Michael Mann, god among directors, is filming a tale of 30s gangster John Dillinger. Here is a picture from the set, with Johnny Depp as the man himself:
Note the tie. Note the hat. Note the suit. There is even a waistcoat. This is, clearly, the right sort of gangster. Now let us turn to a contemporary gangster, namely 50 Cent:
Note the tattooes. Note the drug-addled, bestial stare. Note the improperly-worn baseball cap. Instead of a waistcoat the man is wearing a bullet-proof vest.
i say no more.
50 cent??? How did he get that name. If the american admin was consistent wouldn’t they have him in Guantanamo by now
If Beethoven was around today would he be an Eminem, 50 cent type of asshole, or would he produce music like this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7xN3ZdHKeU&feature=related
I suspect he would have skipped music in todays society, would have become one of the great accountants or some other such boring trade
I was thinking of the comparison you made today, and of course you are right, it isn’t that long ago that everyone made the effort to dress with respect for themselves, to impress and look presentable. Most people nowadays look like shit, tracksuits, hoodies, trainers etc. Its not just the clothes but the architecture that confronts us every day on our journey through the various urban areas, most modern buildings in my region are an eyesore, a pollution on the landscape and of course you are confronted with endless concrete and steel barriers, bollards road signs etc that could only be described as offensive in their appearance on the landscape. Can you imagine the architects and town planners of centuries gone by visiting the modern western towns today, with anticipation they would be wondering how we progressed with architecture and construction, considering the modern machinery and techniques available and the wealth of the nations, presumably they would be totally disgusted with what we have done to the environment that we live in.
Indeed, it is a great oppression to the spirit, to see ugliness all about. i lived in Italy for 3 months in 2003, in Padova – most of city was destroyed by the Allies in WW2, alas, so i lived in a concrete suburb. The people were nice but the buildings were ugly as sin. i used to walk into the centre, which had survived the war – crucially also, the women in the centre were much better looking and better dressed (Italian women have much better dress sense than Brits).
At the time i was hardly eating, and hardly saw or talked to anyone, so i was acutely sensitive, very aware of minor fluctuations in my body & mind. i became aware that when i entered the old centre, where the buildings were of stone, and had been crafted with love & art, and where the women had grace & charm, i felt a constant, steady rush of pleasure that ranged all the way from the physical to the spiritual. Life just seemed good, surrounded by beauty.
If i were a politician – well, okay, if i were i’d probably have a mysterious heart attack – but if i weren’t suicided, i’d make beauty one of my campaign boasts, that everyone should live surrounded by beauty. People act badly in ugly areas – the ‘broken window syndrome’, that once a window is broken in a rundown street, the others quickly follow.
In our culture we seem to have lost any sense for beauty, except at the most basic level. You only have to look at modern art then look at a Vermeer.
the old town square in Prague is a very good example of quite basic architecture that would/should be very easy to replicate, nothing complicated but very beautiful, a wonderful place to relax and savour life. compare that to most new constructions you see today which are an abomination. All modern buildings should have an attractive aesthetic appeal as a basic minimum requirement before planning permission is even considered.
I would suspect that in beautiful surroundings the female of the species would feel more inspired to dress attractively, and hopefully the male of the species would be shamed into dressing someway acceptable also, but alas that is not the state of society today where 50 Cent is considered some kind of hero instead of being considered a lowlife piece of shit who should be thrown to the dungeons
Hooray! A post from anon where zoroastrian dualism and get thee to hell diabolisation of the ruling classes, you know them folk we tolerate and have all placed and deign to maintain in power, doesn’t feature. May this be encouraged?
Bullshit jonathon, a miserable effort to misrepresent the point of some the information in the few posts I made on this site. You will probably know I consider you a twerp and I would neither want/need or accept any encouragement from you.
No, I didnt know you consdired me a twerp, but thanks for the information! What are the qualities of a twerp? Im intrigued. I wonder if others agree?
Misrepresent? I thought you were confident in your cosmic dualism?
I dont mind you being like this, you must be as you like. I just thought it was noteworthy that you took your foot off that pedal for a moment that’s all, to talk about architecture.
Sorry if i offended you, my good man.
Unrequited encouragement is an interesting concept.
Uhh, i didn’t place these people in power, and i don’t so much tolerate them as realise there’s nothing to do about it. Of course you’re a twerp Jonathan, don’t get too worked up about it.
As for waistcoats + women – to my amazement, no one has yet devoted an internet site to this promising combo.
I just meant that if people think they can do a better job of ruling they should get on with it.
Waistcoast and women, nice idea.
Yours Twerpishly
Jonathan
Jonathan, i don’t mean to be rude but your political observations are those of a 5 year old child’s.
You may be right. That’s not necessarily an insult anyway.
Yes, but one wouldn’t expect a 5 year old to butt into a political conversation loudly accusing others of “Zoroastrian nonsense”. In real life, you would be sent to bed without supper.
hahaha…yes, I suppose you’re right!
though the diet would do you good…
Of that I am certain.
No beer in Kuwait, but the heat prohibits even mild exercise.
Have you considered rolling down hills, like Dr Johnson? He was a man of approximately your height & girth, and much enjoyed laying on his side and rolling down hills. It probably has some exercise value…perhaps you could found a variant Sufi sect, ‘the rolling dervishes’.
hills? Are u mad, in Kuwait?
Are u spying on me through google earth? We’ve only met once and that was 7 years ago. what does Elberry know of my girth?.
Girth tends to remain girth after a certain age. i’ve been about 9 stone since i was 18, sometimes it goes up to 9.5, sometimes down (lowest was 7.5), but it doesn’t change much. i imagine you are still barrel-shaped, sirrah.
Yes, you were rather small, as I recall.
At meatiest I have been a noteworthy 19 stone. I havent got much beneath 15.5 stones since I was about 22. I was also a plump child. Only between the ages of 16-21 was I lean and respectable.
Word has been spoken, if I wasnt dreaming, that I was ‘dishy’ at this time.
I thought Zorastrian had something to do with Zorro till I looked it up.