Guns before Butter

We can do without butter, but, despite all our love of peace, not without arms. One cannot shoot with butter, but with guns.
—Joseph Goebbels

Guns will make us powerful; butter will only make us fat.
—Hermann Goering

The old Guns or Butter model. Fleeting comfort, or stopping power? Defense versus civilian spending. What does the nation want? What does the nation need? It begs you to look at the bigger picture. The longer road.

Now, I'm not a Nazi about it, but right now I've got to choose guns. My focus is entirely on survival. Sure, I cannot wait till I can afford to laugh it up. But for now, I'm still operating on the assumption that I can lose this entire game in the blink of an eye. And I can't let that happen.

Because this is all I have. Lest we forget.

So, the official word from the Western Winds is that we're still waiting... but it's unlikely that our production will go pre-strike.

Let me recap, class. There's a general, perfect-storm threat of strikes from the three major screen guilds: Writers, Actors and Directors. The deadlines are a bit all over the place right now, but the general idea is that the (potential) strike zone would be around June of 2008. So there's a scramble in Hollywood to focus on the productions that would go BEFORE that.

We've been gunning for a pre-strike greenlight, but we don't have a director in place. And that could take some time. And then we'll have to develop the project further with the director.

So... while it's unlikely at this point that we'll get a "pre-strike" production, let me emphasize—they still want to make this. "We'll just have to wait a few months," I'm told.

Just a few more months...

I'll admit, I was pretty psyched up at the idea of running-and-gunning full-force into production. And while somewhat disappointed, I'm still at a uniquely advantageous spot. With a sniper rifle. And I am not alone.

Thursday, I spoke with an agent from PARADIGM and set up a meeting for Monday. A manager from Circle of Confusion also called to check in with me. I've got enough reps interested in me. I wish it didn't take so long to set up these meetings. It'd be a lot easier if I could teleport instantly between here and L.A. That would help oh so much. Especially when I'm sick of this cruel, ailing, godforsaken city...

Goodbye to you...'ve been wasting all my time...

I do hope you office-jobbers who don't watch the vids @ work are watching these at home. In this one, you've GOT to wait until they whip out the kazoo. It'll fracture your jaded little hearts.

I love how serious they are in all these videos. They are not just having laughs: they are focused on performing these numbers properly. And any time little kids sing songs ripped from the hearts of world-worn adults, it is fucking solid gold. Two little English girls, doing their condensed song-covers for the camera tripod. Well played, little women, well bleeding played.

"Nazi politics and underage British girls?" sniffed the Gay Horse. "Scavenging along the borderline of propriety today, are we now?"

Fat of the Land Shuffled 5:
1. "Victory (NIN Remix)", Puff Daddy
2. "I Would Die 4 U", Prince
3. "Go To Sleep (Little Man Being Erased)", Radiohead
4. "Banquet", Bloc Party
5. "Bingo", M.I.A.
Firestarter Bonus:
"L.A. Woman", Billy Idol

Here's an extra vid, for MERILLON: