Your People - Corruption/Care Forgot

THE VC
Your people are a bunch of pussies and barely suffered anything.

THE REVOLUTIONARY
What the hell do you know?!?! Just cause no one made a movie about our wars doesn't mean we didn't go through shit.

THE VC
I would disagree.

THE REVOLUTIONARY
Fuck off. Your people didn't do squat until the Americans showed up.

THE VC
Oh go fuck yourself. We kicked everyone's ass for quite a few years. Not our fault they kept coming in waves and wanted it so bad. Beat the Japanese, the French, kept the Chinese at bay,

THE KID
Point for her.

THE REVOLUTIONARY
Drink more. Speak less.

THE KID
Will do.

THE REVOLUTIONARY
Really, my people have been ignored for centuries. And people only paid attention somewhat when we are under communist rule and then over threw it.

THE VC
And then re-elected the bastard who did the communist ruling. And you only over threw him when everyone else was doing it. Not like you really had a revolution fervor sweep the nation.

THE REVOLUTIONARY
Fuck you we fought for years.

THE VC
Bull shit. You 'fought' so you could get a little extra cash. Meanwhile you made sure to keep up some vital coke routes.

THE REVOLUTIONARY
Oh yeah, cause the Golden Triangle doesn't run into your country.

THE VC
Doesn't run through the whole country jackass.

THE KID
Ladies, I will have you know, your countries are both piss compared to mine.

THE REVOLUTIONARY
Aw Christ, who let him drink the Jameson's again?

THE KID
My country as been under assault from the English-

THE REVOLUTIONARY/THE VC
For over a 1,000 bloody years-

THE KID
Good you know this!

THE VC
I believe we have heard this spiel before.

THE KID (bad Irish accent)
Then you should both quit yer fucking whining. My country has been under assault by the English for 1,000 bloody years.

THE REVOLUTIONARY
Aren't you only half Irish?

THE VC
And several generation in? What is that little rant Warren Ellis has about St Patrick's Day: If you were born in America, you’re not Irish, you’re fucking American. Deal with it.

THE KID
Despite what the great old bastard says, you pagan heathens may both shut the fuck up now. They tried to kill us all. But they couldn't do that. They tried to fuck us out of existense. But being English they couldn't do it. Then they tried to starve us to death. Still couldn't get rid of us.

THE VC
This wasn't that interesting the first time.

THE KID
They took away our language and our land. And does anyone care? NO! The fucking English get everything they want. And we poor Irish die three time over digging your fucking canals.

THE REVOLUTIONARY
Oh Jesus.

THE VC
Like a whiny fucking baby. You have never even been there!

THE KID
You know, this is the problem. We are ignored. We have suffered the most. But because you pathetic people need the English for some reason you ignore us and our suffering.

* * * * *

The actual Warren Ellis St Patrick's Day Rant:

The next person to wish me a happy St Pat’s Day will have their ISP anonymously informed that they download pictures of dogs fucking babies. I’ve slept with Irish girls and gotten drunk in Belfast, which makes me more Irish than 99% of you — and, whoops, here’s the clue train pulling up to the station, and it says I’m not Irish and neither are 99% of you so you can stick St Pat’s Day up your arse.

If you want to celebrate St Pat’s today, eat a raw potato, build a house out of peat and get yourself shot by an Englishman.

And guess what? If you were born in America, you’re not Irish, you’re fucking American. Deal with it.

(Though I still advise American tourists in Europe to tell people they’re Canadian at all times.)

This was your Daily Truth. Please return to your duties. Thank you.

Corruption - The Don's Demise

Something I wrote the other day. Figured I should throw something up here since it has been a couple of days. From Care Forgot/Corruption:

CUT TO:

EXT - A WHARF - NIGHT

The two Italian gentlemen from the restaurant at the beginning of the film are there with the Don's Kid. Things are not going well for him.

DON'S KID
Look. You can't do this. Come on, you guys were with my dad. You can't do this. I'm the don. I'm the boss.

TONY
You know, if you're dad was still around he woul dbe out here with us. As it is,pretty sad and young guy like you can't take on two old men.

VINNIE
You know, this is long overdue. Sometimes you have to set things straight.

DON'S KID
Guys come on. I'll change. I promise. No more stupid deals or not following advice.

VINNIE
You know, the kid was right. He told us a long time ago you were going to cause problems.

TONY
You know, he said the old times were ending and we had to readjust. But we didn't listen. In some ways I feel bad, this is our fault.

VINNIE
You know, you're right.

DON'S KID
See, come on guys. Let me go.

TONY
You know, we can't stop now though. I mean we let him go now, he's gonna squeal.

VINNIE
You know, if not now then on some drug binge.

TONY
You know, you got an final words or thoughts you might want to say them now. Maybe some prayers. Might be good for ya to pray.

DON'S KID
What? Like this? In the river? Oh come on guys. You can't toss me in the river. At least make it clean.

VINNIE
You know we would, but one we like the old ways. And two, maybe the few minutes you have down there will make you see the error of your ways and allow for you to make amends.

DON'S KID
HOW AM I GOING TO MAKE AMENDS IF I AM DROWNING?!?!?

Tony slaps him upside the head.

TONY
You know, you never have learned to show respect. Now watch your tone and take it like a man. Or as much a man as you can.

Tony and Vinnie lift the kid in chains and weight and drag and carry him to the edge.

DON'S KID
PLEASE! PLEASE!PLEASE! DON'T LET ME DROWN ....

They toss him into the water. And they walk away.

The Candidate - Corruption

Piece I just worked on. Corruption is close to being finished. Just filling in little gaps here and there:

CUT TO:

INT - A CONFERENCE ROOM - NIGHT

The Irishman sits in a room at a conference table watching the TV. Some type of war room obviously from the round table to the documents on the tables with city precinct maps and info sheets.

THE IRISHMAN
I want that fucker found. Now! I want to know what the fuck just happened out there. I thought this was ours! Fuck he should not have conceded.

The two men who were in the room leave. As they leave, in walks The Candidate and other advisers including The Mentor. None of them look happy and all are talking in hushed tones.

THE CANDIDATE
So did I. You said you had all this handled. You said I didn't need people from out of town. And even with them and you, I still lost, so I want to know what the fuck happened today?

THE IRISHMAN
I will find out and I will fix it.

THE CANDIDATE
Fix it? Fix it? How the fuck do you think you can fix this? I am not going to put us through another Florida. Not to mention the fact I have already conceded. Your done. Jesus, I knew not to let you bastards in here. Everyone told me not to, but all those old family allegiances and shit. Get the fuck out of here! This is not the world of my father. This is the new world. Hell, I am not sure I even completely understand what the fuck is going on out there, but I at least knew things needed to change. And all your playing around this is what it gets us: a fucking loss. How after one of the worse moments in American history can we not unseat some of the people holding power? How do we let a city think they are the right fucking option?

THE MENTOR
Sir, we need to start thinking about the state now. The city maybe gone, but you still have your job. And we cans tart position for the next Governor's race or possibly Senate run.

THE CANDIDATE
OK. Let's get to work. Would someone please show this gentleman out (indicating The Irishman); he doesn't need to be a part of any future discussed in this room. Now let's get to work, Governor maybe depending on how the current governor does or maybe just stay where I am until the next city election. Let me start hearing thoughts and ideas people. We are still going to have to work to get this state and this area back to what it once was despite who is still the mayor. God help the people of this city, because they sure as hell don't deserve what they just put in power.

Plato - The Republic

Been re-reading the allegory of the cave for Corruption/Care forgot. Here is an online version of The Republic.

Tonight's Writing - THE VC

Copyright is mine, 2008. This is the scene I wrote tonight:

CUT TO:

THE KID is walking up past a line leading into a club. The Kid is dressed in a wrinkly suit. The flock waiting to get in is dressed in their club finest. Some look at The Kid so casually walking up to the front of the club. The Kid walks up to the doorman with the guest list. Says something, the doorman looks down, looks at The Kid, shakes his head, and lets him in. The sheep are visibly upset.

CUT TO:

The kid makes his way through the throng. He goes to a bar/

THE KID

Vodka rocks.

The Kid takes in the scene scanning and gauging the crowd. His drink arrives, he takes it and heads upstairs to the DJ booth.

CUT TO:

DJ

Well, looks what floated up. Shit does rise.

THE KID

Go fuck yourself. There’s a reason your handling the other room.

DJ

Good to see you boy.

THE KID

You to.

VC

Wow. Could you look less like you belong?

THE KID

Be glad I wore a suit. I thought about coming up here in the polo and cargos I had on. But hey, I figured its business I should look like I am doing it.

VC

Yes, it is my business.

THE KID

Look at this shit. Anyone use records anymore? CD’s at least?

VC

Fuck that. Laptop. I made the playlist earlier today. All ineed to do is control the volume and make sure everything runs ok.

THE KID

Hard fucking life you lead.

VC

Soon enough I am off.

THE KID

No shit? What you got going?

VC

Dallas. Going to be heading over there to help a software company start up.

THE KID

Fuck Dallas. Small city with 12 million suburbs. Plus three tons of evangelicals. Why do you think the strip clubs are so good? Try Austin. Cooler place.

VC

Maybe so. We are trying to figure out where and when is all. Get it out of our basements and into one centralized spot.

THE KID

Nice crowd you got down there. Little obvious who has the heat though.

VC

Yeah, I have to tell white boys like yourself not to hit on the pretty Vietnamese girls or the gangsters will get mad.

THE KID

Fucking gangsters. Their bravado is their downfall. They could point a gun at you from three feet away and hit everything but the mark.

VC

I will tell them you said that. Some of my best customers.

THE KID

Lucky for you. Need to talk by the way.

VC taps the DJ’s shoulder and sends him out.

VC

Talk. We are cool here.

THE KID

I need someone. Old job, but I need new dogs. Its not a game you have played before, but you will learn it pretty damn quickly. You always were better at chess than me.

VC

This the group you ran with back in school?

THE KID

The people that group worked for. The old group is gone. Jail, doctor, disappeared. Besides, I need people who aren’t loyal to the minders and instead are going to see the big picture.

VC

Why me?

THE KID

Like I said. You’re smarter than me. Plus you always could reign me in when I started going a little overboard. Look, these guys don’t know you. You are never going to have any real contact with them. I need you for this. I have to take everything and turn it around. I have to make one bad guy lose so the main villains get their’s.

VC

You have to be so damn cryptic? What the hell did these guys have you doing? What do they have you doing now? I mean look, I have it good right now, and I am about to have it a lot better.

THE KID

Then consider this as one last thing you can do for and to this place before you have the wakeup and catch the plane out of here. I need you brother.

VC

So, again, what is it?

THE KID

Politics. Pure politics for here. The best and favorite sport of all here. And you get to be one those ones who this time will know everything. All those whispers and the trying to read between the lines in the Picayune will be gone. Up front, close, and dirty politics.

VC

I never played that game. You know that. That was for others in the family, and even they got tired of it after awhile. Why do I want to go into this? Sure they get some nice perks now and then, but most of those old dogs are dying off.

THE KID

Exactly, but this is their chance for one last glory shot. They want to leave their mark before they go. But you get to be a part of the gag to stop it all and end it. But then again, you are going to have to let the current fuckwad and his people take some power. But brother, I have got one part of this you are gonna love. It is going to lay the groundwork for it all to come apart later.

VC

I do this, yougoing to listen to me?

THE KID

Maybe.

VC

You know you are going to have to give me some damn good explanations.

THE KID

All of them that I can make up.

VC

Who else is going to be in this?

THE KID

Our boy from down south.

VC

Down south? … Aw fuck. He’s insane. You know this right?

THE KID

Yep. But he comes prepared and prepackaged. And we know he can trust him to want to fuck with the system some.

VC

Some? You remember the shit he used to pull? God knows what he up to now.

THE KID

Making the world safer for the little man

VC

I don’t need to know.

THE KID

Cool. I am gonna go hit on some of your chicas now. Watch my back.

Social Networking in Post-Katrina New Orleans

Found through Digg:

How social networking saved New Orleans

Powered by community, New Orleans residents exposed city hall and the power of social software

By John Fontana , Network World , 06/27/2008

If there is any doubt to the power of social media, social networking and social software, then nonbelievers may need to Think New Orleans.

In a powerful presentation on the marriage of software tools and crowds of people in desperate need of organization around a cause, Alan Gutierrez of the nonprofit group Think New Orleans detailed an inspiring post-Hurricane Katrina story of how a crash course in social networking helped people emerge from the rubble; find their voice; fight the government; solicit help; and save their neighborhoods, schools and each other.

At the annual Burton Group conference, Gutierrez, a self-described underemployed programmer looking to lend his considerable talent to nonprofit causes, told a story he entitled “Innovating Your Way Out of Total System Failure” to highlight how residents in a handful of the hardest-hit neighborhoods used ingenuity, creativity, digital cameras, Flickr, WordPress, Google Maps and Yahoo Groups to bend rebuilding efforts to the will of the people and away from the wrecking balls swung by city government.

"We had to find a way to divide and conquer," Gutierrez says. "Citizens became our knowledge workers. We were able to collect experts and to use their viewpoint as a home owner to help do the job that the government was supposed to do. People reached out to these tools because they were compelled to."

RESEARCH; NEW ORLEANS GUEST WORKERS

Something to use as research for Corruption.

Found through 3QuarksDaily:

During our vacation a week ago, my daughter and I stopped by at the New Orleans Workers' Center for Racial Justice. The organization is an advocacy group for workers involved in the reconstruction of New Orleans after the devastation of Katrina. The vast rebuilding effort led the US government to permit recruitment of foreign laborers who were accorded "guest worker" status for the duration of their employment but apparently not the same rights and protection that domestic workers are guaranteed under US labor laws. Lacking safeguards, the foreign workers are ripe targets for exploitation and abuse by contractors.

The Louisiana guest workers group includes citizens of several countries. Among them are a few hundred welders and pipe-fitters from India who were recruited by Signal International, a Marine & Fabrication Company, apparently with the lure of lucrative jobs and immigrant visas. The promise proved to be false and the Indian workers have done the unthinkable - they have launched a strike on foreign soil, demanding justice from the host nation and advocacy from their own embassy spokespersons.