relief. The Presidential Elections for instance, are a fucking riot. Has anyone seen the debates, they actually have a lighting round, brought to you by Budweiser probably, or Philip Morris. A fucking lighting round, are you kidding me, the Presidential debates have succumbed to the likes of a fucking game show, but at least Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortunate have literate people on their sets. And then there are the supporters, on either side, without hyperbole, they literally resemble the Nuremburg rallies (that's also a bad thing, look it up). You have completely stupid people (and I don't use the word loosely at all, stupid that is, I solely intended for the majority of the Western consumer public), on opposing ends, yelling out their chosen fuhrer's name, and clapping like seals at whatever trite bullshit they spill out. Thousands of them, in every state, eager to lend not only their support, but to completely surrender their decision making power, and their tax dollars, to at this point, a token sell-out beige guy who will sell you out to big business as soon as he gets elected, or to an old White guy, who doesn't even hide the fact that he will sell you out to big business as soon as he gets elected. But I don't know, maybe and god willing, I'm still on the mushrooms.

Peace,

RDL

Nafta

2007-11-23T22:27:00.000-08:00

Miss Information

The Tortoise and the Pond Scum I

The Tortoise and the Scum II

The Tortoise and the Scum I

The Tortoise ad the scum II

The Clerk

The Stoplight

The Stoplight p.2

Chronicles:"Allegal Aliens III"

Chronicles:"Allegal Illiens II"

Chronicles:"Illegal Aliens I"

Chronicles:Roadkill Grill

Chronicles:Homeland Securitease

Chronicles: The Clerk with No Name

Beach Bailout II

Beach Bailout

O Bomb-A!

Hope

The Times They Are A Sinking

Whiteness

Jim Crow

Cookie Monster wants you to Smoke this Shit

Cookie Monster Wants you to eat Brocolli

Cookie Monster goes to the Doctor

Cookie Monster Goes Cold Turkey

Bailout I & II

Hope

Yankee Stadium Blues

Starbucks Universe

Nafta