A while ago, I was mentioning a crazy art project which involved custom painting a computer case to my liking. After about a week of being holed up in a garage and inhaling sanded paint dust and paint fumes, the work has been complete. Well, sorta.

Click here to take a look...

It's sorta pedestrian when compared to some of the other whacked out jobs some of the other people have been known to do, but it sorta reflects what I enjoy doing, taking stuff and making it my own. I already did the same to two cell phones.

I would do a lot more, but doing so would void the warranty in a lot of cases. The reason why I can do it with cell phones is because the faceplates are removable (especially on Nokia phones, which is the main reason why I prefer them over other brands).

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I learned two things today.

1: Communication is key. I thought I was meeting a bunch of friends Downtown so we could go inline skating on the sea wall. Being that I had an appointment to make at 1:30PM and it would take me 40 minutes to blade down there. I called at 11:45 and they said that they'd be there in fifteen minutes. I go get pizza while waiting. I call back at 12:30 and tell them that I'm leaving to meet them later.

Forty minutes wasted because they were under the impression that I was going to meet up with them following my appointment. Given the rate at which they rollerblade, I was able to catch up fairly quickly.

This is either the result of me not being clear of my intentions or someone not listening, but if both of us had a clear idea of what was going on, I wouldn't be sitting on my ass next to a statue of an old woman on a park bench waiting for my friends to not show up.

We did meet up later on, but first...

2: I am either way too lazy, or way too arrogant. I managed to screw up at that appointment. That appointment was my belt testing for the upcoming batizado for my Capoeira studio. Instructor Negao was listing off moves that I knew how to do, but I didn't know the names for them. Worst of all, I was asked to sing a Capoeira song in Portuguese. It went something like this...

Sinha mandou me pegar / Na ladeira do Pia / Os feitores de sinha / Nao conseguem me agarrar

Sou um negro quilombola / Angoleiro do Pia...

[Ten second pause as I spontaneously forget the next line]

So heranca de Zumbi / Ganga Zumba e Oxala

Luto pela liberdade

[another ten second pause as I try to remember the last two lines of the verse]

Nao sou peca pra sinha
Camara

E Angola e / E Angola a / E Angola e Capoeira / E Angola

Obviously, I need more practice (which my instructor points out). Understandably, I get marked much harsher on this part, because if I am to be leading the singing in the roda, I can't really stumble over the lines like that. The second part, where I'm asked to sing two more Capoeira songs goes a little more smoothly.

Sai sai Catarina / sai a do mer venha ver Idalina / Sai sai Catarina / Catarina venha ver / Sai sai Catarina

Zum-zum-zum Capoeira mata um (zum-zum-zum Capoeira mata um) [4x] / hoje tem maribom (e zum-zum-zum) [4x].

The general Q&A (general history of Capoeira, concepts and philosphy, my place in the group, etc.) I do a little better on. But, I know that I could have done signifcantly better, considering that I actually knew all the answers that I ended up blowing.

I really don't have anyone I can blame for that, nor do I wish to. But it's still a humbling experience to have your ass handed to you. That happens to me more often than not, which makes me one of the more humble folks around.

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"Every dark cloud has its silver lining, but lightning kills hundreds of people each year who are trying to find it."
 -Despair.com

Today was a day of silver linings for me.  However, it's all a matter of perspective, and whether or not the proverbial silver lining is worth getting struck by the proverbial lightning.  Here's a quick rundown.

Silver Lining: Today, I learned that I'm not allergic to bee or wasp stings.  Usually, in order to determine one's allergies, one has to go through an unpleasant process in which a series of needles introduce alergen into a person's system in order to induce a skin reaction.  However, I managed to get around that and I'm feeling much more well informed.

Lightning Strike: I found this out the hard way.  Today, I was painting at a job site where the exterior of the house was infested with insects and spiders of all types.  Having been responsible for cleaning and painting, I had to manually pick out spider webs and cocooned insects from crevices.  And that was the more pleasant things I had to deal with.  I have about a dozen or so mosquito bites covering my arms, legs, and face from the first day when I didn't remember to bring insect repellant.  And about those wasp stings?  I had no idea that they could actually sting a person through their clothing.  I have one on my left ass-cheek and on the inside of my left thigh.

Silver Lining: Today, those kind helpful painters gave a sincere apology and voluntarily removed the paint splatters from my car which they got on by mistake.

Lightning Strike: What is this, rocket science?  Having been surrounded by construction, the car is understandably dirty, not including the paint overspray.  If you wash your car, you have to rinse it off first so you don't grind the dirt into the paint.  Guess what.  Allegedly, "The guy doesn't speak good English."  Call me culturally insensitive if you will, but since when is that a legitimate excuse?

Silver Lining: I managed to get registered for all my courses at Douglas College.

Lightning Strike: And that's the only thing I achieved today because I slept in and played video games for most of the day when I wasn't working.  I got next to nothing achieved.  I still haven't done a second draft of my article, my laundry isn't put away, and I still haven't eaten even though it's 10:30. 

The Monty Python troup put it best:

"Life's a piece of shit / When you look at it / Life's a laugh and death's a joke it's true / You'll see it's all a show / Keep 'em laughing as you go / Just rememer that the last laugh is on you."
 -"Always Look on the Bright Side of Life"

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On Professionalism
 
As an aspiring professional writer, it's pretty much what I'm best at.  I partially attribute it to a bizarre spontaneous thought process (I'm a really good guy to have on teams when playing Charades), a large vocabulary, and a degree in English lit (would you like fries with that?). 
 
In about five minutes, I was able to bang out a complaint letter on behalf of my mom.  Since we moved into the new place, the level of quality seen in the aspects of the house, whether it be the overall construction to the paint has been pretty dicey.  And then they decided to paint the exterior last week.
 
I wouldn't consider myself a good painter by any means.  Even though I've been working for a painting company for about three weeks and they do seem pleased with my work, I know I'm not a professional painter.  However, if I was to produce work like that done on my mom's place, I wouldn't last very long.
 
Admittedly, accidents happen.  I should know.  But the things that have been happening are simply stupid and preventable.  Among them:
 
-Back deck has several drips of yellow paint on it.  This could have been prevented by putting a drop sheet on it.

-My car is speckled with yellow paint.  This will take a while to restore back to normal.  This could have been prevented by asking me to move the car and would have taken all of fifteen seconds.  I was home all day when that happened.  Guess what.  Somehow I'm reminded of the time UPS came by the same place to deliver a package, but assumed the place was still under construction.  I was home the entire day and a ten second phone call would have saved me a 45 minute drive in rush hour traffic to pick up my package.

-There is a large dried puddle of paint under the patio, plus there are large spots of yellow paint splattered on nearby plant life and sprayed over the nearest storm drain.  Did they think no one would notice?
 
I mentioned this off-hand to my supervisor in the painting company I work for.  He defined for me the word professional as someone paid to do a job.  I then said, "That may be so, but that's not the type of work we'd want to be handing in."  Since the word "professional" isn't too liberally tossed around to the point that it loses meaning, it should still mean someone who is actually skilled and engaging in said standards.  I hestitate to refer to myself as a professional painter, as I still lack experience.  I really hesitate to refer to the hired painters on my mom's house as professional as they lack skill, or at least skill and standards.

I really hope someone is going to be paying to have my car detailed.  While the paint could be removed with some effort, it's effort that I really should not have to be expending.

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So, given my previous to-do-list, here's what I got...
 
-First draft of long article for Fangoria magazine: COMPLETE.  This wasn't as hard to complete as I initially thought.  It's amazing how easy one can fill space.
 
-Map out schedule for fall semester: UNABLE TO COMPLETE.  My sister has been on me to get me to map out my schedule for weeks.  I guess it's been a while since she's been to any post-secondary institution, because I went on the website and they won't even let me look at it until my actual registration date.
 
-Unpack everything/clean room: INCOMPLETE.  I actually have a legitimate excuse for this, believe it or not.  Being that I was unexpectedly called in to work on Friday, Saturday, and Monday, plus I had a social obligation I had to meet on Sunday (Mia, the daughter of one of my friends, was baptised on Sunday.  I ended up being in charge of taking photographs.  Don't ask why.).
 
-Memorize martial arts sequence for upcoming belt testing: COMPLETE.  Heck, I'll even bang out the movements by memory.
 
OFFENSIVE:
1: Ginga (basic swinging movement of Capoeira)
2: Galopante (open hand slap)
3: Ponteiro (toe kick)
4: Quixada (circular kick, from inside to out with front leg)
5: Meia Lua de Frente -> Armada De Costa (forward crescent kick -> spinning heel kick)
6: Au (evasive cartwheel)
7: Bencao (thrusting push-kick)
8: Saide au (evasive cartwheel, moving around opponent)
9: Role (rolling crouch)
 
DEFENSIVE:
1: Ginga (basic swinging movement of Capoeira)
2: Cetula Alta (probably mispelled...hand block)
3: Grava de mao (again, probably mispelled...low block)
4: Esquiva -> cabecada (dodging evasive movement -> headbutt to solar plexus)
5: Resistencia -> Negativa (defensive crouch -> defensive crouch with outstretched foot)
6: Cabecada (headbutt towards escaping opponent)
7: Negativa (defensive crouch with outstretched foot)
8: Tesoura de Costa -> Cabecada (preparation for scissor-hold takedown -> headbutt to chest/face)
9: Au (again, cartwheel).
 
-Read Sun Tzu's The Art of War: INCOMPLETE.  I got this as a birthday present from my older sister.  This is technically leisure activity, so it can really wait, though.
 
-Spend no more than 30 minutes/day on video games: ACHIEVED.  Well, sorta.  Outside of a few hours spent at the Playdium video arcade with some of my best friends to celebrate my birthday (about a week and a half late!), Grand Theft Auto Vice City has remained in its jewel case as has Need for Speed Underground.  But then, my copy of Dance Dance Revolution Ultramix finally arrived in the mail.  But you could argue that it's also exercise...
 
-Donate all useless crap (old books, clothes, etc.) to charity: INCOMPLETE.  Partly because the truck from the Developmentally Disabled Association hasn't figured out where we live yet, but mostly because I still haven't had time (or haven't gotten around) to sorting everything.
 
 
So, with that done...
 
To Do List, (3rd Week July)
 -Sort out boxes and stuff, clean up room.  This is important as I sort of told my friends that I'd be organizing a housewarming in August.  I can see this being a problem if I end up working lots this week.  After a long day of painting houses and spending half an hour picking bits of latex paint out of my hair, the last thing I feel like doing is more work.
 
 -Deal with student loan crap.  Being that I'm going to school full time and I dunno if I can find part-time employment, something's gonna have to give.  I just have to figure out how to read all of those forms!
 
 -Second draft of Fangoria article.  I may have to come up with a new introduction.  I also have to fax my editor a copy of the phone bill.  I interviewed two screenwriters from LA for aboug 69 minutes (about 12-pages of interview transcriptions!) and my mom just about had a shit when she saw the phone bill.  Okay, she really didn't.  Possibly because she knew (assumed) I'd be paying for it.

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It's been said: if at first you don't succeed, lower your expectations.

Regular readers of my blog will be aware of the month-long experiment to see how productive I could become if I was cut off from many of the distractions that keep me from getting stuff done. Nothing was really proved by the whole experiment, because if your attention span is as short as mine, you'll find some other way to become distracted.

So, I started writing up to-do-lists. The list for this week is as follows:

-First draft of long article for Fangoria magazine
-Map out schedule for fall semester
-Unpack everything/clean room
-Memorize martial arts sequence for upcoming belt testing
-Read Sun Tzu's The Art of War
-Spend no more than 30 minutes/day on video games
-Donate all useless crap (old books, clothes, etc.) to charity.

My first draft is done and has been sent to New York, awaiting approval from my editors. I haven't been playing video games, even though I just bought an X-Box. The boxes are slowly being unravelled bit by bit, but you can actually navigate through the room without stepping on stuff. I got the sequence nailed down, and I've been reading through my copy of Sun Tzu.

In retrospect, either I really half-assed some of these tasks, or I really need to raise the bar a lot higher. But, it's only Wednesday, so that leaves several days for me to finish the rest. However, I am more than on-track. I even decided to toss a little art project into the mix too. I recently obtained a computer case, which I am repainting so it's not the standard old bland beige colour that we're all so used to seeing.

While I haven't been playing video games, I have been spending a bit (okay, a lot) of time looking up what other people have done to their computers. I've seen some really crazy modifications, such as one where a guy took an old US Military ammunition case and used that to house his CPU. Others built them into really old stereo consoles from the 70s. I'm probably just going to get a couple cans of spray paint and go with a black and green colour scheme. Nothing huge.

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As the day commemorating my 27th year of existence comes up quickly (tomorrow!), I am not really dreading it per se, as nothing much really changes too drastically. However, one thing I am noticing over time is that it's harder and harder to actually celebrate my birthday on my actual birthday.

When I was a kid, it was not really a problem because in the summer time, it's easier to get people together, especially when the kids don't have to go to school and they don't have that many responsibilities.

Flash forward some 20-something years. We have dayjobs, mortgages, student loans, and part-time summer schooling. So, everyone ends up celebrating days before or after the actual said date. This isn't such a bad thing, though, as birthday festivities have been actually happening over the course of the week, depending on which circle I'm in.

In my Capoeira group, when a person is celebrating his or her birthday, they are given what I refer to as the Brazillian equivalent of birthday bumps. For the uninitiated, Capoeira evolves around what is known as the roda (or "the circle"), where the students and practitioners of Capoeira are in a circle and the head of the circle has a row of rhythm instrument players (atabaque (drums), agogo (bells), pandeiro (tambourine), and a Brazillian rhythm instrument called a berimbau). Typically, two "players" go into the circle and start their game, which can include anything from kicks to acrobatic movements to takedowns. In the group I belong to, when a Capoeira student celebrates his or her birthday, EVERYONE has to go up against that person, and typically tries (often successfully) to take down said birthday person.

Even though my birthday is on Tuesday, they did it early on Saturday. It's actually not as bad as I thought (I remember seeing some people go up against at least a dozen different students), although my left calf is still smarting from getting swept to the floor. I'm going to class again tonight and there's a good chance that they're going to make me go through the process again.

However, there is another student there who has the same birthday that I do, and she wasn't there that Saturday...

Today is actually my late father's birthday. Yesterday, my immediate family went to visit his site to give some flowers and then we all went out for dinner. It was sort of an early birthday thing for me too, so that way they can get it out of the way. Combining birthdays is usually an economic option for a lot of people, but my dad was never really into birthdays in the first place, so I got a lot more attention on my birthday when I was a kid.

This Friday, my regular friends are taking me out to Playdium, a local video arcade that has a licensed restaurant (read: they serve alcohol). They also have a Dance Dance Revolution machine there. It's that game where you use your feet to step on four panels in beat with music. My friends are allegedly going to attempt to get me completely drunk before going on the machine. Somehow, I think management might frown against finding vomit behind the machine.

As it is, birthdays might actually be better as you get older, as you get more friends and meet more people, and the busy schedules make it so different people will be celebrating your birthday on different days.

Maybe it's just me, though...but as a person gets older, why does a person's birthday involve inflicting a lot more pain and suffering than should be warranted?

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The productivity experiment has come to a close and it has proven absolutely nothing. Having all the comforts of home taken away clearly does not enhance productivity by any means, because if you have a short attention span, you'll find some way to procrastinate, especially if you're faced with a particularly tedious task. But, my editor seems pleased with my work that I've submitted, so I'm on the right track.

As those are aware, I finally moved into my new place with my mom a couple of days ago. However, I'm not really "moved in" per se, because the place was far from completed by the time we arrived. As we arrived, there was still lots of work that had to be done. As expected, certain appliances weren't installed and there are always a few kinks that have to be worked out. However, the walls were not completely painted, the trim isn't completed, and base board was falling off in certain spots.

Hence, I cannot completely unpack or put up any furniture like book cases, because they're just going to have to move it again so they can access the wall behind it. At this rate, it'll be several weeks until I'm completely settled. Normally, if the place was complete, there'd be the simple matter of getting everything unpacked and set up. That hasn't quite happened.

However, this does give me more opportunity to work on my article, because I can't exactly goof off by watching TV (cable has already been hooked up, and all my DVDs are still packed in a box somewhere). But I am nowhere close to being able to entertain guests.

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Productivity Experiment: Day 33

As I write this, it is past my bed time. This experiment was probably one of the least scientific experiments I have ever undertaken. I can't even compare this to previous time periods where I had freelance assignments, as the situation was completely different. Several factors are different. Among them:

-Health. This last week, I've been having stomach issues. Read my first month of blog entries and you'll see why. No, I didn't have any more Krispy Kreme doughnuts, but I did end up having dim sum with my family last week Sunday. It's been months since I've last eaten actual dim sum and I completely forgot how much grease is in it. My body can handle sugar, but it simply can't handle large amounts of grease. If I'm in pain, I really don't feel like working.

-Weather. This weather has been too nice to stay indoors.

-Lack of direct internet connection. As you know, my regular computer isn't hooked up to the 'net right now, which makes sending articles to my editors very difficult.

Oh, wait...those weren't actually different factors, they were really excuses. If I didn't have a short attention span, I would have gotten a lot more work done.

Still, throughout the entire experiment, I was able to get some things accomplished.

-Found a new job. Well, two actually. I've spent about two weeks working as a student painter, but the work is only on-call, so I ended up getting another on-call job with BC Liquor Distribution. I love scotch...I love scotch...scotchy scotch scotch...here it goes down...down into my belly...

-Finally finished all the transcriptions. This is the most tedious part of the writing process, and if it were a lot more entertaining or there was a faster, more efficient way of doing it, I would've finished it in less than a day. As it is, I just finished them today. While I was working for about two weeks, I could've easily finished them earlier if I really felt like it. Sadly, I didn't really feel like it.

-Nailed down full-on backflips. I've been leading up to these for the better part of a year now, especially with assistance from spotters and equipment. I ended up bruising my left heel (the actual bone part, not just the skin) and it hurts to do some things. One of the instructors at Capoeira says just ignore it. Okay.

Eh, who am I kidding. I could've easily accomplished all of these things in a week. I've been at this experiment for over a month now!

My to-do list: revised.

-Finish articles
-Finish articles
-Finish articles
-Register for school in September (got sick of the $8.50/hr bullshit, so I'm going back to school to get me an edumacation)
-Figure out love life (this one is an ongoing process)

I am moving this Wednesday, so that day will be a complete write-off in terms of getting this stuff done.

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Productivity Experiment: Day 26

This experiment will be winding to a close within the next week, as I will be going back to "regular" living conditions with all my conveniences placed in front of me. However, I can't really say that it was the most scientific experiment, as there were several elements not in place. For one, the last time I was working on an article, I had a full-time job and the weather was cruddier (this was back in February). Since I've been conciously keeping track of my progress, it actually FEELS like it's been taking longer. I've set a personal deadline to finish my transcriptions by tomorrow evening and I even set aside a little reward for myself.

As previously mentioned, if you have a short attention span, everything can serve as a distraction. The only difference between my working conditions here (in the Sandman Inn) and at home are that if I want to use the Internet, I have to go into an elevator. While I'm not checking my e-mail every 10 minutes, I still haven't gotten around to uninstalling my video games.

It's a really good thing that I only have a P3 933mhz, which won't be capable of handling the more advanced video games that are coming up, like Half-Life 2 and Doom 3. Once that happens, nothing will get accomplished.

However, my mom has been encouraging me to get a video game system so she can play Dance Dance Revolution. Once I showed it to her at a video arcade in the mall and now she wants to play it too. So, it all boils down to finding an appropriate platform: X-Box or PS2.

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Productivity Experiment: Day 24

Today was especially productive for me. I managed to get another two pages of transcriptions finished (okay, one and a half), which puts me at about halfway through (of course, that includes the first interviews I transcribed weeks ago). Being that today was going to be a pretty packed day, I tried to make sure I could get in as much as possible.

And then a friend who I haven't seen in a long time invited me out for a day at the beach. Living in Vancouver, everyone pretty much knows: Have a good time because the sun can't shine every day. So, it was a toss-up. Work on the article that isn't due until late July? Or go to the beach?

The calls of sandy beaches, waves of the lake, and women in 2-pieces was too enticing to ignore, so I had to go for it. Mind you, it would've been impossible to bring my work with me. Even with a laptop computer, I would be way too distracted to concentrate. I brought my notebook along to see if I could write anything down. I got one sentence.

Still, it was time well wasted, I must say. Now, I can actually focus on my article.

Oh, wait...it's getting kinda late and I'm a little sleepy...maybe I'll do more work tomorrow.

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Productivity Experiment: Day 21

After spending 8 hour working days and losing 2 hours in commuting, and then another hour and a half removing layers of skin in order to remove paint from my arms, legs, and face, I am typically too bagged to do anything else. Add Capoeira classes to the mix, that eats up about 1.5 hours, plus 2 hours of commuting. My time management skills are in dire need of a shake-up, as this leaves very little time to work on any sort of article. So, I have decided one thing: if I stop sleeping, then I'll have more time to work on my article. Mind you, the article will be unreadable drivel, but it'll be complete unreadable drivel.

I actually wrote myself an extensive to-do list for this week, which I have no chance in hell of completing, given my current level of committment to time management. While I haven't played Grand Theft Auto: Vice City in about a week and I haven't been watching that much television (although I did catch "Next Action Star", which was fairly entertaining), I'm still not having enough time to do stuff.

Luckily, I have a fairly generous deadline, but as Murphy's Law (or some variation) dictates, no matter how much time you are given to do a project, it will expand to fill in all the available slots. In other words, if not for the last minute, nothing would be accomplished.

However, I did accomplish one thing...I finally can do backflips without landing on my head. My ankles really frickin' hurt because I still have to work on my landings. I was able to do this because last night, I went with a bunch of people from my Capoeira group to the beach. After watching a fellow student who's been training and performing Capoeira non-stop for the past seven years doing backflips and back handsprings (Hi, Ronald!), I just said screw it and went for it.

I triumphantly yell out, "I did it! No spring boards, no spotters, I just did it!" I then proceeded to collapse in pain because the feeling of exhilaration and triumph was quickly replaced with a dull pain coming from my feet.

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Productivity Experiment: Day 14

I haven't quite come to a conclusion, but the observation still stands. This experiment has officially been shot to hell.

I started a new job with a painting company, painting houses. This is very tedious work and I'm not that good at it yet, because I've mostly painted fences. When it's someone's house, you have to go much faster because someone is paying you to do this. When I was painting fences, this was when I was living in a townhouse complex and everyone in the Strata was pitching in, so we could do very little work and make it look like we were doing our part. However, when you're on the clock, you have every incentive to do your best and your fastest.

This is keeping me somewhat gainfully employed (if I end up finishing up early, I end up being paid for the allotted time that I am given), but the downside is that I come home too bagged to work on anything else. As I write this, I have just gotten back from Capoeira classes and I still have about an hour and a half of transcriptions calling out for me.

However, this experiment will be carried on longer than I would have hoped. We already know the place I'm moving into has yet to be completed, which means I'm going to be staying at the hotel for a few more weeks, originally slated for mid-to-late June. What I just learned yesterday is that there is yet another delay on the place, which means at least two more weeks, which means early July. D'oh!

Now if you'll excuse me, I'll try to see how many pages of transcriptions I can bang out before I pass out.

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Productivity Experiment: Day 11

This productivity experiment isn't actually proving very much and I'm seriously considering abandoning it altogether. But then, it could be because I have done absolutely squat when it comes to my article (my weekend was spent going to Capoeira classes and playing Grand Theft Auto: Vice City). One thing that is becoming clear is that if you have a really short attention span or just don't feel like doing the tasks that you have assigned, it doesn't matter how hard you try to limit your distractions. Murphy's Law (or a variant of) dictates that a task will expand to fill all available slots. I'm living that right now.

While I no longer have my old dayjob, I have managed to secure on-call work as a painter. As I am now going to be slightly busier, it'll somewhat simulate the conditions when I was working on my last article. Mind you, my editors have actually assigned me TWO articles, both on the same subject. I haven't even started the second part of the transcriptions. Got about two pages, lost interest, then started playing GTA: Vice City.

Now that's a truly fun time waster. I'm still stuck on that one mission where you have to use RC model airplanes to drop bombs on speed boats. Well, time to break out the cheat list...although I'm thinking that might not help.

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Productivity Experiment: Day 7

I discovered the hotel I'm staying in has a computer in the business room which apparently not a lot of people know about. So, this allows me to check my e-mail for business purposes plus look for jobs at a moment's notice, without having to actually go to the public library across the street. This allows me to shave off about 15 minutes total, adding it to the time I have to do other stuff. On the other hand, this computer terminal also has MSN installed on it, so I can keep in touch with people. Sadly, this eats more than the 15 minutes spent walking back and forth from the library.

Either way, my to-do list has since expanded, incorporating finding part-time summer employment (I have an interview this Monday to work in a liquor store, and another needs to be scheduled for this weekend to be part of a Student Painter group), in addition to doing more transcriptions and articles, having since gotten onto the film set and interviewed all the people there. I have an hour and a half to transcribe and I haven't finished yet.

The most important thing I've learned from being on set is that proper communication is the most important of all. There was a bit of miscommunication between a buncha people, which led to some very awkward moments (for the sake of future employment, names and specifics will not be mentioned). However, after getting advice from my editor, I now know how to proceed.

Now if you'll excuse me, that was four paragraphs.

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Productivity Experiment: Day 4

I just realized something. Yesteray's blog entry was inordinately long and was typed over a half-hour period. I realize now that it's been cutting into the time when I should be doing other things that are much more productive.

Therefore, I have decided that my blog entries for the course of this so-called experiment will be limited to four paragraphs each. As it is, this day will essentially be a write off.

As previously mentioned, I am undergoing laser eye surgery to repair a small retinal tear. While I'm not being sedated, my left eye will see nothing but flashing coloured dots and I will essentially lose depth perception for the rest of the day. Obviously, I'm not going to partake in anything that requires heavy use of my vision, like martial arts class. Come to think of it, that's possibly how I got into this whole mess in the first place.

Now, this essentially leaves me about an hour and a half to do as much transcribing as possible and to see what jobs are available for me. Better get cracking...

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Productivity Experiment: Day 3

Being that I essentially have no Internet on Sunday (most public libraries are closed and I'm too cheap to go to a web cafe), that gave me more opportunities to do work instead of goofing off. However, one thing I'm finding is that there are other ways to get distracted.

But, first, here's what I managed to accompish:

-Completed article for Screenwritersvoice.com
-Did about five pages of audio transcriptions for my article for Fangoria magazine.
-Completed another level on Need for Speed: Underground.

Okay, two outta three ain't bad.

I'm probably one of the least disciplined people around when it comes to time management, and I'm really starting to suspect that I may qualify for medical intervention for attention deficit disorder (refer to previous blog for more details).

But, as I'm no longer checking my e-mail every thirty minutes, surfing my favourite sites every fifteen minutes, and getting up to grab snacks every ten minutes, I'm actually feeling a little more productive. Even the fact that the hotel I'm staying at has extended cable (including music videos, sports, and cartoons), I'm not watching more television than I did at home. Besides, all the season finales for the shows I regularly follow have aired.

I have written up an extensive to-do-list for this week. Among the items:

-Complete transcriptions for magazine article. I'm about 33% finished, although ideally, I should be completed the first phase of interviews before Tuesday, because that's when I go in for eye surgery and I'll be effectively blind and very unproductive for most of the day.

-Transmit article to Screenwritersvoice.com. This one will take all of thirty seconds. Provided that I can find a way to do so! Either I fax it in, forcing my editor to manually type it in, or I find someone who's willing to let me use his or her computer and e-mail it.

-Follow up on job leads. I have two parties I need to contact, and after that, it's just look for more work. That might be difficult, as I only have sixty minutes on this computer terminal to look up the job sites.

-Contact my former employers about my record of employment. I still have to give the Human Resources Department of Canada that piece of paper so I can collect EI. If I can't find any sort of work between now and September and I don't collect EI, I'll have to dip into my savings, which are supposed to go towards school.

Now, if you'll excuse me...I have a to-do-list to tackle.

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Productivity Experiment: Day 1

Having just moved house with my mom, there is one slight problem. The place that my mom is moving into isn't complete (carpet isn't laid down, sinks aren't installed, etc.). That means that in the meantime, we are holed up in the Sandman Hotels. Without a constant Internet feed, I am typing this up on a public computer in a nearby library.

So, with deadlines looming for my new article for Fangoria magazine (due early in July), that gives me the excellent opportunity to try out an experiment in increased productivity.

Working at home, there are lots of distractions. A computer with ADSL allows me to look up information on upcoming movies and chat on MSN with my friends, which keeps me from completing my article. Six full boxes of comic books dating back to 1992 provides near limitless reading material, again, keeping me from completing my article. A home entertainment system with a sizeable library of DVDs and CDs provides hours upon hours of diversion, again, keeping me from completing my article.

So, with all of those things packed away in storage somewhere (and I have no idea where they are...I assume that it's in some sort of storage facility), I am essentially forced to focus on nothing but my article.

But there are severe pitfalls to these kind of working conditions. The lack of an Internet connection means that I can only submit my material by fax, or hopefully have a friend lend out his or her internet connection. As most of my friends are NOT closeby, this necessitates a 15 minute car ride. Also, I am supposed to have a PHONE interview with someone, which will be difficult as I would ideally like to have a speaker phone to make for easier recording of conversations.

Sure, I do have a working computer in the place I am staying, and I should be able to get a lot done. I have about 3 weeks, so I should be able to get this article completed with two or three weeks left in deadline, even before the new place is completed.

As I write this, it's Saturday afternoon and I have about an hour of transcriptions on tape, which has to manually typed out (I don't have any vocal recognition software). This is a severe pain in the ass as most people do not talk the way they write. Hence, speech will be constantly peppered with "uh", "um", "like", "so basically", and "y'know". While these words will not appear in the article, I am still required to transcribe every single word, including the "uh", "um", "like", "so basically" and "y'know."

Making it even more fun is the fact that it was a 3-way conference call between myself and a twin-brother screenwriting team. During the initial phone conversation, I could tell that one of the voices had much more static from the phone, but it's likely going to be much different on playback. There's a significant chance that I'm going to be attributing a few quotes to the wrong brother.

Next week, I am finally going to be getting on set to interview the cast and crew. This could be a potentially interesting visit, as I am scheduled for eye surgery the day before.

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It's finally moving day. Not much else to say about that, except this might be the last blog for the next few weeks, being that I won't have access to ADSL (and the place we're staying in doesn't have internet...or, at least CHEAP internet). I've probably thrown away a lot of stuff and kept way too much stuff, but hey, it's a new chapter.

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Victoria Day weekend was fairly uneventful, except for having just come back from a camping trip with a bunch of my friends. However, one could hardly call it a camping trip. A facility that came complete with fully functional showers, toilets, and running water, some camping stalls even had their own electricity. The only thing the facility was missing was room service.

One thing was clear was that we were really over-prepared for what was there. As general planning goes, it went fairly well. Very few last minute purchases had to be made (we made an electronic checklist and someone said they were going to bring a deck of cards...guess what happened). In addition, we all came to the agreement that each individual would be responsible for one meal. I was placed in charge of Saturday evening's meal, which consisted of homemade pasta salad, hamburgers, and corn on the cob.

Needless to say, there is still over half of a bucket full of pasta salad, four kaiser rolls, and three corn cobs left over. As it is, I ate more over the past two and a half days than normal.

Camping is a bit of a big deal among my friends, given the amount of planning required to pull it off. Plus, it also holds a little more emotional significance with my friends (one of my friends met his future wife at the camping trip held after my high school graduation, which I wasn't there for). As my first time, I'd have to say I did enjoy myself, although I would probably enjoy myself just as much in a normal setting, just as long as my friends are there.

But next time, we gotta do something a little more active. Most of the time, I was witness to my friends playing Gameboy and napping. But then, my idea of camping is a little bit different from others.

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