Mario Zermeno

Fresh out of a UCLA writing program and beginning his acting studies at The Howard Fine Studios; In 2003 Mario Zermeno was living in a Downtown loft above the Orpheum Theatre. He would sit up all night in a specter of nicotine, and wait for wandering stories to come in through the wide open window. All he got were the floating screams of desperate homeless sleeping in the rain under a drenched blanket: He'd watch L.A.'s finest get their three in the morning cut from the drug-dealers, who themselves pretend ed to be homeless in their cardboard boxes but drive off in a Lexus at sunrise. He had plenty of great moments to write about, but no story: It was all random until the Mosquitoes found their way in through the window and started feeding off him. Downtown was much different back then. The Golden Gopher was the only bar within stumbling distance. President Roosevelt once owned the bar which was now the meeting grounds for Transgender prostitutes. The 19th century apartments upstairs were exceptionally affordable; mostly due to the fact that each floor hosted one kitchen and only two bathrooms: Watching three Trans women with the dreams of being models, wives, singers, teachers; share a tiny bathroom through songs, humor and tears while preparing for their dreaded reality is a beautiful testament of survival. 8th street between Broadway to Olive walked somebody's favorite Transgender prostitute. The only two restaurants in our vicinity were both on Broadway: Tacos Mexico, tucked in a parking lot next to Gene Scott's church at the United Artist Theatre. The other was the Burger King next to the abandoned Eastern. Back then the windows to the Eastern were wide open. From Mario's window, He could see haunted file cabinets that magically opened and closed over time. It is a beautiful building. Anyway, a few of the Trans Mario befriended worked at that Burger King. This was his neighborhood. A far cry from where he would spend his days. As struggling writers do, Mario his typing skills, calm demeanor, and ability to alphabetize to the Human Resources department of a social media Company based in Pasadena. The Company was on a volcanic rise after its stock recently went public. The Executive Team lined up some impressive partnerships with sporting franchises and a pizza chain. They also made insider trading their priority. These guys confidently and carelessly talked about their plans to personally yield large profit from the announcement of these partnerships. Mario was definitely not a player. He didn't know enough about Wall Street, especially not enough to understand how it could be manipulated; cue the Monolith. A night by the window, mosquitoes abundant; Mario came across an article that laid it out. 18th Century English masses were entertained by tying a bull in the center of an arena and then let a pack of dogs loose to devour the beast while hundreds watched in glee. This was the debauchery and decadence that was celebrated during good times. This is from where the term 'Bull Market' arose. The mosquitoes pierced Mario's skin, and it came to him: The Bull Market would be antagonist to his Mosquito King! Blood in, blood out: The Mosquito and the Bull. Wait! That's an Aesop Fable: The mosquito lands on a bull's horn and after a little rest, the mosquito announces its departure, "Thank you Mr. Bull for letting me rest on your horn, I must be going now." The Bull responds, "You're so small, I didn't even notice you." Moral of the story: Most people, being Mosquitoes, suffer from such Delusions of Grandeur that they find themselves more important than they are. But it is those that society finds inconsequential that Mario relates to: The underestimated, the disenfranchised; the Trans testing the mediocrity of societal rules. The heroes of life are the failed painters, the lonely singers, those that risk it all to step outside of the lines. They appear to be as insignificant as the weightless mosquito, almost invisible, practically carrying more weight in its shadow than its body. They are the ones that will test and change our understanding of life. How inconsequential is the mosquito after all; in a couple weeks time, it is able to evolve within a few generations and increase its ability to survive. It is responsible for a million human deaths a year. Yes, it is overshadowed by the muscular bull that tills the earth for man; but it is the microscopic that can bring humanity to a halt: The bull gains nothing from acknowledging the mosquito; the mosquito gains it all. Mosquito State June 21, 2009