tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-123807539669941308.post-49285431634437886972008-10-24T15:30:00.000-04:002008-10-24T15:30:48.791-04:002008-10-24T15:30:48.791-04:00Sorry about that, everyone. I've been extremely busy as I've started taking classes again. I apologize for letting my blog production wane so dramatically. Hopefully I'll be back to getting a periodic flow of writing going, though I may have to take another month off as I try to participate in my first <a href="http://www.nanowrimo.org/">NaNoWriMo</a>.<br /><br />So what am I going to talk about? Of course, the economy. No one's going to start shutting up about it, so I might as well start talking about it. As I write this on Friday, I see that the Dow is hovering close to 8,300 points. I could point out that the S&P 500, a more reliable index, is at 880, it's lowest since 2003, but who gives a shit when the Dow has such a more massive number? Anyway, the point is the economy blows right now, and no one is going to stop talking about it.<br /><br />I'm reminded of the stock crisis of 1987 (still the biggest one-day percentage loss in history.) I was three at the time, so I didn't even learn of it until high school. You try talking to your toddlers about stock woes. I bet you won't get very far before you have to suspend your dialogue in order to prevent them from sticking something in their nose.<br /><br />Remember <span style="font-style:italic;">American Psycho</span>? There's a film (and supposedly, book) that made light of the Wall Street greed and materialism of the 80's that was so characteristic of an entire generation. Thank God we've moved on as a society. Wait a minute, we haven't. The victims of this huge financial mess are the the same ones who are the essential catalyst for the reaction - the consumers who have thrived on easy credit only to now realize that there are repercussions for not paying up.<br /><br />Greed is despicable, surely, and it's almost like a drug. A drug in which I've partaken a few times myself. I mean check out this new coat I bought. But there are times when that dirty, stinky, sweaty cash and all the excess for its own sake that money brings truly make you proud to be a human being.<br /><br />There's a restaurant in Japan. (Right there, see? You know this is going to be good.) Specifically, it's in the Roppongi district of Tokyo. Actually, to be more accurate, it's a very exclusive club. Membership in said club requires that you have a ¥20M (or $175K) salary. And one visit to the members-only restaurant can cost up to ¥800K ($7,000). The menu comprises chicken, dog, pig or goat... not unreasonable choices for Eastern dining. After you make your choice, they bring you a corresponding live animal of either sex for you to fuck. And that's taken literally. You actually have sex with it. When you're done, the beast is slaughtered, cooked, and served to your table.<br /><br />Are you absorbing the images that your mind is creating right now? Isn't there something - I don't know - poetic about the whole thing? Screwing an animal and then eating it just a short while later? What a primitive and carnal experience for members of only the highest society. I think that's irony at its peak, ladies and gentlemen.<br /><br />The <a href="http://inventorspot.com/articles/pork_your_pork_6934">article</a> is more than a year old, and depending on the original source, it may not be wholly accurate. But I hope it's true, because its message resounds even more today. This shows that money can buy anything, and those who have it will show no hesitation to prove it. Greed affects us all, from the people who can eat prostitute pigs to those who have merely maxed out their credit cards. And if you put it all into perspective, it all comes down to what you can afford in the end. I think Patrick Bateman would be impressed.Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08432627271396472057noreply@blogger.com0