Jun 7, 2010
Jun 6, 2010
Weekend Fights
The weekend has come and gone in a flash and the new Yankee Stadium hosted a night of old school fights... or at least that's how it was sold to us. Regarding last night's fisticuffs, you’ll find it interesting that I wasn’t disappointed while our resident Me thought last night sucked. Which brings me to a rule of thumb in boxing: Styles make fights.
I bring this up because when I see a boxing card and I have a good idea of how it’s going to play out. Simply put, some guys were just born to be put in a ring together. When I say that I think Ali and Frazier, I think Rafael Marquez and Israel Vazquez, I think Mickey Ward and Arturo Gatti, I think Hagler Hearns, I think Hagler and Leonard, I think Barrera and Morales. But we’re not always lucky enough to see the matchups we want to see or seeing the elite face the elite.
But that rule of thumb also has a variation: Styles also make fans.
Simply put, I like Miguel Cotto as a boxer though I’m not too fond of him as an individual. He’s not as warm as other Puerto Rican champions and he seems a bit on the arrogant side. He’s got a superb jab, he goes to the body and if he faces someone, odds are it’ll be a challenge. Hell, his tuneup fight after being demolished by Margarito was Joshua Clottey, which isn’t a slouch by any means though he kind of forgot to show up to the Pacquiao fight. He’s also willing to take risks and when he smells blood, he goes in for the kill. And then there’s the clincher for me, he doesn’t talk shit. You can think he’s an utter asshole on a personal level, granted, but he doesn’t talk one ounce of shit. And to me, that’s worth more than a gazillion hours of entertainment on HBO 24/7.
By the way, and to make this absolutely clear, that does not mean I think Floyd Mayweather Jr. is not a gentleman in the ring. Sure you could remember how he popped Gatti in the mouth while Arturo was talking to the ref in their fight, but it’s always been said in a fight… defend yourself at all times. But instead, let me remind you of his fight with Zab Judah where all hell broke loose. Who was the only person who kept their cool? Floyd. Who was the only one who behaved professionally? Floyd. So I’m clear that when it boils down, Floyd can be professional. I just don’t like him.
Now take that last paragraph, change the name of Floyd for Cotto, and I’m sure Me has a couple of choice words to offer about Cotto.
Last night though, it started out being about Cotto… but by the end of the night, there was another story that had much more weight. To be fair though, here’s my recap of the fight.
Rounds 1 and 2:
Cotto comes out, establishes his jab, and dominates. I see his footwork is better, I see that his defense at times looks modified and other times he looks as the same guy who got the shit knocked out of him twice. The point is that Emmanuel Steward is making a change, and I’m actually curious as to his next fight.
Round 3:
Cotto starts winning but by the end, Foreman tags him with a couple of rights.
Round 4:
Foreman wins and does so in pretty convincing fashion.
Round 5:
Cotto adjusts, throws counters and establishes his jab and hook. Stings Foreman with a couple of shots.
Round 6:
Another Cotto round
Round 7:
While moving laterally Yuri Foreman’s leg literally is swept from underneath him. Not by a person, not by a trip but by an old injury that basically had a boxer who depends on movement losing his most prized asset.
I can sum up rounds 8 and 9 by saying that a towel was thrown in and that I thought the fight had stopped more than once… but in Round 7, that’s where the real story began.
Yuri Foreman looked as if he’d just torn the ACL on his right knee or something that just looked painful to watch. He could barely stand up let alone move but he chose to go on. For close to three rounds this kid fought his ass off and by the way, he was still fighting to win. I’m sure a lot of people wanted the fight to be stopped and I myself was actually relieved when I saw the towel be thrown in. But that wasn’t the end of the fight. A towel was thrown in, but just in case you’re wondering, that doesn’t automatically stop a fight. It’s still up to the ref and the fighter… In this case, Arthur Mercante Jr. asked Yuri Foreman if he wanted to quit, Yuri said no, so the fight went on. Because Foreman was the champion he got the benefit of the doubt and he showed what a true heart of a champion is capable of. Sure he lost, sure he took more punishment than he had to, but that’s his right as a fighter. Some people call that being stupid, other call it bravery. What’s obvious though is that he probably made fans and believers out of many people last night. You see, it doesn’t take episodes of 24/7, a flashy persona, or even skill to get people’s attention. Sometimes you just need heart. And in that category, few people can compete with Yuri Foreman.
Cheers
I bring this up because when I see a boxing card and I have a good idea of how it’s going to play out. Simply put, some guys were just born to be put in a ring together. When I say that I think Ali and Frazier, I think Rafael Marquez and Israel Vazquez, I think Mickey Ward and Arturo Gatti, I think Hagler Hearns, I think Hagler and Leonard, I think Barrera and Morales. But we’re not always lucky enough to see the matchups we want to see or seeing the elite face the elite.
But that rule of thumb also has a variation: Styles also make fans.
Simply put, I like Miguel Cotto as a boxer though I’m not too fond of him as an individual. He’s not as warm as other Puerto Rican champions and he seems a bit on the arrogant side. He’s got a superb jab, he goes to the body and if he faces someone, odds are it’ll be a challenge. Hell, his tuneup fight after being demolished by Margarito was Joshua Clottey, which isn’t a slouch by any means though he kind of forgot to show up to the Pacquiao fight. He’s also willing to take risks and when he smells blood, he goes in for the kill. And then there’s the clincher for me, he doesn’t talk shit. You can think he’s an utter asshole on a personal level, granted, but he doesn’t talk one ounce of shit. And to me, that’s worth more than a gazillion hours of entertainment on HBO 24/7.
By the way, and to make this absolutely clear, that does not mean I think Floyd Mayweather Jr. is not a gentleman in the ring. Sure you could remember how he popped Gatti in the mouth while Arturo was talking to the ref in their fight, but it’s always been said in a fight… defend yourself at all times. But instead, let me remind you of his fight with Zab Judah where all hell broke loose. Who was the only person who kept their cool? Floyd. Who was the only one who behaved professionally? Floyd. So I’m clear that when it boils down, Floyd can be professional. I just don’t like him.
Now take that last paragraph, change the name of Floyd for Cotto, and I’m sure Me has a couple of choice words to offer about Cotto.
Last night though, it started out being about Cotto… but by the end of the night, there was another story that had much more weight. To be fair though, here’s my recap of the fight.
Rounds 1 and 2:
Cotto comes out, establishes his jab, and dominates. I see his footwork is better, I see that his defense at times looks modified and other times he looks as the same guy who got the shit knocked out of him twice. The point is that Emmanuel Steward is making a change, and I’m actually curious as to his next fight.
Round 3:
Cotto starts winning but by the end, Foreman tags him with a couple of rights.
Round 4:
Foreman wins and does so in pretty convincing fashion.
Round 5:
Cotto adjusts, throws counters and establishes his jab and hook. Stings Foreman with a couple of shots.
Round 6:
Another Cotto round
Round 7:
While moving laterally Yuri Foreman’s leg literally is swept from underneath him. Not by a person, not by a trip but by an old injury that basically had a boxer who depends on movement losing his most prized asset.
I can sum up rounds 8 and 9 by saying that a towel was thrown in and that I thought the fight had stopped more than once… but in Round 7, that’s where the real story began.
Yuri Foreman looked as if he’d just torn the ACL on his right knee or something that just looked painful to watch. He could barely stand up let alone move but he chose to go on. For close to three rounds this kid fought his ass off and by the way, he was still fighting to win. I’m sure a lot of people wanted the fight to be stopped and I myself was actually relieved when I saw the towel be thrown in. But that wasn’t the end of the fight. A towel was thrown in, but just in case you’re wondering, that doesn’t automatically stop a fight. It’s still up to the ref and the fighter… In this case, Arthur Mercante Jr. asked Yuri Foreman if he wanted to quit, Yuri said no, so the fight went on. Because Foreman was the champion he got the benefit of the doubt and he showed what a true heart of a champion is capable of. Sure he lost, sure he took more punishment than he had to, but that’s his right as a fighter. Some people call that being stupid, other call it bravery. What’s obvious though is that he probably made fans and believers out of many people last night. You see, it doesn’t take episodes of 24/7, a flashy persona, or even skill to get people’s attention. Sometimes you just need heart. And in that category, few people can compete with Yuri Foreman.
Cheers
Jun 4, 2010
Your job is not your house. Deal with it, dammit!
So first of all, I need you to mentally picture your office space. It can be a small cubicle or, if you are damn lucky, you have this amazing office with a view. If you are actually at work right now, please look around carefully at what you have there. Not at work at the moment? Congratulations! Now, remember if you can all the things you have there. Done? Good.
If you have a stapler, some papers, your computer, some stickies lying around, a shitload of pens and pencils and maybe a photo or two... stop reading this post. This, gladly, is not for you. Thank you for reading our little post. Now go visit Gizmodo or something. See you tomorrow!
Ok. Yeah. We're talking to you, dude or dudette, who insists on having way too much shit on your office space. Photographs of family members? Check. Cool toys? Check! A huge library that doesn't necessarily applies to advertising (examples? That Watchmen book that you have lying around, anything Star Wars related... and I'm not even going into the How to Draw the Marvel way crap). Posters? Check! Got the picture???
Look. We're not saying that you have a lot of shit. In fact, you are allowed to have as much crap as you want in your office. If you want to pile shit after shit, go right ahead. But that doesn't mean that it's right for you. Why? Let me say this very slowly... Are you ready?
Your office. Is not. Your house.
You should. NOT. Be as comfortable. At the office. Fucking. Ever. EVER!
Really guys. I know that having cute stuff around makes it better for some. I for one had bunches of idiotic and cliché ridden stuff at my longest job. And you know what? I never left early. I got too comfortable there and suddenly it dawned on me: almost a decade had gone by and my sorry ass was still working there. It took a divorce and a lot of life changing moments to realize that I was too comfortable and I didn't notice the moment that I needed a change.
The toys, the little photographs, the cute comic books, the makeup/perfume bags, books about anything not advertising... it all made me feel at home, so that when 8 o'clock came by and I was still at the ad agency, it wasn't that big a deal. You know what? IT IS! I will not lie to you, by having all those things around me, I actually considered my agency to be my second home. Talk about dementia. I felt good about going there to work (at one time), I thought that all those people were my sort of second family. Well, some have become great friends after I left, but letting myself believe that this was my home... was a very disturbing thing to do. Work is work. Nothing is personal. Ever. I'm paid to go there and work. Yes, I should enjoy it if I can. But I cannot love being there for extended periods of time.
Why? LIFE DAMMIT! When you are too comfortable, you don't mind getting a brief on a Friday night. When you are nice and cuddly at your cubicle, with all the cool gadgets and toys, you don't mind when a coworker slept on their balls and now you have to work the weekend. You know what? You should! Remember your wife, husband, kids... you know! YOUR LIFE IS WAITING FOR YOU TO GET OUT OF THAT DAMN COMFY OFFICE AND ACTUALLY ENJOY IT!
So what should you have? The bare minimum. Why? Because it PROGRAMS you to work your butt off so you can go home early! Want to read a book about Superman? Read it at fucking home! Instead of wasting so much valuable time!
Oh. I know what you might say. But what if I need a moment? What if I read that book or paint that little drawing so I can take a breather, hence me being more creative? Totally agree. But there has to be a balance. Your office space cannot look like if you added a bed, you might actually live there. No way. That is not healthy, people. Really!
A rule of thumb in my book is this: if by some reason you get canned tomorrow, if leaving takes you three days to pack... you have a problem. All your stuff needs to fit a two box maximum. Yep. I'm not kidding!
It's one thing to work, and another thing is to sort of live where you work. Nope. Your house is your house. Your toys, collectibles, books, pictures of your family... they should all be where you are most comfortable. You need to have them somewhere where - gasp - your dear ones are. I mean, come on... having all those little comforts at home might make it easier working your butt off, I know... but you need to draw the line somewhere.
Besides. And this you can take it to the bank. Bosses notice that sort of thing. If you are neatly packed and have all your shit there, it means you'll probably never leave. So when you ask for that raise, saying that if it's not your way it's the highway... keep dreaming about that money, 'cause it's never coming home. You are so comfortable, they know you are bluffing. They got you by the balls. It's not the same when you don't have that much ties. If they see that you can actually leave on a moment's notice, and they really might need you (although, not one person in an ad agency is that important than they cannot be replaced), they will actually think hard about giving it to you or not.
I know this is hard to read. I was there like you at one time. But by slowly moving my office life back to my house, my views on advertising changed for the better. I started breaking that very sick emotional bond with the agency and for once in my life, I wanted to have quality of life. It took years after that, but I finally found that balance, where work is work and life is just... awesome.
Try it. Much love. Me.
Jun 3, 2010
The right way to quit
Quitting
You know you've thought about it. Hell, you know you've fantasized about it countless times. Most of us have. We've pondered what we'd do if we won the lottery. From taking your pants off and taking a splattery lo-mein crap on the desk of your boss to full out running around and confessing all the truths you've kept locked in your brain for the better part of a decade... but let's not be rash... let's be reasonable... let's be logical and analytical. After all, that's exactly the way companies treat firing employees.
If you ask up and down the corporate ladder about what's going to happen to the people that just got canned, you'll hear about how it was a necessary personnel adjustment. You'll hear people explaining flow charts detailing budget cuts and how less people will make more money for them. That's because you most likely don't matter to your corporate guardian. You are just a number and the work you do is translated into numbers and graphs and charts and all your hard work is simply quantified and stripped of any meaning. So why not flip the scenario and look at things from another perspective... when's the most critical time you can quit? When will it hurt the most? When can you return the favor they've given so many people you've worked with?
It's pretty simple really. Having worked in 6 agencies and having quit 4 of them I eventually learned to love quitting. It was liberating to a whole other level but I found out there are a couple of crucial moments when you can quit just to make it that much sweeter. It all depends on what you do, but you can probably find a way to apply it to wherever you work:
1. During a New Business Pitch. The beauty of seeing your superiors trying to buy you off or make you feel guilty for leaving the team when they need you the most is just pure gold. Simply hand in your letter of resignation and watch the sparks fly.
2. When three people are sick. There's nothing better than leaving when you're absolutely sure no one will be able to do the work.
3. When you just get back from vacatin. The last thing anyone expects is for you to leave once you just got there. Make sure to do it on the first day for added low blow points.
4. Just after you get a raise. Nothing spits in the face of the man better than letting them know that their money is no good. Watch as they try to up the ante and offer you and extra grand for your loyalty.
5. Just after they've fired a big chunk of people. Lest you think one more person to the pile doesn't make a difference, take this into consideration: those who weren't fired were deemed temporarily necessary.
So next time you feel agitated, by all means look at the want ads, go to a few interviews and plot your revenge.
Cheers and Give em Hell
Jun 2, 2010
Tales from the Client Side: The Pin
When you work at an agency, you're asked to do some ridiculous things like work Saturdays And Sundays, work late, work through lunch and pretty much anything related to working for free. Often times we put up with this because we swear it's worth it, even though it obviously isn't. The funny thing is that you're asked to work for peanuts... you're not asked to be part of your company's branding...
Cue the new job.
A year and seven months into the gig, I've some pretty crazy things. First off, if you think agency love is anything to write about, then the disturbing rate of corporate incest in our corporate family is corporately appaling. I'm talking about fucking... and a lot of it. Married people, single people, people on the rebound, people who just need to get laid and of course, the catfish fuckers who will screw anything with a pulse and anything that can pass for a nipple. But that's a whole other post.
I could also delve into the out of the box requests that result in in-the-box solutions, but that's not what this post is about either.
This post is about forced branding. Forced branding? What's that you may ask.
Well the easiest way to explain it is cattle branding... They don't have a choice. They just see some obnoxious prick with a red hot poker searing their flesh on their left side. Burning pieces of metal aside, that's pretty much what you might have to endure if you work at a company.
I do.
And if it was only the pin, then fine... I'd look like one of those sad little dolls that hand out at banks with a corporate pin and some shitty line emblazoned on the stuffed toy's shirt. But not, that's just the start.
When you turn on your computer? A company logo... don't worry, it'll always be there so you don't have to go through the trouble of finding something that might actually motivate you.
Ok so you got the pin and you got the wall paper, what else you ask, swearing it's over. But it isn't.
You are asked to wear shirts with the company logo to raise awareness. You are given two stickers to place on your bumper and maybe even your guitar case, because that obviously inspires you. You get mugs, you get cups, you get vests, pencils, pens, sticky notes, notepads and you are constantly reminded of the pin.
Most days you don't mind it. However, some days feel as if you're a goddamn voodoo doll. The pin hurts your flesh even if it doesn't come into contact with your skin.
So what happens if you don't have it on? How about an email reminder, some generous finger wagging and the realization that you have been branded. You start seeing your company's name in your alphabet soup. You start associating similar shapes with the corporate logo and you realize your soul was once a proud ball of cheese; glorious, magnificent, downright magical and before long, a prick here, a pin there, a stick here and there and your so full of holes that you simply wonder what the point is... and then it dawns upon you... they (The Company) doesn't want you thinking about anything that isn't the company... because if a trend of thought permeates the entire company and people realize that they don't have to be at a job that doesn't satisfy them professionally, well let's just say that a whole lot of office space would free up... but alas... for now I meander on musings, dreams and give my best to try and make the most out of it.
Wanna know why?
Because for however retarded, stupid, innane and ridiculous a company can be... it still pails in comparison to the joke agencies I almost bled for. So to all of those who feel the itch to revolt, I invite you to do so. I invite you to resign at a critical moment... and you know why???
Well check the next post for a detailed reason.
Cheers
Cue the new job.
A year and seven months into the gig, I've some pretty crazy things. First off, if you think agency love is anything to write about, then the disturbing rate of corporate incest in our corporate family is corporately appaling. I'm talking about fucking... and a lot of it. Married people, single people, people on the rebound, people who just need to get laid and of course, the catfish fuckers who will screw anything with a pulse and anything that can pass for a nipple. But that's a whole other post.
I could also delve into the out of the box requests that result in in-the-box solutions, but that's not what this post is about either.
This post is about forced branding. Forced branding? What's that you may ask.
Well the easiest way to explain it is cattle branding... They don't have a choice. They just see some obnoxious prick with a red hot poker searing their flesh on their left side. Burning pieces of metal aside, that's pretty much what you might have to endure if you work at a company.
I do.
And if it was only the pin, then fine... I'd look like one of those sad little dolls that hand out at banks with a corporate pin and some shitty line emblazoned on the stuffed toy's shirt. But not, that's just the start.
When you turn on your computer? A company logo... don't worry, it'll always be there so you don't have to go through the trouble of finding something that might actually motivate you.
Ok so you got the pin and you got the wall paper, what else you ask, swearing it's over. But it isn't.
You are asked to wear shirts with the company logo to raise awareness. You are given two stickers to place on your bumper and maybe even your guitar case, because that obviously inspires you. You get mugs, you get cups, you get vests, pencils, pens, sticky notes, notepads and you are constantly reminded of the pin.
Most days you don't mind it. However, some days feel as if you're a goddamn voodoo doll. The pin hurts your flesh even if it doesn't come into contact with your skin.
So what happens if you don't have it on? How about an email reminder, some generous finger wagging and the realization that you have been branded. You start seeing your company's name in your alphabet soup. You start associating similar shapes with the corporate logo and you realize your soul was once a proud ball of cheese; glorious, magnificent, downright magical and before long, a prick here, a pin there, a stick here and there and your so full of holes that you simply wonder what the point is... and then it dawns upon you... they (The Company) doesn't want you thinking about anything that isn't the company... because if a trend of thought permeates the entire company and people realize that they don't have to be at a job that doesn't satisfy them professionally, well let's just say that a whole lot of office space would free up... but alas... for now I meander on musings, dreams and give my best to try and make the most out of it.
Wanna know why?
Because for however retarded, stupid, innane and ridiculous a company can be... it still pails in comparison to the joke agencies I almost bled for. So to all of those who feel the itch to revolt, I invite you to do so. I invite you to resign at a critical moment... and you know why???
Well check the next post for a detailed reason.
Cheers
Jun 1, 2010
Advertising as seen by others
Acclaimed TV writer George Meyer, one of the key people behind the creation of The Simpsons, had this to say about advertising and its damaging effect on the show’s creativity. Talk about biting the hand that feeds you:
“Advertising always has a coarsening effect, and its inane monkey chatter makes your story less coherent. Advertising is a conscienceless industry, populated by cowards and idiots, that wraps and drains everyone. It eggs on the worst in all of us. If I could eliminate either advertising or nuclear weapons, I would choose advertising.”
“Advertising always has a coarsening effect, and its inane monkey chatter makes your story less coherent. Advertising is a conscienceless industry, populated by cowards and idiots, that wraps and drains everyone. It eggs on the worst in all of us. If I could eliminate either advertising or nuclear weapons, I would choose advertising.”
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