The word economy got up and offed itself the last week. Imagery has been jailed for running a Ponzi scheme, and Deconstruction just filed for bankruptcy.
This is the stimulus package. Well, sorta.
Another Tale of 3 Cities
Mediocrity
'It is a city built to last a thousand years, a city to which other cities pale in comparison', the guide tells you as you near the towering gates. You admit that the view from outside looks magnificent. Carved out of marble, the sheer whiteness of the walls dazzles your eyes as it reflects the sun. The towers sparkle like gems, illuminated fingertips of a heathen god reaching for the sky. It will be a good trip, you tell yourself.
But you find yourself leaving within the week. And as you leave, you struggle to remember what the city looked like, and why the hell you were there.
Grandeur
There's a hill. And a single house sitting on the hill. A young man in little red shoes and a peculiar hat prances about in the garden. A lady sits on her rocker. Now and then, she laughs uproariously in response to something he says. Another boy comes up from behind the house and bows to the lady. She nods regally, and says something you cannot quite catch. The two males snap to attention and follow her as she sweeps into the house. You look around. There is nothing to see, only a single house sitting on the hill. Were you expecting a royal welcome? We're sorry you came all this way.
Ambition
The ship lands at night. You find that the city is entirely lit by torches. A million pinpricks of light stretch into the distance as far as your eye can see. From the light you can make out the valley that the city resides in, and the absence shows you the meander of the river delta. The sheer expanse of the city is breath-taking. Even Immortality can barely hold a candle.
The captain tells you that your lodging is but a short journey on foot. But daybreak finds you cold, tired and hungry. You are no closer to finding your way as you were when you started. As you stumble down another crooked alleyway, you are struck by the revelation. The street you are on, looks the same as the previous street as the previous street as the previous street. Misshapen brick and chipped cobble, déjà vu sits like a beggar in every street corner.
Still, better this than a single house sitting on a hill.