Global destruction, ipods and Subways

I watched 2 movies this weekend, both of which were excellent and both of which I highly recommend. The 1st is I heart Huckabees - a good old "what does it all mean" existentialist story - just perfect for Christmas time. *pokes tongue in to his cheek. The 2nd was non-fiction, super poignant, didn't make one question reality in a very existential way but raised one's concern over the state of the planet. The Corporation raises several issues that each of us as human beings should address in how we live our daily lives. The most serious point raised: Our civilization is unsustainable. That point was driven in really hard. The way we live is self destructive and we need to make a change. I believe as a planet, we can still make a change for positive. Each one, teach one.

It was a really touching movie and it's really interesting to read Tyler Green this morning and his review of Art Basel in Miami and his noting that "When, in five days, you see many thousands of works by a couple thousand artists, macro memes become clear. The two most prevalent: artists using maps in their work usually in fragmented ways, a metaphor for globalization and the unimportance of borders; and destruction and mayhem in the world".

Ding!

And lastly, Friday night was the Gladstone Hotel grand opening and it was a great time, too bad I didn't take my camera, so many wonderful people, friends, jokes, laughs, and moments. All hung over on Saturday morning I pretended to be a juror for my sister Ursula who was defending counsel in a mock trial at 361 University. After deeming her client guilty (Urs you were great, but that's the way the cookie crumbles baba!) I took the subway to Osgoode station at Queen St. and as I got off the south bound train, the north bound train was there picking up new passengers and was just standing still for a second. A train unlike any other I had ever seen because it was totally covered in advertising. I had seen ipod advertising before because I'm no stranger to the bombardment of advertising, in fact, most of us aren't. The difference this time is that the whole train was covered in advertising - the way that buses have been covered with advertising in Toronto for years. It hit me over the head - no, it didn't make go out and buy an ipod -I realized how what a paradox our (my) culture has become.

The ipod advert covered subway for me was the antithesis to the roots of graffiti (the most modern vein of the oldest art tradition ever; yeah I said it: the most modern vein of the oldest art tradition ever) . Bombing train cars using paint was and is still illegal as far as I know. In Toronto at least, bombing train cars with advertising is perfectly legal. Manufactured consent. And for the most part, I'm okay with it. What I'm not okay with: is that the Toronto Transit Commission maybe hiking fares again. That is a slap in the face on the left and right cheek.

If him hit you, hit him back.