Live every week like it's shark week

As Tracy Jordan of 30 Rock tells Kenneth the page, "Live every week like it's shark week." For those of you not familiar with shrak week, which I assume is no one, I will let you in on what shark week is: a week long worth of prime time programming on the Discovery channel devoted entirely to sharks. So, if you are into sharks, shark week is a big deal, I guess, and you live life all exictedly or something. My sister Eileen was really always the shark-o-matic lady in the fam, so I never really got fired up about them but still sometimes spout off her wisdom like, "Oh no, this water is far too cold for sharks." (Note: If you ever hear me say this, I HAVE NO CLUE WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT. We might be about to venture into Tiger Shark infested waters in the Indian Ocean and I would say this to ease your mind. I always just looked at the pictures of sharks in her books, never really paid attention to the facts.)

As nbc.com offers pretty much all of their shows for viewing on your at home or local library terminal computer, they also have recognized the need for advertising during these programs. The thing is, it seems that the advertising techinique employed is that of brainwashing. Each 30 Rock episode, for instance, is split into 3 or 4 parts, and before each part loads, the same ad will air for that episode. By the 4th time I see the exact same Cingular commercial within a 20 minute period, I do feel semi-brainwashed and think to myself, "Man, Cingular really HAS been raising the bar." A few seconds later I find myself in a trance like state looking at Cingular cell phone plans, before I snap back to Earth and realize why I am with t-mobile, and it has very little to do with the 2 year contract extension I just got to get a phone for cheap (after losing my other one in a puddle while I was "napping" in my backyard), and much more to do with the fact that all contractholders get to, ya know, do as they please with company spokeswoman Catherine Zeta Jones (and it does take a moment to get over the whole Michael Douglas thing, this is true, but then you remember your cell phone bill and the lovely lady in front of you). All I can say is thank goodness nbc.com does not play cult propoganda during their shows.

After the freshly completed third week of work at my new job, I have decided, I am simply do not enjoy working. While some people might counter, "Tim, you need to find something you like," or "Tim, you have always been a good worker," or even, "Tim, eating raw bacon is not a good call." I hear you. But, I really would much rather be unemployed. And it is not a matter of motivation or a hatred of working, I really do not mind doing so, I would just rather not be doing it and instead sit around working on "screenplays" (reading Far Side cartoons). So, here are some Pro's and Con's of unemployment"

Pro:
Seldom set an alarm clock to wake up in the morning.

Con:
Lose sense of time on a day-to-day basis.

Pro:
Basketball shorts and a sleeveless shirt are acceptable attire.

Con:
Basketball shorts and a sleeveless shirt are acceptable attire. (I don't see many non basketball players wearing these clothes and getting a lot accomplished)

Pro:
Everyday, your own agenda.

Con:
No regular paycheck. Suddenly that daily agenda is a lot more limited.

So, as you can see, there are the plusses and negatives, and I only hope to either a) steal all of the gold from Scrooge Mc Duck's room of gold or b)marry a really rich older woman on the threshold of death. Or I guess invent Jell-O or something. Although I guess since I wrote that sentence that someone beat me to the punch with that invention.

Oh well, it is what it is. The first screenplay is finally in progress. That being said, if I could focus more of my time to this writing craft, and until I get better at it, living in California works just about as well as living in Chicago, Canada, or Madagascar...it's all about devoting the time. (just kidding about that Canada part...that would suck balls). I am glad I have come to that realization, and maybe if I can have some discipline, I can move somewhere cheaper and with less consistent weather (really this day after day sameness is freaking me out).

HOLLA