and… they did it!

I forgot to post this yesterday, but I think it’s tremendous. So I’m making up for it now. Really, look at it, it really makes up for the lack of faith we’ve come to have in medical advance in general. It’s not that it doesn’t help, it just seems the diseases are doing a better job at advancing that we are.

Filed under: Good news, cancer, celule imunitare, immune cells, tratament, treatment

the night to find me

here.

Filed under: Non Daily Happenings, events

the idiocy of being civilized

If you want to save yourself the effort of reading this, then watch this.

One of the things that is probably a consequence of that old red regime our parents used to put up with is that most of us have developed the sickly condition of associating waste with civilization.

Yes, there were no colorful plastic wrappers, McDonald’s, Nestle or Coca Cola products, no single-use bags or chewing gum, no paper cups or ice cream on a stick. Forget the fax, car phone, flexible training shoes, gyms. All in all, there was a lot of shit out in the world that we never got our hands on before the 90s. And it is my theory that this delay in our access to them generated this immense hunger that is yet to be satisfied.

Why is Bucharest one of the most polluted cities in Europe? Because people can’t get over having a caR. Most of them didn’t grow up with one. It’s a social status thing. Riding a bike is healthier for them and the planet, but it just doesn’t go with what you want to wear every day. And of course, you have to show off what you wear, because you probably grew up in chinese slippers bought from some dubious fair or town market.

There’s this desire in people to show that they’ve moved further from their simple roots that puts so much distance between us and the relaxation inherent to any truly civilized society. It is that relaxation that keeps foreigners on the grass in Helsinki. It is that relaxation that is the key to the patience of putting up with the garbage you yourself produced, long enough so as to dispose of it properly. And it is our idiotic pride that finds joy in showing that we do NOT, in fact, care.

There’s something amazingly sad in a society whose members pride themselves on NOT caring, on NOT doing and on NOT listening to anyone or anything.

I’m a big fan of freedom, to the point of civilized anarchy, but fact of the matter is that freedom from all others is not achieved by brutal disregard, but through the generalization and mass consumption of common sense.

And there’s another difference here: the one between the solitude into which our ignorant arrogance and disregard throw us, and the deserved “acquisition” of valid, lawful, peaceful private space.

Change, anyone?

Filed under: Laid about opinions, To Dos

survival kit

Another thing that Bob told me:

“Stake my future on a hell of a past
Looks like tomorrow is a coming on fast.”

You know dudes, here’s a list to things that you should always have in reach. I’ll write in 8 minutes, timed so it’s not too thought about.

1. The pride of having made your own decisions.

2. The relief of a loving heart somewhere.

3. The certainty that you gave up something at the right time.

4. The image of a tree.

5. A song to live by.

6. A character always admired.

7. A bit of strength still left.

8. The ability to say a kind word to someone worth it.

9. A little forgiveness.

10. A tad of respect for other life forms.

11. The knowledge that you’re small.

12. The desire to shine.

13. The will to know.

14. The will to be.

15. The will to leave.

16. The will to see, hear, smell and taste.

17. The memory of throwing rocks in the water and the knowledge that they can jump.

18. The smell of skin.

19. A poem.

20. A bit of guts.

21. The knowledge that past the empty space there’s still something to lay a foot on.

And that’d be the end of the 8 minutes.

Filed under: Personals, To Dos, Words mainly, list, survival kit, to do

about the “bullshit” of it all

Welcome to the real life. Welcome to advertising industry. Eat bullshit, sell bulshit, make bulshit, be happy while you still can. ” Dowel said here.

And it’s an even better answer than I’d hoped for, as requested by my previous post.

See the thing is, and it somewhat connects to a few things I’ve said before, that our idea of real life is awfully disfigured by most of the things we learn… during our teen years and before, august and everything after. There’s not one thing that pictures it right. Sadly, not even Bob Dylan’s songs. That’s what makes them so great at helping you get away from it all. There is THE ONE that made it, though. Like a rolling stone. I know most of you have heard about it, but please, just take a few minutes to really listen to the lyrics.

So how goes it? Simply relentlessly. It’s not just the working the 9-5s (or 9-8 or 10s), it’s the pain of having to combine your aspirations with those of people you have nothing in common with. It’s producing more than you’re getting back so someone somewhere can keep giving you a steady pay to stay on the borderline of contempt. See, live like that for a few years and Marx suddenly doesn’t seem that far off. And I for one really think there is NO point to it. No, none whatsoever. Which proves I harbor a phony, because I keep at it.

So this is another thing I challenge both Dowel, J.W and to write about: the point of it all. Why do we do it? What got us here and what keeps us going? It’s gotta be worth it, right? So what is it in fact that does make it worth it?

Bottom line, it ain’t the financial. There’s a wider scope there for people with good heads on their shoulders. So… what is it?

Also, if they would be willing, I would ask Luiza and Paul to do me the favor of answering. Something tells me they’ll turn up with different, insightful concepts related to this effort we make.

Filed under: Laid about opinions, day to day, effort, scope, student work

of how to get into advertising

The usual way:

Build a big ego. And I mean huge. Make idiotic self-centered jokes with a few high friends. They have to be either ridiculously snobbish, or surprisingly apish.

Constantly remind yourself that your wits and charm will pay off for you one of these days. Get a geek to correct your CV. Send it to 3 advertising kiosks. Work for 8 months in one of them. Feel self important and leave to a bigger company. Detest other drivers on the road, fake running over people on bikes and read Lurzer’s Archive. Wait for your big break.

Come up with one lousy idea that still smells original in Romanian backwater bars. Get co-opted by some multinational advertising agency… or die trying.

Elaborate your drug use list. Develop hypochondria and go with crack cause it looks cleaner than weed.

Lose all real friends left, sleep around. Help others elaborate as well. Procrastinate.

Turn 35 and feel sorry for yourself. Sleep around some more. Lay off the crack.

To get a clearer picture than i could draw up, check this out. It’s an older clip, but a classic nonetheless.

Anyway, there isn’t really a point to this. But I was one of those people that used to day-dream about going into advertising when they were in high school. I grew out of it… and into it, cause I’ve been moving around in advertising for over a year now. It’s amazing how quickly you get the hand of it. Even if you’re not cut out for it. And if you’ve got what most people would call a soul, you’re probably not.

I haven’t worked in a multinational. It was a possibility, I dodged it. Anyone caring, anyone beyond superficial smart probably wouldn’t either. Unless they’re already toping one off.

And I tag Dowel to answer me with her own opinions. They’ll probably differ. You should get both sides of the story anyway.

Filed under: Laid about opinions, advertising, former dreams, student work

there’s something I’d like you to see

this time in practice, the good side of it really

Do us both a favor and check this out. Not just because I’m sleeping with one of the organizers, but I’ve been to their events. There’s a good vibe to them.

It’s one of those shiny happy people dancing, drinking a bit too much and starting on chocolate cravings for various reasons.

Yes, Suburbia ain’t exactly the most positive of places, but you’re smart enough to know that the people inside it can very well turn that around.

Filed under: Non Daily Happenings, events, music, outings

it’s all over but the tryin’

It’s… really summer all over again.

The events… just passed. The actual events, the ones I have the day job of organizing. It rained once, but all went well with the cosmos for the most part. Learned that no matter if you’re deaf, unable to swim and a guy, you can still meet the man of your dreams.

It’s that remembering time: ‘thinking ’bout drinking with you when drinking was new’

Not many things are that new anymore. Nor love, sin or saying you’ll quit starting monday. I’m still proud of the outcome of most of my days put together.

There’s something to patience that makes all things come together at one point.

I don’t know about yours, but trust me, my life isn’t exactly how I imagined it… or much worse. I remember that when I was a kid I used to put my feet up on the wall next to my bed and lay like that for a good 20 minutes just drifting in between dreams. I used to actually take the time to visez cu ochii deschisi. It was really part of my day.

Now I do that in between breathing and trying not to fall off my feet in the tram.  And I’ll be turning 21 soon. Which is such a strange age to be at. Old enough to drink and drive, way too young to know what the hell you’re doing. Young enough to always look for excuses, old enough to take the blame.

So I really don’t know what to… tell you. There’s many of you that don’t give a damn about the things that I see matters most. No wonder I fell I’m surrounded by idiots every 6 hours. Learn to leave your lives behind. I may have affirmed the opposite myself at one point, but you are NOT the most important thing around you. What you eat (or any other little thing that no one cares about) doesn’t matter, it’s just something you DO, and like all things you DO, it should be done RIGHT. Still, it’s not something you SEEK. Will you people please realize what the difference between the 2 is already?!

(more soon) (for some reason this particular difference interests me right now)

Oh, and check this out and help out if you can. It’s a place where people with great potential congregate.

Filed under: Laid about opinions, Personals, day to day, do, seek