Pain threshold--> new test!

Drills, hammers, automatic screw drivers (same as drill?) I think they all operate at some low hertz level that is specifically targeted to make humans fucking crazy.

I live in a condominium complex. Every once in awhile, we get a flyer in the doors informing us of one thing or another. We're given the dates for when our neighbours, either above, next to or below us will be doing renovations. 9-5 I think is the time they're allowed. . . for a week.

Like most people that work exclusively in the arts, I don't keep 'regular' hours. So I'm home or sleeping or on the phone or trying to write something on the computer when it starts. The cats, two of them, are somewhat put off by it, they look around furtively in the general direction of every bang, crash and mind numbing low pitched drone. Then they just settle where they're going to settle and deal with it.

I on the other hand, can't focus. Find myself grumpier than usual and start putting things down with a bit of a heavier hand than usual. Like cups of coffee, like my feet as I'm stomping, I mean walking across the apartment. What it does to my mind though? It's torture plain and simple.

Okay, it's no bamboo under the finger nails, but I thank my stars that I'm not in guantanamo bay for some imagined offense or other being subjected to gods know what by some ignorant/arrogant aspiring world dominators. I rethink my contention that i would hold up under torture.

But then i remember that I can pack up my laptop and go somewhere else for the day. Which is exactly where I wrote this. Down the street far away from the noise, in a little greasy spoon. Food's here. brb.

The concierge this morning showed me video of one of my fellow tenants assaulting him last thursday morning. Literally having a fit and shoving him to the ground. Nice. He lives in 3401, dunno what his deal is, but it was broad daylight and he was not drunk, so what's his excuse? I heard the story, saw the playback and went to get my mail, who do i see in the mail room but the fucker from the security video, he's going through all his mail and is just in a generally bad mood. Not sure i could take him, looks pretty healthy and I'm well. . not. . . at the moment. But at the end of the summer, maybe I'll get a chance to choke him out in the lobby. Who knows, I could just be so lucky.

cna't think drilling, i swear it feels like myears are going to bleed. I was wrong about the cats dealing well with it, they're going nuts too.

Superman Returns!

With Superman Returns just around the corner, a link to a site that. . .well. . .has it all really.

Attn Geeks!: follow link and watch Bryan Singer's Vlog #7, entitled, 'the call'.

Writers writing

I would like to point readers in the direction of two writers who are also blogging.
There's nothing quite like reading a blog, written by someone who actually knows what they're doing with the language. Here they are, check them out, both prefer short whimsical posts rather than long, drawn out, linkridden ones. . .like um. . I do.
Both work in very different environments and in different parts of the world. Enjoy!

Jeremy in Winnipeg

Reynolds in London

Goat Getting

Screen capture from video of a live Coelacanth, believed to have gone extinct 65 Million years ago, and rediscovered in 1938, 1998, 2001 and now 2006 live video off Southern Africa!

If there's one thing that gets my goat, it's having to argue about Evolution with someone who's train of thought is, essentially, an evolutionary deadend.
Course I don't say that until I'm at least 20-30 minutes into the conversation.

I've had some memorable battles, like one with an older woman who claimed to be a professor of Bible studies at U of T in a starbucks of all places, she looked more like a bag lady who'd scrounged up enough change for a cuppa.

More recently, they've been virtual battles and usually started by things people say that make my head spin, real quick and painful like. By 'virtual' I mean within the confines of a virtual world with a population just over 200,000. I won't go into that here, let's just say I was involved in a conversation about 'extra dimensions' which is not an improbable thing to be discussing, I mean some theories of the universe argue for 11 dimensions right?
Anyway, in response to a crack I made about chimps being our cousins, cuz they are, it's a fact, albeit distant cousins, she said, 'that hasn't been proven.'. My jaw dropped and I thought, 'are you (bleep)ing kidding me?! I was in mid sentence about something else and was going to come back to that when we got onto multidimensional talk, but then:
'we know there's a spiritual dimension because Jesus ascended into heaven, in front of a lot of witnesses.'

?! o.O we do, do we? The bible was being quoted as if it were describing an 'historical event', that's in quotes because later she called it just that. I'm a recovering catholic, I've read the bible, i know the passage. ..'ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the father.' I don't remember. . .'and there were lots of witnesses.' That part's not there and it's not meant to be taken literally. . sshh calm down. okay... Evolution not proven?! Since when? Same thing the old lady said to me in starbucks, 'that's been disproven.' my response then was 'oh like the shroud of turin, you mean?' their turn to drop a jaw. :=)

What frustrates me to no end, is that I am always shocked into silence at first. It's not that I think they're joking and I am confused about whether to laugh or not. . . gods I wish I had. It is simply that I'm aghast that someone in this day and age, could be so sheltered (I'm being nice) as to thoroughly buy this hogwash and so literally! Then you have to take into account where they're from in the world, but we needn't go into that either since it's an entirely different topic.

Intelligent design is a political agenda and is not to be confused with a religious belief.. People write books, deities don't. What's more people edit books to suit their ends. There is a long standing tradition of religiously influenced folks doing just that. So if you're like me and don't want science and humanity dragged back to the dark ages, stand up and fight I say! Or I suppose we could just wait till the stupid gene is selected out of our species, but where's the fun in that!?

I am in possession of a certain document I obtained from a certain scientific community, entitled '15 answers to creationist nonsense'. If you would like a copy please say so and leave an email address where I can reach you. Thank you. And also, if you've clicked on the link that the word 'where' took you to(above), the forum below the pic sprouted some wonderful diatribes--> good reading. :-)