No, that's not his real middle name, or even a nickname he picked up on his journey becoming a badass photographer. But dammit, it very well should be:
KOOZA is a return to the origins of Cirque du Soleil: It combines two circus traditions – acrobatic performance and the art of clowning. The show highlights the physical demands of human performance in all its splendor and fragility, presented in a colorful mélange that emphasizes bold slapstick humor.
The Innocent's journey brings him into contact with a panoply of comic characters such as the King, the Trickster, the Pickpocket, and the Obnoxious Tourist and his Bad Dog.
Between strength and fragility, laughter and smiles, turmoil and harmony, KOOZA explores themes of fear, identity, recognition and power. The show is set in an electrifying and exotic visual world full of surprises, thrills, chills, audacity and total involvement."
I do my best to adhere to the "pay-yourself-first-mentality," touted by financial gurus everywhere (you can read more about in Rich Dad Poor Dad and The Millionaire Next Door.)*The concept is simple: unless you learn to save first, then pay bills and spend, you'll never accumulate wealth. It makes a lot of sense, especially when you consider the psychological effects of risk and spending - but you can read about that elsewhere. I adhere to the principle, and generally try to put any money I won't need for the month into a money market or a savings account through ING Direct. This month I cut the math real close, and overdrafted for the first time (by $17.) I paid for my trip to Florida this month, got my bike repaired, and my check from work wasn't half it's normal amount - basically, I didn't leave myself enough cushion. It was still midweek when this happened, which meant there were still plenty of miscellaneous expenses until my next paycheck - and I had no cash, and nothing (zero, zilch, nada) in my bank account. I also got fined $22 - not a lot of money, but that's 14 Yuenglings and 16 slices of pizza (seriously) - or two dinners and a light breakfast. Fortunately, the check for the Florida trip didn't bounce (which it easily could have.) If it did, I'd have to clean up that mess, write another check, and probably pay another fine. As soon as I discovered the overdraft, I went to my bank - Wachovia - and deposited a check from my money market account with TD Ameritrade. Then I withdrew enough cash to get me through the week. Afterwards, I signed up for overdraft protection (check to see if your bank has a similar program) and called Wachovia and asked them to take off the $22 fee (which they did.) Moral of the story: leave enough cushion in case things come 'a pushin. The 3% APY on my ING Direct savings account on the extra $100 - $200 I put away isn't worth the headache and time costs of cleaning up the mess. I'd rather leave the extra $100 and call it a month. Also, make sure you have ways to move money around quickly. Moving cash electronically is convenient, but in a tight time table, it might not be fast enough. It was a good thing I signed up for checking with TD Ameritrade - otherwise I'd be borrowing money from Gino, the sleazy bookie who lives under the bridge. Finally, make sure you're working with a bank that's good to you. My experiences with Wachovia have all been extremely positive, and would recommend them to anyone. *These titles (especially The Millionaire Next Door) tout principles like living below your means, and not taking lavish vacations. I'd suggest also reading The 4-Hour Work Week for a different perspective on those principles.
