This isn't easy for me , but I'll try. What in hell is going on? Does mediocrity always win out? Does "American idol" suddenly become the template that all entertainment is judged? does anyone really care about britney and k fed , now simply known as "fed - x". Are we Americans so shut off from the rest of the world that the only news we get or believe is foix news , or cnn? Maybe not , I think fox's ratings are down , people are becoming smarter than they took them for , just for now. It's insidious , this hijacking of the news media , this tony snow jobbing of the news media. What happened to the Dan Rathers' , the Walter Cronkites' , of the past that we really could trust to give us as true a news report as we could get at that time. Well, Dan Rather got removed from the airwaves for reporting something that was inherently true , but probably was handled badly , the story about how pres georgie boy avoided going to Vietnam.
How did the American people allow so much damage to occur in just five years? We allowed a very narrow portion of this country take control of a very large portion of the population.
Hey dems, while you are investigating the policies of the Iraq war that lead us here , why don't you open up the books of these "super churches" that have reaped millions of tax dollars from the "no child left behind " and georgies other windfall programs like his "faith - based " initiatives to these "christian " programs that are really only there to bankrupt the treasury. Do I talk like a conspiracy theorist? Well , maybe , but the facts are there.
And , while we're on the subject of conspiracy theories , has anyone noticed how empty the neighborhood streets are at night now? I mean , when I was growing up , ( now I sound like an old man , " back in my day , we used to walk ten miles to school in the snow that was over our heads, but we didn't complain") , there were kids on the streets until way past dark , we used to play in the streets , especially in the summer, and our parents didn't call us in 'till , like 9:00pm.
Of course , now a days , nobody does that. There are hardly any kids out on the streets after dark . The whole family is in the house , watching the paranoia network , or the abduction network , or some such thing. Hey , kids , they keep telling us the crime rate is down, but at the same time they keep telling us about all the children that were snatched up off the street , never to see the light of day again. Double messages ? Nah , the American people would never stand for that. And don't get me wrong child abduction happens, and pedophiles are out there, all terrible things. But , I would venture to say not nearly as many as it would seem that the news media reports. The news media seems to be there for two reasons , one of which is to scare the living hell out of you , so you'll stay inside and keep watching their rather skewed version of reality, the other is , of course to give you that skewed version of reality , of which , maybe 20 - 50% may be true. And what's that old saying ,
"If you repeat a lie enough times , it becomes truth"? That , my friends , is the definition of propaganda, and , we Americans are fat , lazy and stupid enough to fall for most of it.

Oh kay! The repugnants got their clocks cleaned!!! Yay!!! The hackers didn't hack. Oh, yeah, the repugs and the demos are all alike?? If I hear that any more, I'll choke. I mean , are the demos trying to turn this country into a christo - facist landscape , "no white child will be left behind" , anyone? Georgie boy , the boy king , the never grown up teenager on a bender , never been accountable for anything in his life, just waiting for "nucular" war , so he can rise up to his reward in heaven , with all his christo - facist buddies like pat robberson , jerry fallwell , and james dobson, who all treat their idiot flocks like so many ignorant children , which they are for following them. And , also , don't forget , georgie gave millions to these "churches" , as part of his policy, bringing the church and state together , almost like hitler did in the third reich. Does he value his life , or is he so miserable that he wants to bring ruin and havoc to all the world in the name of "christianity" and "democracy"? The Iraq war will go on for quite awile , we can't just walk out of there with the place in such a state. Halliburton will continue to reap their profits , and the government will declare bankrupcy , if it hasn't already. Oh , yeah , georgie gave all the govrnment money to all his corporate buddies , and the oil companies have made more money than any corporation in history. georgie needs a time out , needs to go sit in the corner. So yes , the demos take money from big corporations , but not to the extent that these clowns have gone."I'm a uniter , not a divider?" You must think were a bunch of morons , well , a lot of us have been , but , maybe were catching on.

Ok! the computer still works! Computers are weird. Have you ever thought that there was a little mind inside of your computer , acting like a ten year old child , just doing whatever the hell it wants to do , and screwing things up for you for a short time, while you run around like a chicken with it's head cut off , all freaked out. Then you get home later , and it's repaired itself ... for now. I had put in a disk earlier in the day to put a new program for a very basic digital camera, in fact , I had one previously , and the program said "toy camera" on the little icon. It sort of works , it doesn't take vey good photos , but it truely is a "toy camera". But , I'm still learning how to work the computer , 'cause it doesn't really act like the human mind works , it doesn't have emotions , or thoughts , just little x's and o's and icons and pixels. But don't ask me how a computer works, 'cause I haven't a clue. I can sort of explain electricity , but I don't really know how it works. But that reminds me of another thing... We just had our elections , and the repubs got their clocks cleaned. I was thinking that the machines would take over and that the peoples votes didn't matter , and seeing how georgie boy was "elected" and than "reelected" , I feared for the worst. I mean , can we really trust those new fangled voting machines that don't have a paper trail? Did some of the machines not have a paper trail? I don't know. "OOh , it makes it soo easy to vote" , I can hear some people saying. Yes , and it makes it soo easy to steal votes. Are we that lazy in the mind that we have to be amazed by new technology that allows us to "vote smart" , while we are being ripped off by computer hackers?
Well, the election is over , and the hackers didn't hack , (at least I don't think they did), And the demos have won the senate and the house. Impeachment , anyone? We'll see....

A Note on Halloween

What is it when the trees turn all shades of colors ,
The leaves aspire to golds , reds, and oranges?
Is it Gods' little gift, the brisk chill in the air, the
pumpkins on the lawns, celebrating the
Pagen Halloween.
Kids walk door to door,dressed in silly costumes
of people they wish they were,
begging for sugered treats,
that the dentist will surly thank them for taking,
the dental work will keep him busy for years.

Hi , everyone , I'm Charles " chucky " Bernstein. I'm a poet and performer. I hate "political correctness". I like "free speech". I love to piss people off , although I would never admit it. I write a little blog about my life , well , my version of my life . People are always mean to me , and at my workplace , they hate me , so I blog about it , giving everyone funny names. I don't take criticism well , although I like to criticize everyone and everything. And , did I forget to mention , I collect everything , I mean everything , I try to save everything I've written over the years , but mostly I collect meaningless stuff that no one really needs , I just need stuff to make my life more meaningful. No one understands that . I live in filthy apartments , and blame the landlords for my lot in life. I have mice and dirt , and that's not my fault. I was just eating a pizza on the floor the other day , and I noticed a mouse walking up to me trying to get the pizza. Well , I threw a piece of pizza his way , and he scurried off. That'll show him . I don't know where the mouse went or the piece of pizza went . Maybe I'll find it tomorrow and have it for a snack. I'm not dirty, really I'm just messy. It's no big deal. I know where everything is. Hey , I'm going to be published soon , so I'll be out of here soon.

1984? Here? now? Orwell must be turning in his grave..

Wasn't "1984" supposed to be a warning for the future, not a roadmap for what we're hearing from georgie boy and his band of rethuglicans every day? Is George Orwell turning in his grave? Hmm? Stem cells? Republicans? One celled animals? I have trouble differentiating between the two. And comparing stem cell research to abortion is like comparing ohh , I donno, the war in Iraq to a fight with water pistols. I like when they treat us like we're five years old, I like when they talk down to us , like we're not paying attention. How many people have to die in "the war to free Iraq" , both Iraqui and American , and whom ever else is there, before they start saying "enough death" ? Isn't georgie boy all about the "culture of life"? Is up down , white black, night day? Ignorance is strength , freedom is slavery . Do we have a "ministry of truth", which is concerned with censoring all the bad news from the war? And we have to listen to his incessant ramblings about stem cell research , when he has no idea of what stem cell research is, except from what he heard about it from James Dobson , the whacked out minister who wants woman to wear chastity belts and be treated like property? Is neverending war a reality now? Are my very words being watched and monitored right now , am I being put on a watch list for terrorists against the government , so when I travel , I'll be taken to that little room and innterrogated and probed for whatever I have on my person? Who knows , who knows. We'll find out, maybe.

ya know , summer is here it's hott!! There , turned on the fan , that's better. Time to put all that working out in the winter, getting in shape action to good use. I love riding a loong way on a bicycle . It makes me take my mind off all my troubles . Besides , it's good for you. Ya know , if the "y " wanted to save a lot of money on electricity and be environmentally sound , they could hook up all their machines to a generator . Just think of all the electricity they could generate. Com ed would be hurtin' . Just thinkin' out loud. Ya know , it's weeks later , still kinda hot , but , I'm tired. tired of all the mediocrity passing for art. Tired of all the gossip passing for news. Tired of all the hypocrisy passing for truth. Tired of all the stupidity passing for comedy. Tired of all the "beautiful music " passing for jazz. It's all about marketing , all about advertising , all about product placement. I guess you have to create your own little universe , and then , maybe the stuff you think is mediocre doesn't matter. I get sooo tired of people complaining about EVERYTHING, and nothing changing . I guess you have to keep moving and not get stagnant, then you are too busy to complain . Sometimes , I don't know why I'm living in this particular time in history, the world is going to hell in a handbasket , and I'm supposed to be able to keep going on with my life , as if everything is alright. I can't do it , it doesn't work that way. I cant keep feeling numb , feeling dead , like I'm just waiting for something to happen . I don't know what to do . It's as if time passes for other people , and it's just standing still for me. But , now , it's at least two weeks later , and really hottt! Luckily , the place I'm living in has central air. What an invention. I remember the days when I had no a/c , 1995 , hottest freakin' summer in my recent memory. About 500 people died in the heat in that Chicago summer. It was over 90 degrees for at least three weeks . I haven't seen the Al gore movie " An Inconvenient Truth", I may , I may not . Life can be scary and depressing enough with out a reminder of just how bad it really is and how bad it may get. I don't want to be around if things get that bad. It could get better , but I don't know. It's going to rain soon , steam will be coming off the hot sidewalks like a big sauna . I got off an air conditioned bus the other day and the heat smacked me in the face and my glasses steamed up from the heat . Just the opposite of what happens in the winter, when you walk into a warm place from the cold outside world. Well , let's hope the generators don't blow from all the a/c s going at once.

Another post , whaaat?

Yeah, I know, another posting in two days. Amazing. So , what was I thinking about? Oh , yeah , performing. "I used to be an actor , am still an actor", and blah, blah , blah, at least that's what it says on my "profile" . Don't get me started about "profiles". Those who know what I mean , raise your hands. Thanks , now , put them down. Um , so , anyway. Acting or reading , or getting out of my head , in a "non crazy" way.
You walk on the stage , say words not fitting,
for surroundings you're in.
It may make sense, may be completely abstract ,
but you know what you mean,
even if no one else does.
You say the words exactly , want the meaning to sound,
as if you spent hours and hours,
fitting so precisely,
the words , all their meaning ,
so important to you ,
maybe not so for others ,
maybe so .
If it works , it works , if not just move on.
It's not so serious,
not a life or death situation.
Or is it?
Does you're life and well being
rely on a
set of words that you say to a
group of folks
just looking for meaning, any meaning.?
If you fall on your face , will you get up again?
IT'S ONLY POETRY , you say, not knowing
if you mean it.
But it's all happening , all real , if not for them , for you.
What does it all mean?
does it really matter?
YESSSSSS it does!

It is time for the monthly blog , isn't it?
Oh , where was I ? oh , yeah , You know that buzz you get from performing that you don't quite know what it is , but you don't want it to stop? I'd like to get that again , and I keep putting it off , performing , that is. I'm afraid . Afraid I'll look stupid , afraid I'll say the wrong thing , afraid I'll forget my lines , afraid of falling on my ass, red from embarassment. Isn't that typical? I went to a performnace space last night in god knows where , somewhere in Chicago , a neighborhood that hasn't been discovered by the great mass marketer developers yet , and is still relativly underdeveloped, which is good. 'Cause I'm sick ,sick , sick of seeing the same , crappy new buildings , that are made to look old and blend in with the old , sturdy buildings. They are made out of cinder block and cardboard , I think , and may last 15 years , if they are lucky. They are cheeeep cheeep copies of the sturdy , hundred year old buildings , which , if they weren't being torn down by the hundreds , would probably last at least fifty more years , as long as they were kept up.
Enough about the degradation of archetecture. But performing . Hmm , what is it? Haven't done any poetry readings or acting in quite awhile, and I remember enjoying it. Those folks in the audience didn't seem to mind the readers , in fact they seemed to enjoy them . My mind goes over and over why I don't do that. I don't know what to do, don't know what to write , to read , etc. Just do it , I guess , like the saying goes. Hmm nice slogan... So .. , performing ... I used to enjoy it , but was scared of it. In fact , was scared of anything I enjoyed. It gets you out of your head , and I don't mean "crazy " , although it is a form of madness , I suppose , but in a good way. You go up and say things you normally would only get strange looks from others if you said them in a "normal" context.
And the high you get is kind of amazing. You don't want it to end, but it does , and then you have to wonder around in your normal , day to day existance , wondering how you got that feeling from performance , and how you get it back. You go and do it again.
and it sort of feeds on itself. But it takes a bit of work , a kind of work you're not used to , in your little work - a - day world. It's sort of a bi - polar feeling , the high you get from performing , and the low you get from realizing that you have to go back to your regular life. I always used the excuse that I hated other actors , the snobbery , the viciousness I felt from other actors, the petty jealousy, which can be pretty hard to be around. And I always felt the nastiest , most petty ones were the ones who had the least talent , so they had to try and show everyone up. What's that about. I just wanted to do my bit and go on . I used to get favorable comments from folks , which was nice. I never took it seroiusly , the little voices in my head would always come up with "you'll never make a living at it", which I say to them , "so what , you'll never know if you don't try" , which is what I've been doing for a loong time , not trying.

Notes on modern America

I'm sitting in a room with a bunch of guys my age , about eight of us, and we're all talking about restaurants we have gone to in the past month , and how we feel about the experiences. It's called a "focus group", and it's America at it's finest. America , largest distributor in the fuckin' world. America , land of the spree and home of the knave. America , where the shit you spew at a focus group , they may use in their commercials , no matter how fuckin' stupid and inane it may be, (and the more inane , the better.) Now , we weren't talking about your old time , mom and pop restaurant , but your national restaurant chains , your sub shops , your kfcs , your mikey ds , your more upscale "fast food " places , like something called "cosi" , which is fairly new , but which I really don't get , or don't want to get. It appears to be a starbucks with food , the big "cosi" overstuffed chairs , a fake fireplace next to the counter, which is supposed to make you feel all warm and , need I say it, "cosi". Apparently you can stay there for hours on end while you drink your "cosi" coffee, (freshly brewed). There was a youngish mix of customers there, chatting over their trendy food , all served with a sort of flat bread , which was the most positive experience of the cosi visit. I had gone there to get an idea of what I was supposed to be talking about when I went to my focus group, a sort of research project. When these research places call you for these focus groups , they ask you a series of questions about the said subject , it may be anything from credit cards to fast food , to cigarettes, and if you need a quick buck , it's a couple of hours of mostly bs for anywhere between fifty to a hundred bucks , usually in cash. It's easy money , but you have to know the tricks in how to answer the questions in order to qualify. Say "yes " a lot . Don't say you haven't tried a particular product , even if you haven't . It seems about half or more of market research is pure bs , but if they're payin' , I'm lyin'. Well , not entirely, but It's creative license.
So anyway , the focus group met in a place in Lincolnwood , a suburb of Chicago. About eight guys my age , some married with kids, some like me , not married , no kids. Whats the deal with people not cooking anymore. I swear , every guy in there said that they go out to eat at least once a day , some said they go out for every lunch and dinner. No wonder this country has gotten so fat and lazy. Well , it's a gradual thing. Are people so busy that they can't sit down with their families at the dinner table and talk ? When did people forget how to cook? Are we so lazy that we don't even know or remember what real food is supposed to taste like? Are we so brainwashed into thinking that restaurant food is as good as a home cooked meal? It's not , and will never be. Especially these so called "home cooked" type places, that do market research studies to find out ways they can charge you even more for "home cooked goodness" that really doesn't amount to much. It reminds me of the what George Carlin says. "when they say something has "home cooked goodness " it usually means they're going to charge you more."
Focus groups , market research. America has no more new ideas. These market research companies don't really value your opinions , they just want you to think they do. It's all a game. Advertising, making you want something that you didn't even know you wanted , but because you've seen countless ads on tv , on billboards, in magazines, somehow something you would normally not even consider buying , you have to have , no matter how good or inferior a product it is. I stopped going to mickey ds and burger king and wendys a while ago , something to do with a food poisoning incident at wendys a few years back , it was not pretty , but it was probably not too unusual , considering that we don't even know what we're eating when we go for fast food. I mostly cook at home these days , it takes a little while , sometimes I get in a rut with the same kind of food for weeks on end, ( I'm in my forth week in a row on beans , but winter is coming to an end , so I'll do something else) . It's amazing how much money you can spend on going out to dinner and lunch every day , and how much money you can actually save by cooking. (A bag of dried beans costs about fifty cents. You can go through a bag of beans in about a week. You do the math.) Get a crock pot , put some beans and meat up in the morning , and when you come home , you've got dinner. Great invention , the crock pot. I don't always like what I cook , but I feel like I have some control of what I'm putting into my body.
Market research , focus groups , it's the only thing America produces anymore.
B.S for BUCKS !!

P.S , after the focus group , I was so disgusted , I went to have a few chicken and bean burritos at taco bell. Well , nobodys perfect!!!

Yeah , yeah , I know , I know

Stop with all the nagging !!! If I don't blog every *&%$# in day , I get upset with myself... Any way , drugs, or pharmacuticals , ya know , legal drugs. Drugs to make us happy , drugs to make us sleepy , drugs to make us eat less , drugs to make us feel good !!! Everything is allright , now that your on cyprexa!!! Doesn't the name sound so inviting... Wellbutrin , well but trim , hmm . Are the drug companies (BIG PHARMA) trying to brainwash us with all the "wonder" drugs... I was watching the network news the other day , and every freakin' ad was for pharmicuticals!! Every freakin one , I swear. Like they aren't making enough money , telling us they have the cure for everything that ails us , and gee, I guess we're buying it. Yeah , Americans'll buy almost anything , if it's packaged right.
But , I digress. I've been on one form of anti depressant or another for at least ten years , most of them haven't done a thing for me , of course , I always used to mix them with a little beer , which doesn't really work , as the beer counteracts the effects of the anti depressant , and guess what , you're still depressed. Now I'm trying to get settled with a reutine of meds , and sometimes , I actually feel better. It takes awhile , you have to give it time. But don't mix your poison. The other week , I coulda' died , literally. I had a cold , as will happen every now and then. I took some Theraflu, another "wonder drug", that , if used right can knock a cold out of your system in one night . Now , it clearly states on the package , "do not take with maoi inhibiters" , which , of course, wellbutrin is . Well , my thinking was (being a dumb guy), " I can take , it'll be allright" , which , of course , it wasn't. And , later , when I was trying to sleep , and my heart was pounding , I just thought it was the cold. So I took another package the second night , and ( me being a dumb guy , again) felt like CRAP the next day , and I figured it out . DON'T TAKE THERAFLU WITH ANTI DEPRESSANTS!!! Anyway, it took a few days to get it out of my system. I don't know what kind of damage it did to my system, I don't want to think about it. But don't mix stuff that shouldn't be mixed , or you may be in some trouble.
Drugs . We're a society filled with drugs , filled with addictive behavior , looking for the instant cure , which will never come. We're all suffereing from an advanced case of A.D.D. ( you all know what that is , and we need everything NOW... Hey , why be in such a freakin hurry? Slow the #$#&* down , for christs sake!!! I know , I know , you hate your job , the wife and kids drive you crazy, the usual stuff , and then, we need stuff now!!! Now , I try not to buy into that logic , if I'm driving , which is rare , because I don't have a car , but if I'm driving , I try not to get all emotional about it , like some jerks on the road do, because , if you get all emotional , stuff happens. And what is it with suv drivers? I mean , do they think they are the only ones on the road? Like , I was walking across the street with the light , and this ass in an suv thinks I'm not walking fast enough , 'cause he's in a BIG HURRY!!! Well, I started pounding on his monster truck to let him know I was there . Nothing transpired after that , but I was angry. It's every man and woman for themselves , and it ain't getting any better any time soon. so , we're this drug crazed , boozin , pill poppin , ADD , everything - in- a - second - society , and I just want to say "SLOW THE FUCK DOWN!!!!!" Goodnight one and all.

what a world! - again

Are we living in a police state yet ? I can hardly wait! Remember , woman are baby machines , and the death of one stem cell , one embryo , one multi celled zygote could mean the extinction of the human race as we know it. Extremists? Fanatics? You bet. Remember , Joe schiedler cares about your children and wants to treat each and every one of you like children and infanticize your thoughts , so that you won't even realize that he's twisting the very logic you took for granted. You know , joe schiedler , the "pro - life " nut , who goes around killing doctors who practice legal abortions. And who agrees with the war in Iraq , you know , to "preserve the freedom" here at home. Yeah , he's one of georges' pals , you know , the "culture of life" crowd. Yeah , it must be something to be so holy that you can walk on water, and walk waaaaay above all you rule , so that you don't even hear thier screams as they drown in the wake of a hurricane you say you had no idea would be so bad. Is it just me , or is the "president" walking around with brain damage , an advanced case of alzheimers , or is he just pure evil? you decide. Is the USA just a giant corporate interest that he can just plunder for profit at will?
Anyway , where was I ? Oh , yeah , abortion, the big issue! You can't go around killing innocent babies , I mean we have to wait 'til they get a little older , so we can beat the will out of them and teach 'em some sense. thats the trouble with kids today , they ain't had the sense beaten out of them! Yeah , that old saw. And we need more white babies to fight the "mongal hordes" the other "inferior " races , who are hurting the pure white folks. yeah , like there are pure white folks in this country. We're all mutts and we're all angels and we're all devils, we're all idiots and we're all genuiuses. Yeah , white males are so disenfranchised . "Mens' rights" groups . yeah there's something we need. White men don't have rights, do they? I love when white men make fun of all of the gains that women and minorities have gotten over the years, and use it to get sympathy. Hey , guys , you can't put your wife in stocks , like you used to and treat them as property anymore , get over it!! Yeah , the good old days , when woman walked around with big red "A"s on thier shirts ,the good old "puritan' days. yeah , let's go back to those days, just like they do in muslim countries. That's what the war is about . So we can take thier customs and role models. Remember she's YOUR WIFE!!! I guess they want it to mean she's your property , and beating her once in a while is necessary to keep her "in line". Great stuff. oy

Random thoughts

I'm here at the Harold Washington library , downtown Chicago, in a room filled with computers . People are hunting and pecking their way towards some meaningful contact with the outside world. What does this all mean?, and why does it matter . As we get closer to a larger and larger police state, ( is someone monitoring my every words right now?) , I have to wonder , why do these fascist bastards have to try and control every possible action that we people have in all our waking hours? I have read 1984, saw the movie with Richard Burton , that came out in 1984, and I really have no desire to live in that hellish , bombed out , shortage of everything , (especially freedom) , world. Right now, New Orleans probably looks as bad as Poland and Germany looked after WW2 ( the big one) , and it may be the way numerous cities will look after the reign of prince george the II. How many national emergencies will he ignore , especially if they are in places that aren't "right" enough for him? When does downtown Chicago get hit by "terrorists" ? Now , I'm not saying that NYC was not hit by terrorists on that fateful day , but it doesn't look like much effort is going towards finding and stopping the people who allegedly did it. What is truth and what is a lie ? Can we even tell anymore? When a christo facist like pat robertson says that Sharon of Israel had a stroke because god was punishing him for giving "gods land" away, you know the man has got some serious issues. And george the second speaks to him every week , like they are good buds. The state of the union is strong? Sure , the state of the oil companies bank accounts is strong, but average folks ? I don't think so. Are we in the future, with all the futuristic gadgets everywhere , while we still are tranported in 19th century el trains , still get around in "infernal" combustion vehicles that spew mighty toxins into the rapidly warming upper atmosphere, walk down our rapidly dirtying streets , breathing in air that smells like toxic waste. No , I don't want to live in that world , I don't want to watch 24 hr paronoia on cnnbcbs its all the same bs to me!

dental twinges

Yeah , I know , I know , when do I start blogging regularly? Well , once a month is regular. Anyway , I just went to the dentist at a local dental school , after going to see a "regular" dentist , because I had enrolled in a "discount " dental plan, thinking it would save me some money. Well , I get into the dental office , and the dentist looks around at my pained teeth and takes some x - rays , and later tells me I'll need a root canal , and it will only cost me $500.00 , which , of course , freaks me out , as $500.00 is hard for me to come by these days. Now , I know what some of you are saying , "Hey, $500.00 for a root canal is cheaper than the regular price". Ok , perhaps it is , so I went for a second opinon. I might as well tell you the back story on this toothy tale. I haven't seen a dentist regulary in a while , due to monitary constraints and bad planning. About a month ago , I was eating some chili I had made with fresh beans , and , as fresh beans can sometimes have stones and clots of dirt in them if not cleaned properly , I happened to bite down on a stone that was mixed with my beans , causing some pain and discomfort. Well, as time has gone by , the pain has been getting worse, so I thought it was time to see the tooth doc. Well , the day came to go to the dental school . Now , to register for this dental school , you have to get there at 7:00 am , as there are hundreds of people needing low cost dental services , so you have to wait in line. I got up at 5:00 am last Friday in order to get there by 7:00 . As you all know , 5:00 am comes awfully early , and so , of course , I didn't sleep much the night before. Any way , I get to the clinic and wait . "Hurry up and wait" , as they say in the army, ( not that I've ever been in the army , I've just heard they say that.) So I wait , then the line clears up a bit by nine am , and my name is called , so they say " we can see you , but you have to come back at one". Well , I wanted to get this taken care of , so I figured I had no chioce but to wait. One o'clock comes around , and eventually I see a dental student and , he takes a few more x rays and can't decide if I need a root canal or just a filling.
eventully , he says a filling is what he'll try, and if that works , I can avoid a root canal , and a large fee. It seems that pesky stone in the beans caused the tooth to crack. So I go back this friday again , and maybe they'll only fill the cavity, maybe they'll put a crown on the tooth . So i guess the moral of the story is , always get a second opinon.

Happy #@%&*n' new year already!!!

New years rockin' in the chair eve, or whatever it's called. That was a shout out to one Dick Clark , the worlds oldest teenager , who just had a stroke . Oh well , so much for the teenager thing . Sorry, just never cared for him that much . Sorry he had a stroke. But , anyway , I think "first night Evanston" is getting a little stale , as most of the music acts I saw were pretty bad, like they could have been playing at the airport marriot in Cleveland , they were that bad. But I saw one really good jazz group , consisting of a violin , bass , mandolin and rhythm guitar. very good stuff. So I was somewhat dissapointed when I went to the next venue , and saw some woman trying to sing like whitney houston , but not as good , as if whitney was something to aspire to. What is it with pop music today ? does everyone have to sound like a reject from "american idol" , that so called entertainment show , where semi - talented people try to become pop stars , and some of them do , but , I swear , they all sound like clones of each other. Is that what the recording industry wants these days , people that all sound alike , 'cause they don't have any real creativity? Just wondering. Pop culture these days . Take five ideas , put them all in a blender , and come out with a hundred acts that all sound almost alike . Creativity? We just want the bucks for a year or two out of that person , then we can throw them in the trash heap, and latch on to some other semi talented person . The teenaagers who buy this crap won't know thw difference. Well , that's what the record guys think. But , I don't know if it's working so much anymore. There is lots of talk of record companies losing lots of money 'cause of downloading , and people buying less product. Well , guess what ? People don't want to buy your product if it's crap. And if you go for the safe , overproduced product , it's not gonna sell as much . Same with movies. As long as the corporate bean counters are running the entertainment conglomerates , people with no creative bones in their bodies , then they're going to continue to produce crap. But hey , I'ts the new year . Time for new ideas , new energy . Out with the old , in with the same. Yeah, I know , I'm late in posting so happy $%^#% 'n new years!