Thursday, September 25, 2008

poem Wane and Wax

WANE AND WAX

Summer’s technically
through. September masquerades.
Burns, but it’s all fall.

And spring in all its
blessed symmetry, tickling
our antipodes.

Twisting our equal
nights full polar. Highest noon
resetting the Moon.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

poem Music and Music Accessories

MUSIC AND MUSIC ACCESSORIES

A piano. A
soft a strong touch. A note hangs
barely sustaining.

An annotation
of alternating tones and
strokes of black on bright.

Read or ignored. Tuned
or open to any odd
interpretation.

Monday, September 15, 2008

poem Talk Toxins

TALK TOXINS

Poise through poisonous
interiors and voices
surrounding. Bad days.

Calm through the acid
drip-drop of commentary’s
corrosion. Bad thought.

Cool and close. Breathing
equilibrium as all
words and worlds dissolve.

Monday, September 08, 2008

My take on the first Seinfeld-Gates commercial for Microsoft

All:

I like it.

I like the emptiness of it--just two super-rich super-famous guys in their 50s in an aggressively fake situation.

And I like the anti-punchline, per Seinfeld: “Give me a signal--adjust your shorts.” [Gates squinches buttocks in baggy pants as they walk side-by-side, viewed from behind] “I knew it!”

Neither of these guys is trying to seem even remotely hip, and I actually like that. I don’t know about anybody else, but what I love most about the Apple commercials is John Hodgman as the faux Gates. Whereas Justin Long as the faux Jobs--I just want to push a grapefruit in his smug mug--sorry, true feeling there.

Re the Seinfeld commercial (first of a series I suppose), notice how Gates now looks his age, but Seinfeld, though two years older than the software mogul, looks at least 10 years younger. I wonder which one of them works out.

Also notice how essentially mute Gates is in the commercial--but how he and Jerry make an odd funny level of eye contact in the shoe store. That was interesting.

You can view it at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uz6amk3P-hY

This one’s actually worth repeated viewings. Within reason.

Hey, I’m a dork, I admit it. I loved Microsoft Bob too.

By the way, at a minute-and-a-half, it will undoubtedly re-run in tightly edited format (hmmm..."tight"). With that in mind, my suggestions to the editors (in sequence):

--Seinfeld: "Shoe Circus...Bill Gates"
--Seinfeld/Gates: "Is that your toe?" "It's leather." [that eye contact]
--Seinfeld/Gates: "Ever wear clothes in the shower, Bill?" "Never" "You're dressed and you're clean."
--Seinfeld: "Guess what Bill, you're a 10."
--Gates: "Platinum!"
--Seinfeld: "Magnum Jupiter brain...."
--Seinfeld: “Give me a signal--adjust your shorts.” [Gates squinches buttocks in baggy pants as they walk side-by-side, viewed from behind] “I knew it!”

That's easily the dorkiest concentrated take-away from this commercial. Compressed into 30 seconds.

A little editing can make a world of difference.

Jim