The Masomenis Corporation

Meeting with Bethann the Accountant today I had to begin the story of how the Being & Nothingness Cam Project was born (even if I cannot explain how it exists). Bethann said that she didn’t have experience with budgeting grant funds, but she knew that there was oversight or reports or something, so she needed more information. So I started the story.

Sometime in July 2008 I saw an internet ad that I thought had to be fake. I never click on an ad for more information, because I’m sure that down that road is pain and ruin, either from whatever invades your computer or from what you end up charging on your Visa. This was an ad for a home defibrillator. Yes! A miniature version of the fabulous crash cart gotta-have that we so love from TV medical shows. Now, truly, who among us has not hollered “Clear!” or held imaginary paddles and made that “zzzt” sound? Maybe even done some flopping around after an imaginary shock? Who?

This ad was both hilarious and appalling. Someone could not legitimately be selling a home defibrillator, because if nothing else it opened the gate to the very heart of legal hell. How did an ad like this get placed? It’s like the translations that are so absurd that you can’t see how someone along the line didn’t say, Whoa, something’s wrong here (menu item: “Desktop bacteria rice” [courtesy Ondi & engrish.com]). Rather than pulling up the ad, I Googled the company name, clicked on its URL and got an actual street address. This was back in my real-job-not-sitting-at-home-in-my-jammies-until-noon days, but nevertheless I took the time to sit down and write a real letter to the Masomenis Corporation….