Shoestring video production is fraught with peril and madness. A source of inspiration on this journey has been none other than the former Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld.
In 2004 Rummy was being questioned by a soldier who was wondering why the U.S. Army couldn’t get effective vehicle armor instead of slapping on decals that merely look like real armor. His response: “As you know, ah, you go to war with the army you have—not the army you might want or wish to have at a later time.”
Somehow, “you go to war with the army you have” became the Polyester Dreams production mantra. It was said by me on-set quite often, much to everyone’s annoyance. I said it when our crappy microphones stopped working properly and when the camera’s f-stop failed to register, leaving us waiting for the sun to slip behind a cloud like we were goddamn reverse werewolves. I also said it when Glenn Close and the crew of Damages kicked us out of our waterfront shooting location on Kent Avenue. We instead moved the shoot up several blocks to a park where we shot amongst rowdy teens and necking hipsters. But god help me, I can’t stay mad at that woman. She was Sarah Plain and Tall, for god’s sake.
Such is the nature of this project. If Polyester Dreams had to be done well, it probably would not have been done at all. Plus let us not forget Donald Rumsfeld was instrumental in putting aspartame on the market in the early 80s, thus ensuring years later that my Diet Mountain Dew addiction would fuel many a silly project.
I also got to work the 
Wildman Bill Hind proved a worthy actor to play the role of the park’s holy caretaker gone mad. His role actually got him some other work. The song (”Hey Mr. Holy Man” by Kiss Inc, no relation to KISS) is not really available anywhere. Occasionally you can find a 45 of it on eBay, and I think the song might be on a compilation somewhere.
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