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Friday, December 7, 2007

The shit detector

I've often mentioned Hemingway's quote about the built-in, shock-proof shit-detector: "This is the writer's radar and all great writers have had it." New book? SHIT. Only took me 27,000 words to figure it out (that's over a third of a novel). I had an epiphany on Tuesday whilst slogging through one more chapter and realized that it's shit. Why the hell I thought I could just dive in without letting the idea germinate is beyond me. So am picking up work on something I began in the summer of 2003, my first TASIS summer, that takes place in Montagnola. I think I have to be away from a place to capture it on the screen. We'll see how it goes, but so far I'm liking it.

Aah, America. One of my favorite new discoveries is brought to the masses by Sonic®, that throwback to the 50s drive-in that has become as prevalent as Mickey D's in some towns. I used to love their Cherry Limeaids; now I wonder just how much artificial flavoring one child can ingest without going mad. Sonic's newest creation are cheesecake bites. That's deep fat fried cheesecake to the layman. The ad campaign on TV is shocking.

I've now been chastised by numerous shop assistants when saying I don't need a bag or sack. One, who was fronting a line of quite a few other customers, made a scene of throwing away the bag that I renounced, and then, as I left, called out, "You one of them liberals?" It didn't register until I was out of the shop, fuming and wondering if there was any hope for my country. Waste is everywhere - massive food portions in restaurants, hideously expensive fruits and vegetables (especially organic), the 'super size it' phenomenon that ranges from bags of chips to cars - why the hell does someone in Kansas need a Hummer? The impact is completely lost here - which makes me sad. Between that and the hideous presidential campaign, I'm ready to go back to my little European world where all of this seems far away. Don't even get me started on the amount of prescription drugs commercials on television, in magazines, and on billboards.

My cousin ran for office last November. She lost, but not by much. I have always admired her - she doesn't just bitch about it, she tries to do something about it. The thought scares the hell me, so I cower and point fingers.

Skinny Bitch. Very interesting take on the food industry in America. Bitch-slaps the reader into the realities of how we eat and how it's affecting our health. I've looked further into their sources and some of it is frightening.

Coming again to save the motherf***ing day, yeah.

1 comment:

sgazzetti said...

Any "Team America" (FUCK YEAH!) reference is okay with me. It really is disturbing how oblivious and excessive the culture in our vaterland can be. I love (if that is the word, which, come to think of it, it is not) that you were slagged off as "one of them liberals" for choosing not to take a disposable bag. Chreest. Hope you make it out of there without choking anyone.