Wonderful World

- Latte and mocha. - Thank you.

Thanks.

- Vincent's merger's dead. - Don't worry about it, L.

You'll be out of here in 6 months.

The "until" job.

How long you been working here, Ben?

8 years.

Jesus.

I know. Pretty pathetic.

At least I don't delude myself with hopes and dreams.

He's against hopes and dreams.

He's the anti-everything dude.

The antichrist.

You think getting a job in a TV series is going to change anything?

In 3 days, you'll realize it's just the same old crap

in a new package-- you'll still be working for The Man,

same as everyone else.

The Man? Who's The Man?

You know-- society, the establishment,

the corporate super-organism.

Him.

You're one dark dude, man.

He's here.

Hi, dad.

So what's new in school?

I don't know.

Math and stuff.

A guru from an ashram in India came to visit us

in social studies.

He could remember 2 of his past lives.

That kid recognizes you.

Probably from one of your C.D.s.

What were his past lives?

In one he was a prince.

In the other he was a slave leading a rebellion.

That's the trouble with reincarnation--

Everybody was always a prince or a warrior.

Nobody was ever a museum guard,

a paramecium or a bed of moss.

People want to think they were special, I guess.

Yeah, well, that's how they get you.

They figure if they can fill you up with that pie-in-the-sky stuff,

maybe you won't notice how much crap you've eaten in your own lifetime.

Ready?

I think I'm a lesbian.

Why, 'cause you like hockey?

I like boys, but...

Not to kiss. I like hanging out with them.

I wouldn't jump to any conclusions.

You haven't even reached puberty yet.

You're programmed from birth.

They have studies.

So...

What do you want to do? You wanna go ice skating?

Dad, I like watching hockey.

I don't even know how to skate.

Do you want to go to McRory's?

Sure.

Very good. Nice-- Nice guitar.

Hey, Ben, this just came in.

Brazilian.

So fine it almost plays itself.

You want to play it? Go ahead.

Jim and Sweeny are in the back.

Do you mind? Just for a minute?

Maestro!

All right. I see you got the Brazilian.

Sweet.

It's a shame.

What is?

To be so great at something no one cares about.

I think I want to sleep in my own room tonight.

Ibu snores too loud

and I have a bio quiz tomorrow.

Hey, what's the matter?

She wanted to come home, that's all.

I love you, dad.

Hey, sweetie.

What did you say to her? For God's sakes, Ben,

she's 11 years old. She still wants to think the world is a nice place.

Hey.

She wants me to feed her that positive-think crap.

We just exited the bloodiest century in the history of civilization.

We got terrorism, atomic bombs,

genocide of mythic proportions.

And what have all these horrors produced

as we go into the new millennium?

Positive fucking thinking.

You know what that's about?

It's about grabbing as much as you can

with your greedy little fingers.

So why don't you do something special with her?

Take her to a hockey game or something.

The only crime left in the whole fucking world is negativity.

Negativity is treason.

They even have a pill for it.

It is a world in which The Man is the presiding authority--

The 2 worst inventions in the past 20 years--

The TV remote and positive thinking.

You know, I-- I hear something on the radio today.

It was very interesting.

It was about this game theory.

They say if a man acts in his own interests,

that he would act in a way that is beneficial to those around him--

if he acts intelligently.

Big "if."

I don't know. So I went on the internet

to read a little more about it, you know?

And the cake is--

How you say? Mutual game theory.

They say, you know,

The game theory between 2 friends,

like each one wanting what is best for the other.

No fret, no fret. Glucose spike, yeah?

Like you are my friend, right?

So that which you want, I want for you.

I go out of my way for you, Ben.

I would do it happily because I know

you would do the same.

Great things can come from this game theory--

Great things.

You know, the Wolofs back in Senegal,

we don't say, "that man has this"

or "this man has that."

That is why still magic exists in Senegal, yeah?

What kind of magic is that?

When it rains, the fish,

they fall from the sky.

This happens because we believe.

It is like-- like a form of game theory, I think.

There's an old Wolof saying:

"Your thoughts are things."

And you've seen this?

You've seen fish fall from the sky?

With my own eyes.

The fish, they flap about in the grass,

trying to get back in the stream.

I told my sister about it in a letter.

She has seen it too, you know.

Check mate.

Every time we play, you get me into one of these conversations.

It's a Goddamn decoy.

Maybe you should look at the world as your friend.

Yeah,

as soon as I see fish fall from the sky.

Your--

Your car is supposed to be flush with the pole.

This has been going on since I moved in.

It takes me 5 swings to get out of my spot.

What do you do? Come out here with a ruler?

Bottom line-- Your car is illegal.

I'm trying to be civil about this, dude, you know?

I could just call the police and have your car towed.

You know what you are? You're a vampire.

You think you're new to the earth, but you're not.

You've been around for, like, 10,000 years.

You were in the bible. You're indestructible.

You're like an insect.

And when the nuclear holocaust comes,

there'll be swarms of you driving around in your S.U.V.s

- informing on each other. - Park where it's legal!

Shut up.

So 8:30, Friday, funny bone.

Everyone's coming, right? Cassie? Leon?

- Cassie? - Yes.

Okay. Claire?

Funny bone, Friday? You gotta come.

I rep a comic and he's gonna be on at 10:00, so...

Who are you?

I'm The Man.

Are you God?

No, he deals with the birds and beasties,

planetary alignments, quarks.

I just deal with the human element.

Then I have a question.

Why are there soda machines in schools?

Why is it all about greed, agenda, money?

It is easier to keep people in line

by appealing to their worst impulses than their best.

Now everyone has bad impulses?

Not everyone has good ones.

Maxine, go get dressed. Lucas, go get dressed for school.

Lucas?

Thank you. Go get dressed, sweetie.

Hey. Look at this ass clown.

- Who is that? - It's a guy I work with.

- In proofreading? - Yeah.

Did you know that there's a new study that says

cinnamon is good for the heart?

I'm not listening. You're just trying to get me off my game.

No no no, seriously, though,

dark chocolate lowers the blood pressure,

tannins in red wine.

All the medicine we'll ever need is in the food.

20 years from now you will have cancer--

The doctor will make you a salad.

Hey, Ben, Cyril G. Here.

I'm going down the list, and you're coming, right?

You got somewhere to go?

All right, I'll see you there!