Rant: Myopia on a Grand Scale

William of Ockham (circa 1285-1349) theorized that the simplest explanation is often the best one, a theory known as "Ockham's Razor." Sadly, it's all staring us in the face.

Amidst out-of-control spiraling of oil prices on the verge of destabilizing the global economy, people don't seem to realize that our current lifestyles of consumption and greed are simply not sustainable. Peak oil theories notwithstanding (dictating the end of low-cost crude oil, not necessarily the bottoming out of oil supplies), it's clear that our drive to consume has gotten us to this predicament. That and economists link it to ongoing conflict in the Middle East, political pressures from all sides, growing demand in emerging industrial countries. Add that to the fact that, and our environment is a complete mess, with global warming causing extreme weather patterns, but for some odd reason, there are some who still push the global cooling theory and say that it's all a big cycle.

What upsets me more is the fact that the technology is in place to lessen the impact of an energy crisis and has been for many years. Biodiesel could go a long way to mitigating our dependence on foreign oil supplies, and it could have, as the first diesel engine actually ran on peanut oil. Thermal depolymerization could be used to recycle municipal trash and sewage into useful hydrocarbons and chemicals, yet there is only one plant in existence. Bioplastics derived from actually break down unlike regular plastics and contribute significantly fewer greenhouse emissions. But these simply aren't profitable enough. Contrast this with the energy conglomerates that make a killing whenever the price of oil jumps a few bucks.

And then there are other social problems. War against drugs? It could've been a simple matter to focus on rehabilitation rather than criminal prosecution, which is ridiculously expensive and wasteful. Plus, it would cripple revenue streams for organized crime, which relies on the proceeds of the illegal drug trade. But doing so would upset the current status quo.

Sadly, "simple" and "easy" are two completely different things. Herd mentality dictates that we cannot make decisions without meetings and bureaucracy, and by the time that happens, it's often too late to do anything about it, or the problem has gotten larger. Change is tough when things are easy the way they are. But it's not going to be for long.

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Solutions For Better Living

Today while taking public transit, I, along with two young female passengers, bore witness to a common male problem. I'm talking about skivvies riding up the crack. This is due to several issues, although much can be traced to your underwear choice -- boxers, briefs, or boxer briefs. I prefer the latter of the three, as it provides comfort, snugness, and doesn't ride up as much.

But, in the event it does, there are ways around it. My prefered method is to through the back pocket, usually in the pretense that I'm reaching for my keys or a cell phone. This doesn't really work for jeans, but it's okay for khakis, dress pants, and cargos.

This was the case for the gentleman in question, who was wearing khakis. But, against all logic, he decided to reach down between his knees and directly attack the fabric on his crotch area. I did my best to contain myself while the two girls next to me did not. The only explanation I can offer was that he's wearing either a g-string or a thong.

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Now on a slightly more light hearted note (yeah, I know, light crude oil @ $63.99...I've already reduced my demand by taking the bus more often), you know those emergency broadcast systems that they got on TV? Y'know, the ones that say that they would be giving instructions on what to do, "had this been an actual emergency." Have you ever gotten the feeling that in case of a real emergency, you'd probably be dead by the time they got their act together?

Last week Thursday, the Scarfe building at UBC (and a buncha other buildings) was evacuated due to a natural gas leak. Sitting in the basement dungeon (read: my office cubicle), I had no idea that there was anything wrong, just plugging away at my assignment, until I'm told that we're to leave. Nobody really smelled anything (of course, natural gas is odorless until you add something to give its distinct odor), but we're told to go outdoors, where the odor is even stronger.

So, we're sitting around on the grass (thankfully, it's a nice sunny day) and we have no idea where we're supposed to be sitting because no one can seem to figure out where the gas leak is coming from. There is someone standing on the corner with an orange safety vest and she's got yellow "Do Not Cross" tape set up in a completely arbitrary area, ambiguously defining where we're not supposed to walk. And then somebody casually strolls by while smoking a cigarette.

The firefighters are strolling around, trying to determine the source of the leak, while we still don't know where we're supposed to sit or stand. About 45 minutes later, we are allowed back into the building, only to be told to leave the second we step foot into the building. Realizing the gong show excuse of crisis management that we are witnessing, I make a point of grabbing a snack from the staff room fridge and my notebook so I'll have something to do until they let us back in.

90 minutes in lost work time due to this gas leak, I tells ya. If there were a major crisis, things would not go well.

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Uninformed Opinions

"In a world without leaders
Who'd make people starve?
The world that we'd be saving
Would always be ours."
-The Offspring, "Kill the President"

When you're spending 3.5 hours round trip on a bus-Skytrain-bus commute to and from work, and you're not nodding off or napping, you start thinking about stuff.

Like, what would happen if all of our borders were completely closed up? I mean, like all of 'em? Who would have the best chance at survival? Who would thrive? Who would die? What would be left of the economies?

In a world where the gap between the haves and the have-nots gets progressively larger, one could logically say that a small handful of haves are getting richer at the expense of the have-nots. It sorta reminds me of that experiment where you take two balloons and have them hooked up to the same straw. If one balloon is larger than the other, then it'll suck up all the air from the smaller balloon.

You look at America, which sucks down 25% of the world's oil supplies, produces 25% of the world's pollution, yet has less than 5% of the world's population. The American economy is entirely dependent on foreign oil and would suffer a spontaneous crash if the price of oil becomes too much. Because shareholders and CEOs just want to increase their bottom lines, they outsource all their manufacturing jobs to foreign countries. So, if you shut all that down, what happens? Probably a lot of people would starve or die of thirst, as many midwest states have problems supplying their people with water.

Canada happens to be a net exporter of oil, which means it produces more than it uses. So, if our borders were shut down, what would happen to us? Well, we do have a burgeoning marijuana market, so at least we'll have some fun while the economy implodes because we don't know what to do with all that extra lumber or oil. Either that, or Alberta becomes an independent country or the capital of Canada, take your pick.

Could this happen? Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Cuba was in really rough shape, as they couldn't trade out their sugar to their former allies and America put a trade embargo on them. So, after the initial shock, they were forced to grow their own food again, without the use of pesticides or fertilizers. Sure, a lot of people got really skinny really fast, but after they re-embraced organic farming, things got back to "normal", or at least to some certain sense of balance. (link: "The Cuba Diet").

It gives me some level of hope for when stuff does start getting really rough.

Maybe I should start doing something a little more productive with my time on public transit.

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Vince Gets Opinionated

As much as I'm proud and willing to show off the various injuries inflicted on me in the past few weeks, I know I'm light years ahead of what some other people have gone through in other parts of the world. By most accounts, the world is not a nice place. By now, the world around is aware of a 27-year old Brazilian living in the UK that was mistaken for a terrorist bomber and shot by British police. This is a shock to most sane people, especially when you consider that the British police force have not relied on firearms between 1936 until being formally re-introduced in 2000. Even more shocking is that they shot the poor bloke seven times in the head.

On one hand, there is the need for public security. Understandably, if a person was indeed a suicide bomber, attempting to incapacitate the bomber by shooting the arms and legs would not have the desired effect, as they can still set off an explosive device. Also, if the suspect had the police themselves, it may place the public at greater risk. In these frightening times, if a person doesn't stop when told to and is wearing a thick jacket in the middle of summer, you can't be too careful, right?

But still, seven times?

The other side sees this as sliding down the slippery slope into a police state. When the police are given a shoot-to-kill directive and can freely execute somebody that they suspect as being a terrorist or suicide bomber. From reports, Jean Charles de Menezes was wearing clothing that put him out of place (thick baggy clothing that could conceal explosives). Since the guy was Brazilian, there is the possibility that he is more used to warmer climate.

By all accounts, anybody could be a terrorist. Small explosive devices would be placed in backpacks, suitcases...why not just have everybody go around naked? I mean, hey, it's summer, isn't it? But then, you could always hide a small explosive device in your rectum, but it probably wouldn't cause enough damage (plus, suicide bombers would likely survive...without an asshole). That, and it might be tough to hide wires, unless the thing was detonated by remote.

I've always been under the impression that if there was a democratic nation at the highest risk of becoming a police state, it would be America. With the PATRIOT act giving the government authorities carte blanche to do whatever the hell they want, definitions of terrorists could extend to just about anybody that steps out of line.

But the UK? I guess it's understadable, in some respects, especially given the nature of the attacks. As a result of 9/11, we've seen some pretty weird security measures in American airlines, such as banning nail clippers and forcing a woman to drink her own breast milk to prove that it wasn't contaminated with weaponized bio-agents. Had a suicide bombing attack occured on US soil, we'd likely see the more like what happened in the UK.

This world is clearly not a nice place anymore. Paranoia has gripped the "free" nations like a vice, where the people are now afraid to go on with their lives and the collective trigger fingers of law enforcement have developed a serious case of hives.

The way I got it figured, the world is going to come to an end whether we want it to or not. When that happens, I want good seats. And a beer. And a shotgun to make sure no one tries to take my beer.

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Stitches come out on tomorrow. Do chicks really dig scars? Stay tuned.

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Three stitches. You should see the other guy. Not a scratch on 'im!

After these past couple of weeks, I have come to the inescapable conclusion. My face is a magnet for rocks, street signs, and other people's feet.

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Superheroes need not fear the hazard signs!


Ache, Bumbaye!


Groupo Ache Brasil, Vancouver and Calgary academy


Cobra vs. Grandao


Nighttime roda


Mestre Eclison vs. Adam


Mulher-only Roda


Workin' the camera with Ballarina and Morena


King of the mat. I lost.


John C. vs. Superhomem


Barboleta (Bush Girl) vs. Toquinha (Charlie Brown)


'Round the camp fire


Fire...fire...FIRE...


outdoor roda


Costume roda (Sushi, Morena, Ballarina)

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I got my first real six-string / Bought it at the five-and-dime / Played it till my fingers bled / It was the summer of '69
-Bryan Adams, "The Summer of '69."


right thumb: Literally played guitar until my fingers bled (Sunday night).


left arm: rope burn from game of tug-o-war on Saturday. Our team, "The Hatchets," came second place.


left leg: multiple mosquito bites incurred on Sunday that didn't show up until Monday. Currently treating with Benadryl antihistamine cream. Not pictured: mosquito bites on right leg, right shoulder, back of head (!).


right leg: Saturday afternoon, attempted a backflip off of an inflatable floating platform into the Okanagan, but instead of landing in the water, bounced off the platform and THEN landed in the water. One witness likened it to a pinball. I made a small laceration on my leg, after which I proceeded to bleed on the PVC raft. I had to quickly wash it off because they might be returning it to the point of purchase.


face: Saturday morning, failed to realize how sharp the rocks are at the bottom of the Okanagan. Currently treating with a combination of topical antibiotics and wet bandages.

Not pictured:

left hand: blood blisters from gripping Maculele (Brazilian fighting sticks) too tight
back: sebaceous cyst, popped and drained (one fellow camper got the whole thing on video). Will likely have to go to a doctor to have it completely removed.

Conclusion: I am DEFINITELY going for next year's camping trip. More non-injury related photos of the camping trip to come.

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I'm heading out to the Thompson Okanagan area to go camping. Chances are that the weather is going to completely suck and I would've been better off staying at home, but that's not going to stop me from having fun. Photos to come.

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It's what I call the Brazilian equivalent of birthday bumps (see July 5th 2005 entry under archives).

In my Capoeira group, we have a tradition called the Birthday Roda. Roda (Portuguese for circle), which involves people (other Capoeiristas, observers, etc.) gathered in a circle while two players do their moves (kicks, sweeps, flips, etc.). In the Birthday version, you have to go against everybody.

My body frickin' hurts from being taken so many times. I probably spent more time on my ass than on my feet. I can barely type this because I fell on my right wrist and I'm probably going to be walking funny for the next day or two. And I've got a camping trip with my Capoeira group this weekend. More pain.

Speakin o' which, one of the traditions at the Capoeira camping trip is the Costume Roda. I designed a t-shirt as part of my costume (photos to come) and asked my mom to help, given her level of expertise (she makes a lot of her own clothing). After watching me painstakingly cutting out the patterns I wanted to attach to the shirt over the course of two hours, my mom got frustrated and took over. I will never, ever complain about the price of clothing ever again.

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RANT:

What's wrong with this picture?

Ever get the feeling that we're evolving ourselves to death?

We live in a bizarre world. A population that recently went past 6.5 billion people lives in extreme disparity between haves and have nots. The poor people live in conditions that Westernized nations refer to as squallor without basic needs while Westernized nations are driven by consumption, diverting further wealth from the so-called third world countries. Meanwhile, alarm bells from all directions are signalling that the so-called "American Dream" is non-sustainable, as population growth ensures that there is not enough to go around, oil prices threaten to collapse economies, and global climate change threatens everything else, but we all blindly follow our world leaders that assure us that everything is okay as they proceed to march us off the nearest cliff before they steal our wallets.

Look at the so-called "problems" that we face every day and compare them to the type of problems we faced hundreds of years ago, thousands of years ago, or even millions of years ago. We get bored, we have psychological problems, we fill the void by consuming more, we get fat because we aren't exercising enough or eating too much crap, we get old and wait for death to release us from the mechanical drudgery of our existences. There's nothing good on TV. Nice guys can't get laid. While I'm not necessarily advocating returning to an era where males used to club prospective mates across the head and drag them back to the cave for some neanderthal lovin', it's food for thought. Has progress really gotten us very far? Antibiotic abuse has left us succeptible to diseases while cheap food delivery has encouraged expanding waistlines of the people, while sedentary occupations (most of which are office or computer based) ensure that in order for us to remain physically healthy, we have to go hit the gym.

Within the animal kingdom, we no longer have natural predators, so nothing keeps the herd in check. Natural resources get consumed at a rapid clip while the population continues to expand, although it is slowing down. On the other hand, people aren't dying as fast as they used to, ensuring that the population won't be going down any time soon, unless the long promised Alaska-sized asteroid comes by and decimates a healthy portion of the human race. Best thing about natural disasters is that they don't tend to discriminate among the haves and the have nots.

Would've been nice if we got to reach the stars and discover life on other planets, but chances are that they wouldn't like what they see. Once peak oil hits and civilization crashes, the only ones to survive us will be the primitive bush tribes and any other people that have managed to maintain some level of balance with nature. Looks like it's time to go and rent The Gods Must Be Crazy to see if I can pick up some language tips.

A friend commented that I should've gotten into politics, but I suffer from an excess of personal ethics and idealism which makes it a dangerous occupation. That, and I came to the realization that as an individual, I can't save the world, but I can merely save myself and whoever's next to me.

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WARNING: RANDOM, POORLY THOUGHT OUT, AND PROBABLY EVEN MORE POORLY RESEARCHED WRITING AHEAD

After my mom came back from a 3-week European vacation coupled with news of oil inching towards $60/barrel, it suddenly occured to me that we have it way, way too easy here. We simply have become accustomed to the fact that we can just get water out of a tap when we get thirsty, crank up the heat when it gets cold, turn on the air conditioner when it gets hot, or just drive down to the local fast food outlet when we get hungry.

I'm not as well travelled as I'd like, the farthest I've ever ventured out being New York (something I intend to change really soon, before air travel becomes cost prohibitive). But, what I'm hearing about life in other countries leaves me wondering why we have it so easy.

Among the stories I've been hearing:
-UK: While people have laundry dryers, most of them lay dormant as electricity is expensive. In general, cost of living appears to be much higher (Debbie, if you're reading this, care to comment? You can probably lay on a little better insight than I can).
-Europe: Beer and wine is cheaper than water in most places, plus cars are much smaller, given the fact that gasoline is much more expensive.
-Hong Kong/China: "Westernized" toilets are restricted to hotels catering to non-Asians (ie: you gotta squat everywhere else). I'll leave out the details as to what you're supposed to do with toilet paper after you're done.

All this, and it's a small wonder why Americans tend to generate the most pollution and energy usage per capita on an international level (let's face it -- everything we do hurts). The price of gas shoots past $1/litre, and people complain, but it's still a fraction compared to outside of North America.

Once again getting back to the true cost of doing business, it very much appears to me that somebody is going a long way to ensure that we don't pay too much. All black-helicopter conspiracy theories aside, when the price of stuff goes up while wages stay the same, the economy slows down. But clearly, that isn't happening here (yet).

While I hestitate to say that there should be more rioting in the streets, we're not that far off.

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So, the King of Pop has just been cleared of all child molestation charges. I haven't quite decided what's worse: the idea of children being molested by a pop singer or the media circus that surrounds it.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to play that Michael Jackson baby-drop game while we await the next big celebrity scandal.

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All the side effects, none of the fun.

As I type this, I have to mostly look away from the screen because it's way too bright for me to look at. Having made the decision to get all the health check-up stuff out of the way, I went to the dentist and had my eyes examined. Good news: my eyes haven't changed since last year, even though I've been spending a lot more time staring at a computer screen. Bad news: They discovered two cavities which I had repaired the same day. Five hours later, stuff still doesn't taste right.

Gotta love the stuff they put in your eyes to make your pupils dilate (although it might be kinda hard to tell from your monitor...it's a lot easier for those that don't have brown eyes). Makes it tough to read up close or looking at anything bright. This screen appears to be flashing and flickering (which it is, actually, it's just that your eyes typically filter that stuff out and then your brain fills in the gaps to make it look seamless). It's a good thing that I know where all the keys are so I can type this without looking at the screen. Three horus later, I still look like I smoked a whole bag of marijuana all to myself.

Good thing that I wasn't pulled over for speeding, or else I would've had DUI tacked on to that.

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"I have killed two people since midnight. I haven't slept in over 24 hours. So maybe you should be a little more afraid of me than you are now. " -Jack Bauer, 24

Having finally recovered from spending more than 24 hours awake between 10:30 PM on Sunday and Monday night midnight (20% of which was spent nodding off), I'm starting to realize that we could get so much more done if we didn't need to sleep.

No, I'm not masochistic. It all started on Sunday morning when I was called to the set of Live Feed, an independent horror flick directed by Flesh and Fantasy SFX guru Ryan Nicholson. Only there for a few hours wasn't enough to get good material (that, and I had to go to my other job immediately after), so I had to come back the next day. But, being that this is an independent flick, most of the people working on it are doing it solely for the love of the craft (ie: they're doing it all pro bono), so they're doing it outside of regular working hours.

So, after getting home from my weekend job, I immediately go to sleep (6:00PM, not an easy thing considering that it was a really bright sunny day) and wake up at 10:30PM, shower, eat breakfast, and hop on a bus. Not realizing that the Skytrain won't take me all the way to Vancouver before shutting down, I am waiting at New Westminster Station for the better part of 4o minutes, shooting the breeze with the locals while the bus takes its sweet-ass time showing up.

Upon arriving at the set, the Venus theatre on Main street (yes, where they show old porno flicks), I enter, making sure no one sees me enter. Getting interviews for the next few hours, I get some good soundbytes out of everyone, but two actresses aren't there, so I'll have to follow up at a later time. Running on barely three hours of sleep, I trudge off to UBC where I begin another 8 hours of work.

As I'm only semi-concious and running on about three cups of coffee mixed with hot chocolate powder, I request that I am given the most mindless administrative task imaginable. I also apologize in advance if I start nodding off during conversations, need to have things repeated, or if I go into shock if there are any loud noises.

For the first hour, I am photocopying. Nice mindless tedium. Sadly, this does not last long, as I am back to more stimulating work (NDA NDA NDA NDA). The rest of the day is a complete blur. After getting my requisite six hours of sleep that night, today I am still nodding off.

I wonder how I'm going to last with my new responsibilities at my weekend job. I swear, every time I contemplate quitting, my boss gives me more responsibilities and a pay raise. Perhaps I should start thinking more about getting promoted so the opposite happens.

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Ken Jordan and Scott Kirkland of The Crystal Method


The Sonar @ 66 Water Street (experimented without flash)


What's up with the guy in the bunny suit?


Ken Jordan and Scott Kirkland, working the crowd.


Shake it, baby.


Self-portrait under the least optimal lighting conditions. L-R: Melissa Choo, Vince Yim


Scott Kirkland playing "Bad Stone" from the album Vegas, while politely asking everyone to make their way to the exit. "Good night, Van-City!"

Being that I had the foresight to wear earplugs this time, there is no equalization period for my hearing to return back to normal. Very kick-ass show at an itty-bitty venue with lots of great tunes played. Many tracks from Community Service 2 as well as some out-of-left-field surprises, such as remixed bootleg of Blur's "Song ^2". Open-toed footwear is not recommended.

Decided to show my stuff with the b-boys by mixing a little Capoeira onto the floor, pulling backflips and stuff (never mind the fact that my breakdance skills are minimal). Before I know it, someone shoves a ticket for the upcoming Hybrid show into my hands. He must know the promoter or something.

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Fangoria Magzine issue #244, on stands May 24th, 2005.



I've run out of clever, inventive, and political things to write about for the past week (that, and I'm a little burned out from writing every day because I didn't give myself a break between a grueling second semester at school and my work experience), so I'm just gonna plug the latest issue of Fangoria magazine because it's got my latest article in it.

I covered the direct-to-video techno horror flick, Devour, starring Shannyn Sossamon (A Knight's Tale, The Order) and Jensen Ackles (TV's Smallville and Dark Angel). Everybody go out and buy one. And no, I don't get royalties for it, but buy one anyway.

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Who? What? Where?: The Board Game

Gameplay: You are given three cards, each depicting a person (celebrity, public figure, or famous fictional character), an action, and a location. For example, if you are given "Albert Einstein", "Playing Football", and "On the Moon," you will attempt to draw a reasonable likeness of Albert Einstein playing football on the moon, but you can get creative. In three rounds, draw the person doing whatever action in the specific location. You have four minutes to draw. Upon completion of the drawing phase, pass your drawings around to the other players, who must guess who you are trying to depict.

Doing boardgame night at a friend's place, we got to put our drawing skills to the test. This is what I ended up drawing. Let's see if you can figure out what I'm trying to draw. Click on the image to see a larger version. Highlight the text to see the answer. Ready? Let's go!

NOTE: Answers are discussed below.


#1: Who? Michael Jordan. What? Rock climbing. Where? Statue of Liberty.


#2: Who? Snow White. What? Bobbing for apples. Where? Nuclear power plant.


#3: Who? Tina Turner. What? Doing a belly flop. Where? On an airplane.

(And just for fun, please leave a comment with your answers!)



Discussion: Psychology is not my area of study or expertise, so any analysis to do with the human mind remains speculative. Still, it's interesting to see how we tend to associate things, especially when we can't quite get images across due to limited art skills. Admittedly, my art skills aren't the best, even worse when I'm given an extremely short time span to come up with an image.

Drawing faces can be challenging, especially if you lack formal art training or practice. So, if you were to Bill Gates eating a hero sandwich in the Sahara dessert and your drawing skills are only slightly above stick-figures, what do you do?

The Sahara dessert is simple enough, just draw a few stick figure camels and a cactus, and you're done. Hero sandwich might be tough, but if you can figure out how to depict eating (e.g.: a long sandwhich with a bite out of it), then you got that nailed down too. But if your caricature skills are lacking, Bill Gates becomes tough to render. That's when associative skills come in handy.

A common technique in the game is to have a thougth-balloon depicting a few images that one can associate with Bill Gates. A big fat dollar sign would work (universal symbols are permitted by the game rules), a huge bag of money, a computer on fire, or whatever comes to mind.

Some players get fairly inventive. One guy had to depict "Julius Caesar," and not being able to get a dead-on likeness, simply had thought balloons coming from his head with two somewhat familiar icons: a drink cup (representing "Orange Julius") and a salad (representing "Caesar Salad").

It was easy enough for the second round - Snow White bobs for apples on a nuclear power plant. Being that I couldn't remember for the life of me remember what the Disney version of Snow White looked like, I drew seven little stick figures around her glass coffin with a guy coming up to her on a horse.

Some made some amusing visual clues where drawing skills were lacking. One player in particular depicted a male and female stick figure standing side to side, with a thought balloon from the male stick figure depicting the American flag...and a female stick figure on her hands and knees performing oral sex on the male stick figure. The connection is fairly obvious. Unfortunately, the player in question didn't have the foresight to have an arrow pointing to the right stick figure...her "who" card said "Hilary Rhodam Clinton," but everone else guessed either Bill Clinton or Monica Lewinsky.

I thought I was in for some real trouble with the third round. Not knowing how to properly depict Tina Turner's haircut, I just drew a music note coming out of her, to imply that she's a musician. Not knowing what else, I drew another music note with a heart next to it. Then it hit me. I then drew an stick figure giving the female stick figure a black eye while she's singing a love song (music notes next to a heart symbol). Almost everybody got it, although one player guessed "Whitney Houston."

It's somewhat amusing and sad at the same time that it's harder to associate famous people with what they're supposed to be associated with. We don't associate Bill Clinton with a American presidency during a robust economy and prosperity among the people, instead we associate him with the Monica Lewinsky scandal. We don't always associate Tina Turner with a successful music career that spans many years, instead we associate her with getting beaten up by Ike Turner.

I shudder to think of what people would've come up with for Michael Jackson (a stick figure man dropping a stick figure baby out of a balcony), Kurt Cobain (stick figure with a guitar in one hand, a shotgun in the other, and a head that's half-missing), or Courtney Love (strung-out-on-heroin stick figure with very obvious plastic surgery, standing next to a stick figure with a guitar in one hand, a shotgun in the other, and a head that's half-missing).

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Work-At-Home-In-Your-Underwear-And-Don't-Bother-To-Shower-Or-Shave-Day

This is probably one day of the week I look forward to the most because I can actually sit down and do some work and get some cleaning in at the same time. The basement I'm living in is an absolute mess and the only thing that looks remotely clean and organized are the shelves and racks on which I keep my CD and DVD collections. As it stands, the shelf I put my DVDs currently has an unopened skin moisturizer dispenser on it and I have no idea why it's there, except it's been there for months and months and I haven't bothered to move it. There is a half-centimetre thick layer of dust surrounding my action figure collection and I really need to crack my computer open to vacuum all the dust out of it.

Heck, I still have my notes from last semester scattered in all directions, even though the semester ended in early APRIL. So, here's my to-do-list.

-Complete first draft for Fangoria magazine article
-Write two passages and one page of dialogue for my day job
-Tidy up basement to reduce fire-hazard risk
-Go to local store to grab bag full of top soil so I can start planting green/red peppers on the porch
-Hit the gym

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