you know what really bothers me? these commercials for american express traveller's checks, in which people's vacations are ruined by the fact that they've misplaced their wallets, and usually they're strangers in strange lands and no one is willing to help them. at their worst, they're downright kafka-esque. it's downright creepy and unnerving. fuck realism, man. (then again, i'm also someone who, when he was a mere youth, would change the station when i feared arnold was about to get it from mr. drummond.)