Dear Ernie,
     What happens if you get scared half to death twice?
                             Worried in the Ultimate Universe

Dear Ultimate Worrier,
     You are most likely thinking that you would be scared all the way to death, however I’m afraid that’s just not the case.  You get scared half or 50% to death once, then you get scared 50% to death again.  It’s 50% of the remaining 50% or 25% (one quarter) of the way to death.  Then if you get scared half to death again would be another 50% of the remaining 25%, which would be 12.5% or one eighth.  So if you extrapolate you will see that you can never be scared half to death all the way to death, no matter how many times it happens.  It just becomes an infinitesimally small amount.  Now, personally after I was scared half to death for about the third time I would seriously consider some major life altering changes.  Eventually all that scaring would take a psychological toll on a person.

Dear Ernie?
     How soon is now?
                            Answer Me Now in Lac La Biche

Dear Biche-y,
     Now is…right now!  No, it gone by.  It’s…riiiight…NOW!  Whoops missed it again.  But really if you can’t see the answer to that one then no one can help you.

As I surf through the channels on t.v. I notice an ever growing trend.  Of course every season there are more and more "reality" shows.  This is probably because most viewers find other peoples "real" lives to be more interesting than their own.  With the "reality" shows I’ve noticed that three types seem to be the most popular. 

One is has-been celebrities; "The Two Cory’s", "The Surreal Life", etc.  The other is "The Next…"; "Top Chef", "Great American Band", "Pussycat Doll", etc.  Another growing trend is game shows, especially one’s that don’t require any skills or intelligence whatsoever; "Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader", "Deal or No Deal", to name but two.

I think someone should combine all three.  A game show where you can become the next has-been celebrity.  I’m leaning toward, "The Next Olsen Twin".  I haven’t heard much about Mary-Kate and Ashley lately.  I suspect that this is due to the fact that neither one of them has been caught drinking and driving…yet.  Previously it was big news that one of them was anorexic, but these days a mere emotional/eating disorder just isn’t exciting enough.  Therefore they need to do something to put themselves back on the map.

A reality show is just the ticket. You get a bunch of young, skinny blonde girls and put them through a grueling competition.  Each show they’ll have to choose a numbered designer handbag and then answer an inane question about some of The Olsen Twins movies.  Hopefully these girls with have just enough personality that there will be tension and conflict in the house in the evenings after the actual competition.  That always makes for exciting "reality" t.v. (or if they are even remotely skilled at acting they could fake some "reality").  In the end there would be one new Olsen Twin; although maybe they would then become the Olsen Triplets.

Early Sunday morning, in Winnipeg, Manitoba; two teenage girls carjacked a 46-year old man.  The girls approached the man who was sitting in his pickup truck and convinced him to get out by claiming that they were cops.  The girls then bound the man’s hands, raided his pockets and took off in the truck.

Eventually the man broke free and called the real police, who subsequently found the truck and the girls.

Thus far there has been no statement from the man as to why he would have believed that two teen-age girls were actually police.

The girls have been charged with robbery, forcible confinement, impersonating a police officer, driving without a license and drug possession.

Speculation is that the the girl’s lawyer will use "The Simple Life" defense.  They were merely acting in a manner similar to what they had seen their idols, Paris and Nicole, doing on t.v.  The only official statement from these two girls has been, "That’s hot."

At work the other day, while I was sitting in the lunch room; a co-worker sketched this portrait of me.  I was very flattered; the sketch really captures my essence.  Just looking into the eyes of the picture, you can see the true depths of my being.  You know that within lurks the mind of a genius.  You can also see the strong jawline, a sign of my rugged masculinity.  My haircut is a no-nonsense style that easy to take care and thus I waste no time "doing" my hair.  The safety-sunglasses on my head show that I am readily prepared to protect the "windows-of-my-soul".  The prominent proboscis is ideal for sniffing out rats and weasels, especially amongst co-workers.  And that little scribble high on the cheek bone…well, I’m not sure what that is.  Artistic interpretation, I guess.  That’s how I see my portrait.  You may disagree, in which case you can go to blazes (where-ever that is).Caricature