I'm such a nerd!

Yeah, like the title says. What happened today which proves that I'm a nerd was when I got up, I checked the tv listing to see what was on and I saw on Showcase a program called "The Fibonacci Trio." I thought it was about the Fibonacci number theory, but instead, it was about a band from Montreal. I like numbers so much that I think numbers instead of actual objects. I'm such a nerd...

I know what I want to be when I grow up, if I grow up!

I've been reading and hearing the news of celebrities going wild all over the place, mainly Hollywood. It mainly has to do with a lack of education and having a lot of money and, sadly, power. The reason I say that the problem with the current trend of having celebrities shave their heads, say that 9/11 was an inside job, have substance and alcoholic abuse as well as voting Democrat (Kidding!) is because they lack a proper education, or a high school diploma in some cases. There are celebrities who are educated such as Owen Wilson, who attended the University of Texas at Austin and Rachel McAdams who attended, sigh, York. The interesting thing is, you really don't hear about celebrities who have some formal education in the tabloids and they put on some really stellar acts, and some mediocre ones at times.

There is Britney Spears, who recently shaved her head, with my assumption of her being an attention whore, as well as being a regular whore. Nothing about education, and she is depressed as hell, at least currently (I'm sure People magazine knows). Anna Nicole Smith dropped out of high school in Grade 11 and is now deceased taking her spot next to Marilyn Monroe, who happened to die at a young age as well. There is speculation of prescription drug overdoses. I'm sure that if you had at least a high school education, you wouldn't have died because you would've known what the drug would do, or would've at least listened to the doctor who prescribed it to you or the pharmacist who filled out your prescription.

My point is that education doesn't end when you toss your mortarboard after the valedictorian has given his/her speech, you are given the training to go out into the world and make your decisions based on the skills you have been taught in school to critically think about what is coming next.

Finally, the title says what I want to be when I grow up. Wanna know? I was thinking that since there are more uneducated, or stupid celebrities, who lavish attention in any form, I would like to be a therapist or psychiatrist in Hollywood. So many dysfunctional celebrities, KA CHING!!!

Guys distributing black history booklets. Are they a scam?

Now, I don't know if this is legit or not, but there are times when I'm wondering whether or not these people are doing it for the promotion of black history or to make a little extra money on the side. I don't know if you're familiar or not, but there are these people that hand out the booklets near the subway and ask if you could make a "donation". Once, I took a booklet and then the guy demanded that I GIVE a donation to the cause of black history month, and this was July 2005! Since I was in a bit of a tight spot and in the downtown core, I wasn't willing to let this guy get on my nerves so I gave him a loonie, since it was all the change I had at the time, but then he was saying that I give him a toonie! I said I couldn't help him out and then just went into the nearest store because I was starting to get intimidated by him.

That night, I decided to look at the booklet I was given for some light reading. One of the facts about black history was the fact that Jesus was a black man. That can be disputed, but, this organization, whoever they may be, took a speculation and put it as fact. I can't remember all the facts, but there were maybe 2 out of the top 10 facts that could be correct. I'm not a history major, but I am educated to know that when you take speculation and put it as fact, then you're asking for trouble. If I were a black kid growing up in the inner city and read this, I would be joining a gang and doing other things to oppose the oppressive forces of the white man, fantasized oppression. It would probably land me in worse things and maybe even crime.

Another time, I ran into another one of these people and he offered me a book and wanted a "donation". I asked him where the money went. He hemmed and hawed but never gave me a straight answer. I asked him if they had tax receipts so I could claim my "donation" on my income tax. He said he didn't have one but never said why. I asked if they had a website where I could consult and see a little more info about his organization. He said that the information in the booklet was all out on the web. Clearly, I wasn't interested in the information in the booklet because I had already seen it, but the information on their organization had me wondering what type of people would hand out booklets and then demand a donation from people. I got into an argument with one of them handing out booklets another time while walking out of the subway station. I had refused their book because I was running late, but then he shouts that I'm a racist. I was outraged at this. I go over to him and when in close proximity with him, so not to cause a scene, this happens:
Me: Please tell me how I am a racist for not accepting your booklet, which I already have.
Guy: You didn't give us a donation to our cause (That's paraphrasing what he said)
Me: I have the freedom to give "donations" to whomever I want. The fact that I don't give a donation to you guys doesn't make me a racist. Maybe I'm poor and have nothing and am living on welfare, you don't know that. You can't label me a racist through a three second encounter.
Guy: Umm... Hey sister, we're spreading black history, please take a booklet and we would like a donation.
If I had time, I would've loved to continue with this fellow, but I was seriously running late and I had to run.

I would think that people, oppressed people especially, would want to get their message out at any cost, but I think that these people that hand out booklets and then demand a "donation" are simply scam artists. I believe that they try pulling at our hearts and make us feel pity for them, so we take a book, and then they demand a "donation", and when you say you don't have any money, they would want their booklet back, which I think is just stupid. Naturally, I don't believe that all blacks are like this. Many of them (and by many, I mean 99% of them) are decent, hardworking and friendly people. The gangsta rapper types that I know are really nice people as well, and sometimes they have some very good freestyling skills. It's just that the media hasn't painted a nice picture of these people and we still live with this prejudice. It's scams like these that pull at our heart and have us say "well, I'm going to go against what the media says and I'll show them I care by opening my wallet or purse." There are other ways of showing you're on their side rather than a financial donation. I hope I didn't come off too much of a self righteous idiot...

Jetsetting: Liechtenstein

I'm just working on my trip, and I see that I'm headed to Liechtenstein for a day. That should be interesting. It's not a small a country as Monaco or the Vatican, but it's landlocked between Switzerland and Austria. It's a staunchly Catholic country, so I better be on my best behaviour. Getting around the country is also amazingly cheap! It costs less than $10 CAD for a weekly bus pass! The wine there is a local delicacy, so I'll buy a bottle for sure, as well as some other things. Overall, even though it's going to be a day in Liechtenstein and not much to see, I expect things to be packed, so I better get a good grasp of things!

Fireballin', Jetsettin', and just all round interest...

Fireball. If you're not at U of T, then it sounds horrendous and something out of a 9/11 conspiracy theory. If you are at U of T, it's something that's even more magical than prom and all your semi-formals combined (I had the flu for my prom, so no prommin' for me!). I was supposed to go to Fireball tonight, but I'm not going. Why? Because when I checked my schedule after buying my tickets in January, I was filled up to the brim, and thusly, had to cancel my plans to go. I sold the tickets quietly, mainly because there would be a few people after me. In first year, I was too immature (And many of my friends still say I am!); in second year, there was a party with the Liberal Party (And it was free!); and this year, I have so much stuff to do, that I can't go. I hope that fourth year will be nice to me...

Apart from the Fireball, there is the trip to Europe! I'm going, at last! Yesterday, I went to the travel agency and put down my deposit on my trip, which'll take place May 19th-June 9th. If you happen to be in France, Monaco, Italy, Germany, Liechtenstein, Amsterdam and some other places that can't come to mind right now, send me a line, and if you happen to be on the Mirabeau, Piscine or Rascasse turns of the Monaco Grand Prix, CALL ME ASAP!!!!

Now, currently going on with my jetsetting project which I last went on in December, one of my destinations to visit is the Vatican City. Home of all Catholicism, and where Latin is STILL an official language! I would love to visit the St. Peter's Basilica (and do it while hiding my sexuality!) as well as the Sistine Chapel and the many museums there. I would also love to go to an ATM and get service in Latin! Even though it is the smallest country in the world, statistics show that Vatican City has the highest crime rate in the world, mainly through pickpocketing and exorbitant pricing of souvenirs! In that case, my wallet is close to my heart, as is my camera! The leader of the Vatican is also the Bishop of Rome, who is also one of the only citizens of the Vatican and finally, is the Pope. Currently, the Italian city state is being run by a German named Benedict XVI. I don't know about the laws there, but I'm sure that it's a nice place to visit, and I will be looking forward to visiting the Vatican...