Living with white people

East Village

2011-03-12T14:11:00.000-08:00

Living in New York city is to be in a state of searching anxiety.

Upper West Side - around the 100s, where I lived, was a mix at the vestige of wealth. At the 110s the roads were no longer lined with the picturesque brownstones. They were soaring facades of beautiful grey and brown stones, curved and lined with sculptures of laughing/melancholy jesters. Or, gargoyles - the guardians of ancient Europe and the church - with sharp angular cuts in stone - the contemporary grasp of the rich to be embedded in aristocratic history. Faded away, and now a place for good bagels.

Or take the adjacent street off Broadway and walk through the bustling Dominican enclave. Their pop music doesn't change much. Look more closely again and find the groups of the Columbia grad students and their ideals - counseling in community clinics, teaching english, music and diving into the intricacies of health care policy. Dealing with the ills of society they are so removed from. Far better people than me.

Now East Village, the new stake out.

An enclave of aspiring bohemians, yuppy hipsters and professionals all searching for vying for an authenticity in life.

Or of style - love the slim cut pea cut, distressed leather boots, caressed denim and wonderfully dark, large and round shades. From the distance but not to the fined tuned eye - its glamor. It's pure fucking fresh. Then take the L train - see the now kitschy flannel and cardigan - the tussled locks - the fedoras - the Dracula cape. Lists, lists, lists.

And the stirrings of search come once again.

Computer B!ue

2010-06-08T17:46:00.000-07:00

First off, sorry for the hiatus in posts. I recently started working and I decided to channel the energy that had no where to go into work. Looks like that desire to do stuff is alive and well.

Speaking of which - check out this very dope album from my boy Doss the Artist:

DossTheArtist and Hir-o present Computer B!ue

Story coming soon!

major major major major

America! quick style quips!

2010-03-23T15:04:00.000-07:00

I think this blog needs more focus. As a chronicle of cultural misdirection I need some constraint form. Limit begets creativity so in lacking one now I'll need the other.

In the meantime some quips:

Sometimes on the subway to somewhere I'll ruminate all the ways life sucks. Like rationalizing why people who don't have shit get shit on the most. Then, all of a sudden I'll catch a flash of leg, or glimpse a pretty face, and all of a sudden I think, 'life's not too bad.' Then my thoughts turn to happy things, like power and dominating empires.

I wonder if any one of Descartes' students would ask, 'sir, why do my thoughts change when I give worship to Aphrodite? Is it the Gods?' Like, seriously, my penis directs thought.

I'm glad the US healthcare bill was signed. There were some fair faults of cost leveled to it, however the social arguments against it were plain retarded. Like giving handouts and death panels and such. I wonder if those tea party old shouters realize someone like me will listen to that retarded shit,

and may think:

'in 20 years when I get some influence I'm going to spend my time and energy getting medicare cut so I don't give money to support unproductive old fucks.

'About time we get government out of our lives - besides, then they'll realize we can't cover their stupid surgeries (that'll lower costs). We go back to private business.'

I think slightly ironic.

Despite it's history of advertising glory (Mad Men!) the US still has incredibly dumb ads from very big corporations:

McDonalds - 'No Fillers, No Extenders. Just 100% pure beef cooked fresh on the grill.'

Okay so there's turkey and pork burgers. Maybe with peppers, maybe cheese (mmm...). But holy shit. When I get a McDonalds 'burger,' I (reasonably) assume its got a simple motherfucking beef patty. Beef thats not 95% or 93% beef. What would that other 5% be?

I guess I feel reassured I'm not eating crap. It also makes me lose my appetite thinking of 'extenders,' -tiny patties made less tiny without meat... something only McDonalds could do.

Skippy's 'Reduced Fat' creamy peanut butter

Peanuts? Who the fuck got fat eating a bunch of nuts? How did all that fat get there- then taken out? Reduced fat vegetable. Non-fat nut. (ok... chemically the same as animal fat). How much fat can you really cut in your diet from peanuts!

It's been around for awhile so I assume it has fans. Ugh, lame.

To be honest, I had some good ol' McDonalds and bought some low fat peanut butter the other day. So overall, still A+ to American advertising.

Intellectual Masturbation

2010-03-15T16:38:00.000-07:00

So I'm sure someone else has 'coined' this term as well, but here's how I understand it:

A usually simple exercise of logic on a hypothetical or observed situation. Often done in pleasure (of thinking), though basic and quick - as much an exercise of one's intellect as, well-masturbation is to one's love life. Aside from self-love that is.

In light of this - sometimes I'll run into a group of people all energetically discussing a social issue - such as, the idea of evil food corporations. 'it's ridiculous how unhealthy fast food is.' 'yeah and here lower income people have really poor diets' 'oh yeah...I read a study of how corporations purposely target bad food to poor people,' and so on, until - it ends with the consensus of some pithy conviction ('need to raise the standard of food!'), where everyone is feeling little smug with the rush of righteousness that gently strokes that sense of moral superiority.

When I try and describe this self-indulgent righteousness all I can think about is a circle of guys holding each others dicks standing there feeling quite pleased with themselves.

This generation's 'problem'

2010-03-06T15:57:00.001-08:00

God this video makes me so angry -

Watch below Ron Alsop explain why this generation are 'leaders, not followers.'

Fuck this loser: complaining about kids youtube style in a pink frilly looking room. And get this: he has a son. Either his wife gives him the whip or he's a pansy. Oh wait, same thing.

There's no need to wear a blue work shirt buddy- it's not fooling anybody. It's clear all your accomplishments amounts to that shitty suburban house you live in.

I'm sorry I don't mean to judge. It just pisses me off that Ron Alsop decides to characterize tendencies of my generation as faults. And talks as if he is the authority on the qualities young people should have.

Here's a brief rundown of what he sees as the 'problem of this generation'

This generation seems to have be raised in such a way to rely on other people for direction and feedback, almost constantly. In this economy you have to be self-motivated and independent thinking.

It takes a lot to get into good schools now. Stress and pressure makes them feel like they can't make mistakes. Everybody makes mistakes. Because they fear to make mistakes to get to their goal, they're often frozen, or rely on team members for consensus too much.

How condescending. Throughout 16 years of school the message of teachers, guidance counselors and parents was simple. Study hard -> Good grades -> Good college -> Success

If you don't follow that principle, then you 1) get kicked out of school and 2) have a shitty job.

Well Ron, unlike your dumb-fuck generation we LISTENED.

To succeed in this system - to be graded well - feedback was needed. So yes, this generation likes feedback because we did what we were told to do and were rewarded for it.

Now after 16 years of being told to think this way - all of sudden it's a fault?

And you wonder why we feel like we can't make mistakes?

Um, maybe it's because in this society (apparently) grade records matter more than anything else in determining a student's future prospects.

As for lack of independent thinking and self-motivation? Ron, you're a tool. Silicon valley tech start-ups. Social entrepreneurship. Lifestyle design. Transnational activism. All emerged from the independent thinkers of my generation. The tech industry is one of the more vibrant sectors in this economy. And it's not filled with old fucks like you.

I worry about how good they will be as leaders this generation. Will take a lot of work on the part of business schools and employers to help wean them from this reliance on so much feedback and checklists of exactly what to do to get the job done.

What I see teachers spell out exactly what they want on every project and every paper... Absurd to me the level of direction they're giving - doesn't allow for the analysis and struggle this generation needs to actually get into the workplace.

HAH - now this one is funny. I actually agree with most of your criticisms. It just takes a while to un-learn all the bullshit your generation taught us in school. Your 'solution' - more school? That is so absurd.

And to think that your generation has leaders?

Let's recap all the ways your generation fucked up. War over ideology and all the grief as your generation duked out liberalism vs communism vs fascism. Systematic racial discrimination. (Here's a video idea for you Ron 'The ghetto: lacking leadership"). The environment.

And in these times - we just can't escape from the laughably stupid, simple ideas of your generation.

-The plan to remove Saddam Hussein. We'll just take him out really quickly. Once gone, Iraqis will rejoice and a spontaneous democratic order will emerge. How fucking stupid can you get?

-Praise the private sector. Deregulation and low tax is the key to economic success. Great fucking plan - 'someone else will figure it out'. Outstanding analysis.

And the most recent: 'free market' experiment in efficient market hypothesis for the finance industry. Great, now we all have to pay for these shitty loan securities at Citi and derivative contacts at AIG.

You know what? This generation is perhaps the most sensible generation of our times. We listened, did what we were told and readily prepared ourselves to join the world.

To face a shitty job market. Sovereign debt concerns. Global warming. Transnational terrorism. And you know what? Succeeding in this game is more competitive than ever, yet we put our heads down and keep at it.

Do we try to upheave society? Make others pay for it? Riot?

No. We're civic minded. We're working together. We embrace technology.

We don't complain that your old ass is bankrupting the government (social security, medicare). helping enriching bankers (pension funds) and hogging jobs (academia anyone).

So shut the fuck up, Ron Alsop. This generation is still figuring out leadership because the lack of it in yours.

Fuck you and YOUR generation.

Mindset Change

2010-02-23T17:08:00.000-08:00

Whew! What a difference countless hours of free-time makes. (Aside from the odd-jobs peppered to stem the outward decline of parent bailout fund).

A complete cognitive reversal: I used to spend time thinking back to how awesome I was. How lucky the seemingly random sequence of events and dialectic changes (world and self) worked itself out. I relished the experience of now - plotting and daydreaming schemes to take over the world. The past was a spring board to an ever expanding network of possibilities.

Now I use my analytic to break down all the ways I fucked up. Savoring the different feelings of shame, embarrassment, and regret of past decisions that shape the way I'm situated in the world now. The present is bleak - for the future is now shaped by the past (or more specifically, the possible future is now denied or rationalized away when aspirations attempt to take form).

How much of our values, thinking and understanding is merely situated within our individual context? Yet how far we go to justify its shape - and impose its reality on others.

(Funny enough, it can also all change with a single touch.)

So it's (almost) understandable that in a time of revolutionary communication technology - Senator Bayh decides to resign because, well - politicians don't talk with each other anymore.

I may be presumptuous in my own thinking. I can't define my identity or values, but I've settled on the label of third culture kid (i.e. doesn't know where the hell he or she is from).

But it seems clear to me that politicians are too mind-fucked in their own reality to understand the world. In the US healthcare debate:

Liberals think money comes out thin air - to create a bill that essentially subsidizes private insurers. Where the savings in healthcare costs will eventually be more than, um, the subsidy that pays for the costs. (The numbers are predicated on presumed increased economic growth rates). I don't think lowered healthcare costs paid through increased tax results in increased overall productivity.

Conservatives took Econ 101 and stopped thinking - to propose a single price system, reward cost cutters, and competitive exchanges, as the 'market' solution. Okay geniuses - the 'market' is your solution to a system where healthcare providers have no incentive to lower the cost of treatment and insurers have no incentive to pay for it. Let's just reframe every complex social issue into a simplified economic framework (and public/private ideology) - that'll solve the problem.

Anyway enough about healthcare (I'm no expert, I don't even have insurance).

And really, what do I know?

I'm too mind-fucked myself to even consider a possible future.

Change My Ways

2010-01-10T00:11:00.000-08:00

A quick reflection on the smoking media messages to influence

White (American) people and the annoying advocacy groups:

They appeal to personal will and responsibility: 'hey! why are you smoking?'

One anti-smoking group played an ad with an office lady in a pink dress and flowered hat taking a laborious effort to make some daiquiri for the brilliant point of,

'you don't drink every time you smoke, so why smoke every time you drink?'

(philosopher note: serious analytic logic. you don't have coffee every time with milk, so why have milk every time with coffee?).

The messages mostly preach simplistic reason. Tobacco companies are evil! Imagine if kids stuffed themselves with nicotine laced broccoli! 'it's ridiculous you smoke!'

Amongst Chinese people- well to my experience, the very serious Hong Kong government:

A message of authority and collective responsibility. 'Hey, don't smoke!'

One government public reminder (among many) ad has a two guys alone enjoying little boys play soccer on an outdoor park. A fatass middle aged office worker in glasses on break, offering a cigg to this cool looking young fit guy in jeans and T, totally rockin' the backward baseball cap. Young guy looks at the kids and gives the office guy a disappointed look of judgment. Shame on you!

(physics note: second hand smoke travels far in the video - they sit two rows up on bencher's. watching little boys side by side.)

Usually relying on authority or face in some absurd fashion (ads of cops 'busting' indoor smokers, girls giving dirty looks to a smoker) the message is: "look, you should not smoke!'

Conclusions

In my experience I find they're best targeted at people who will never smoke to not smoke. Or to provide ammo for obnoxious comments questioning your stupidity.

Like, 'you know you're killing yourself right?' to which I usually respond in earnest-I try to be humble here-, 'ooh, I didn't know that! thanks.'

Well, to wrap up I hope this proves resourceful for your future cultural endeavor!

Smoking Year

2010-01-09T15:06:00.000-08:00

Scatterbrain:

Happy New Year everybody! Sorry for the lack of posts recently. I've been - ah, I have no excuse. Resolutions are in order. I have two: (quote Lil' Wayne) 'Get money. Fuck bitches.' What else do we really want in life?

I wish there were an equivalent functional word (in caricature) for: a pout, hands on hips, eye brows furrowed in exasperation (or disgust) curse in sigh- 'men!'

People are usually looking to change for the better. Through my holiday reflection watcher TV I realized what I find most annoying about social politics - there's always people taking themselves too seriously. And each culture has its own annoying way of doing this.

Jumping between livingwithchinesepeople and livingwithwhitepeople (HK and NYC, respectively), smoking in particular has been on my mind. I probably resolved with every smoker I come across, while having a smoke, to maybe smoke less this coming year.

('Hey man quitting- it's easy, I've done it plenty of times!')

Living with white people: times are a-changing

2009-12-08T12:21:00.001-08:00

So I've been networking in the city and it's been interesting:

-I usually talk about my background: about my goals, interests, experience...

-They offer their insight in their field, offer steps that could be taken...

I'm in Starbucks now and this is a unique sight:

There's this older white guy - he's 43, dressed conservatively (polo, khakis, leather shoes and jacket) and looks like an asshole. He seems tense and I think he's an asshole because as I squeezed by him to take a spot on the table, he didn't make an effort to help move his chair that had all his stuff on it.

I find out he's waiting for someone, when a pretty student asks if the chair is free.

And who shows up? This Asian (looks Chinese) young looking guy - donning a trendy grey sweater hoody, dark jeans and black coat. Is gay. Has one of those Asian-British hybrid accents. He has a PhD in Accounting and Finance.

This Asian guy starts talking about different areas in finance (private wealth management, real estate) - I glean that he worked at an investment bank. Pronounces finance like 'Fi-nish, Fi-ckle' and not 'FI-nal.' During the conversation he's checking his blackberry occasionally (reminding me of the alums I've met). And he asks about the white guy's background - his goals and interests.

Haha. Times really are a-changing.

Living with white people: a picture

2009-12-03T11:17:00.000-08:00

The intersection of Broadway and 110th - I made brisk pace towards the subway, to catch the 1 train downtown and meet an alum I planned to 'meet for drinks.'

Streams of cars and people at the intersection - like valves the traffic lights and walking signs maintained streams of activity. Maybe race and closing signal for some.

My eyes took in the pattern but could only focus on one man:

Bent forward, his arms extended pushing and directing an assisting cart. He wasn't senile -he paced back and forth with frustration along the street corner of the intersection. His face was wrinkled - deepened with grimace. Looked Eastern European, maybe it was the dark pants and worn leather jacket (the cart carrying a leather messenger bag).

His dark, short frazzled hair expressed the weary on his face - yet its mess mirrored an energy underneath:

'please, man... please!'

A plea of a man to someone and no one - its timbre carried and stood out above the noise of the mass scene - it rang of weariness but not of complete despair. It had strength.

He pushed his cart a few paces this way, then that, bent forward and arms extended. His head raised, alert and searching. And then his arm raised to cry for a cab. And again. Like an exhausted man being beaten, standing and supporting himself, raising his arm to plea for reprieve: '...please!'

And there was his frustration - the flow of cars passed by again and again. And they ignored his calls.

Always bent forward arms extended, head parallel to the ground: he bowed to the cart - and the cart supported him in return.

Did he have a debilitating physical condition - for his body to be always bent forward? Or was it years of leaning forward, extending the assisting cart in front? And why the urgency of catching a cab? The despair in his voice suggested more than lateness - or was it simply the daily frustration of being denied a cab?

His powerful cry, 'please, man... please!' rings in my head like the cry of a world-weary soul.

Or maybe I'm reading too much into it. We all project our own thoughts and desires into our understanding of the world. Kind of like the pathetic fallacy. It helps makes sense of the chaos.

I never stopped - the walk signal flashed and I was released through the intersection - looking back occasionally - capturing the image of his frustration- beckoning desperately to one line of cars, then another. Pleading to each stream to give him respite from his pain.

And then I briskly stepped down the subway stairs, without another thought. I had to catch my train.

Upcoming posts

2009-12-01T23:17:00.000-08:00

I've actually been annoyed at most things these past few days, including myself. So naturally I will soon post some critical commentaries of the world around me.

In the meantime, I figured I'd post a thought I had the other day:

There are a number of things that escape our conscious thoughts:

-Our perception of the world.
-Our own minds: i.e. Decision-making.
-Even our own desires.

Our conscious logical thoughts are mostly based upon observations of the physical world.

So this seems intuitive to me: for our conscious minds to have a complete understanding of the world, we need some metaphysical theory. Karma, God, Buddha, 'Good.'

To account for things that our conscious minds cannot detect, describe or decipher.

A fleeting Asian-White moment...

2009-11-23T14:23:00.000-08:00

I was headed back on the Q train from downtown - transferring to the 1 train at Union Square. Coming back from the first round interview I just passed.

Two streams - bustling in the narrow pathway between the open train and the revolving gates. Distracted by Lil Wayne's mixtape flow I kept close, keeping pace. And then, I looked up - we made eye contact - and those bright blue eyes connected with mine.

My eyes did a quick double take - down, up: Somehow it was already there in my mind - the slight ruffled cloth scarf, positioned perfectly between warmth and appeal. A fitted leather jacket - buttons of definition, pockets of form. An muted v-neck that added tone. Washed out darkness of denim to define yet add to the slim build, completed with sneakers that suggested converse but not quite. Urban function in connected balance.

I saw in those bright blue eyes that lingered on me one thing: recognition.

My slim dark navy suit and its understated pinstripes - the light muted blue shirt with its suggestive lines: implied, not stated. The two associated, not connected. The slim tie, with its wide angled stripes of subtle outline - blue: light stripe over dark that somehow refused symmetrical line to the eye. Attracting focus to the whole. Corporate lifestyle blend of balance.

And in those 3 seconds of 2 pace rhythmic step - there was recognition as we passed.

Of equals, of awesome.

I wish him luck.

Guest Story: The California Roll Incident

2009-11-23T02:16:00.000-08:00

So my good friend H decided to share an incident of his that took place freshman year at Brown University, with a girl in the good ol' freshman dorm, Keeney:

He didn't really - but reminded me and I thought it was funny so I'm posting it.

Girl: Hey, you look Asian, where you from?
H: Hong Kong.

Girl: Oh. So like you'd know how many minutes do I put this in the microwave?

*referring to a cooked California sushi roll from Josiah's (one of Brown's eateries - known for its 'selection of all-time American favorites')

H: Uh... You don't....and plus it's totally cooked...
Girl: Yeah right, just because I'm white doesn't mean I'm dumb! Hee hee!
H: Uh... Where are you from? (H: Eye-Dah-HOe maybe?)
Girl: I'm from the OC! Oh-my-god, have you NOT seen the show?!
H: ....10 minutes on high should do it.

Quote H: 'Should I be surprised, in a school where IR is the second most popular major?'

A really nice California Roll:

http://redthaisushi.com/images/caroll.jpg

The California roll has its origins in California in the 1970s. Realizing white people's (among others) aversion to raw fish, Ichiro Mashita decided to substitute avocado for tuna, realizing its oily texture was a perfect substitute. Mashita also made the roll inside out - traditionally rolls are wrapped with seaweed - as most thought it was gross seeing and eating outside seaweed. (Source: wikipedia.org of course).

And thus Mashita-san eased the way for millions of white people to eventually partake in the delightful Japanese cuisine of raw fish. Kudos, Mr. Mashita-san!

Oh, in light of the 'controversy' (was there one?) of Obama's bow to Japan's Emperor Akihito - I'm thinking at least he didn't get crowned. And it's really a moot point for him, considering he has the Emperor's ass under military control.

Living with white people: drinking habits

2009-11-22T01:47:00.000-08:00

So, white people like to arbitrarily set times when they can and cannot drink.

It seems that Sunday is typically frowned upon as a time to drink alcohol.

So I went to the 24 hour grocery Saturday night at around 4:30 AM. I wanted some beer. So I could sleep better after being stimulated by a long island iced tea.

I was promptly refused by the nice looking cashier. Who calmly explained to me that 3AM to 8AM Sunday by law were hours during which people could not buy alcohol.

Needless to say the entire walk back I cussed in fury at puritans, arbitrary social guidelines, the dutch, liberals, conservatives and all others who prevented me from getting a goddamn beer.

Guide to interacting with white people as a non-black minority

2009-11-19T23:49:00.000-08:00

Principle No.1 - Approaching race/ethnicity

Disclaimer for politically correct educated assholes: (Guide to interacting with white people for American born internationally raised Chinese people who don't have clear ethnic and racial categorical identity)

Now I'm assuming the natural reaction is:

'What? Wouldn't it be best to transcend the idea of race?'

or,

'Yes! You should assert your own racial/ethnic identity and have the other acknowledge his/her whiteness.'

Both wrong. The first assumes everyone is the 'same.'

The second assumes we should all abide by some idealistic stupid world.

First off, let's establish what we're dealing with. We're in America - majority white.

(Please don't get started about the racial history of America, this is intended to be humorous for current generation minorities who have not experienced real prejudice).

Most white people grow up without realizing how white they are. (You think any one of the billion Chinese people in China reflect in the mirror and think, 'damn, I'm so Chinese...,' I don't think so.) For all intents and purposes when dealing with white people just accept we're in a white society.

The ideal approach with white people: helping them consciously acknowledge the difference in race and culture. It's tricky - go too far like a crazy liberal and everyone is uncomfortable. Too little and you get comments like, 'you're not really Asian...'

The trick: take advantage of a stereotype of your culture and have fun with it:

(examples below):

Asian: 'Yea I had a cute puppy for dinner the other day...' Talk about General Tso's historical importance. This guy Ting Ting Tong that you know.

Indian: 'I have a conglomerate of Kwiki-Marts. Seriously, 'thank you come again,' was like 15% increase to my billion dollar Kwiki Empire.'

Hispanic: 'I'm actually Mexican.'

Okay I'm actually having trouble thinking of more. But using stereotypes for humour accomplishes several key things in your interaction with white people:

-White people now have an easy route to acknowledge the racial difference. The fact that you laugh about it shows you don't give a shit about stereotypes.

-You have an opportunity to discern the level of racial awareness of the white person:

Stupid white person:

-Thinks you're serious: you are now a representative of your respective race/culture

-Joins in (key: with malice): pretend you're actually white. fuck this asshole.

Smart white person:

-Thinks it's funny: usually means white person is not as uptight and comfortable acknowledging difference

-Joins in (key:friendly + actually funny): demonstrates racial awareness. Higher level: makes fun of his/her own whiteness

And there you have it. The key to interacting with all the white people around is the skill of identifying and discerning which white people are cool.

Enjoy interacting with your next white fellow!

Living with Dominicans

2009-11-19T22:28:00.000-08:00

So I just moved to NYC. After bumming around Providence for the past 5 months it's time to make a serious attempt to get a trading job in finance.

I live with 2 Dominicans on the Upper West Side near Columbia (no, not the fancy apartments visually associated with the area - I'm on Amsterdam Ave).

(M) One is a disciplinary dean at public high school, is 41 and recently ended a 10-year relationship 6 months ago. He's sociable and has that serious-passionate Latino thing going on.

(A) The other is a freelance technician, is 31 and focused on audio visual production. He's more of a quiet laid back sort of guy.

M is having money problems. More specifically, a cash flow issue at the moment.

Overdraft and credit card bill. Borrowed 200$ from me (for a week - for date that seemed important to him). Owed $700 that he is trying to get back. Cable and internet was cut for day. No savings aside aside from a 401k retirement fund and college fund for his two kids he pays child support for. A is 2 months behind rent. Had $15,000 in savings that was paid to a lawyer that lost a court case over a fire in the apartment last year.

So I stand there in the kitchen, watching him chain-smoke his Marlboro Lights as he then talks about how he's still not moved on from the relationship- that he still can't stop comparing, that he has to explain he's still recovering emotionally. That women can hide better, are better liars.

'Us men? We can't hold it in bro. It shows on our face.'

and,

'so I had to take out money from the school fund to pay for the cable, but it's just gonna come out of my next paycheck. And I got a huge credit card bill, and this fucking guy... and A is also 2 months behind. It's just gonna repeat again in a month man. Maybe I should stop going out for a year, save up some money. But I have needs man, - I need shoes, clothes- I can't just cut them out.'

As I stand there, I can't help but think: the extremities of American life. I'm 22 and broke already in the this city, dreading the moment when I have to ask my Dad for some help. But I day-dream of the high paying finance job I'll (hopefully) have, and the business I'll start in my career. It's only up for me.

For M? He's already the dean of a high school - what's next, principal? He has a decent salary but it can't possibly go up more. No investments. Lives paycheck to paycheck from work. His expenses aren't dropping anytime soon and yes, he does have needs. He's 41 but youthful and single. He's a decent guy and doesn't spend irresponsibly. He has no easy foreseeable solution out of this.

Thoughts:

Lesson 1 of American life:

-Have supporting assets by 30.