forget el nino... the economy is the best scapegoat ever.

being poor can be rough. especially in the middle of an economic catastrophe. as a 24 year old I shouldn't have nearly as many unemployed peers as I do. It isn't all bad though. Being a Poor is a journey full of all sorts of adventures. And there's nothing like being poor to make you appreciate the cheaper things in life. as the economy continues to tank and more and more people join the ranks of us Poors, finding good and cheap entertainment is either becoming more accessible, or i'm just getting really good at it. my current favorite cheap-o forms of entertainment:

*dollar bowling ( in fact, you really dont even need to bowl to be entertained at a bowling alley. this is a prime people watching location. people who get dolled up for a night of bowling are HILARIOUS!)
*1/2 price pizza at papa murphys! (this is great! after 8 any unclaimed pizzas that have been called in for are 1/2 price! steal of a deal!)
* friend who have jobs that benefit me. (read: i get free stuff from them)
* feeding dogs peanut butter!
*free bagel friday at noah's!

it's the simple things in life. and really... as long as you're not this guy, life has to be pretty good.

I have a neighbor who works for a dance production company whoin exchange for volunteering at events can hook up some pretty sweet tickets to see the awesome dance companies that come to town. last week i was able to see Chunky Move, a modern dance company (which, speaking of people watching, modern dance performances bring in some fantastically entertaining individuals for such an activity) from Australia. It was a really interesting concept for a show, which also had dialog. They had the stage split in half with a curtain with an audience on both sides. So you're only seeing one part of the show. It toys with the dr jekyll/mr hyde theme as well as what it is to be a performer. It was fantastically done. I was able to go twice, seeing both sides. here's a video montage of sorts from the show. (disclaimer: there may be some pg-13 language)