For legendary ad man George Lois, advertising is poison gas. Some gases are meant to be inhaled – these advertisements evoke product benefits, nostalgia, an emotional bond with customers. Other forms are rather toxic, with implications toward both individual self-esteem and society as a whole – trumping the promise of the brand, or sparking thought-provoking…
Category: Menagerie
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Ode to debate
“With nothing left unsaid, my partner and I – and our opponents – wait anxiously at the hallway outside, as the adjudicators discuss the results of our heated debate. Did my teammate and I defend our side strong enough? Would we break even? Did we nab enough points to win?” This is what went through…
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The future we want
Only darkness and despair can be found in the paths we take today. Our relentless struggle within ourselves has pushed not only us to the brink of destruction, but also the world itself to the ends of its endurance. We have sought to create a world befitting the greatness of humanity and in doing so…
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Of sharp knives and heavy breathing
I was momentarily entranced by its silvery sheen. It was three inches long, an inch wide with a jagged edge along one side. The tip was relatively dull but sharp enough for its purpose. I have seen such things many times in the market, at 168 and in malls. I always find myself admiring them…
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Rant and Rave: ‘Overexposed’
“You’re perfect on the outside, but nothing at the core.” That is Adam Levine summing up Maroon 5’s newest album Overexposed. Not content with their pop-sounding previous album, Hands All Over, the group takes a headfirst dive into the world of dance-electro-pop, delivering an entirely new kind of sound, though not exactly new for the…
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Rant and Rave: ‘Rock of Ages’
Rating: 3.0/4.0 Three years ago, a Broadway musical hit New York; Rock of Ages captured the best and the worst of 1980’s Hollywood. Written by Chris D’Arienzo, the musical made its way to the silver screen with the help of musical director, Adam Shankman, the same person behind Hairspray. Shankman, however takes a different approach,…
Rating: 2.0/4.0 A few hundred years into the future, North America crumbles and becomes a new country called “Illea”. In this new country, the Prince must choose his future bride from a lottery of potential princesses. Another dystopian read has found its way to the shelves and it is none other than The Selection by…
Rating: 4.0 Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen is one of the leading foundations of the most common love story subplots, at least in this day and age: that is, a working class girl who has a certain prejudice against a wealthy man, who is a little too proud to pronounce his true intentions, but…
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Space to share
Imagine crossing the street walking backwards with your eyes shut. To your surprise, considerate drivers graciously give way as you hurtle, rear first, to what you take to be your death. Such compassion was unexpected: this is Taft after all, and you, my friend, are mere road kill. Or so you thought. Now imagine walking…
So you reach home one night, weeping in silence as you stare into the blankness of space – or rather, your computer screen: as it still remains lagging after you loaded that fancy HD game or video two weeks ago. Watching every annoying warning pop up on your desktop only highlights the futility of your…