Thanksgiving Day, always a day

Had the glorious opportunity to actually have a crib on the northside for a few days - Dragon having gone to New Orleans to visit family for the holidays. So = me have crib. Of course, bombing runs, 800 plane raids, great fires raised in various parts of the city = but no success. Usual.

But, despite the shocking losses on day previous - grevious(sp) - i rode home in the Strasser for Thanksgiving. Hear me now - I felt like a vet from The Pacific returning home - vacant, damaged, etc... but home i was.

Sister.4 was doing all of the work -w as to make sweet potatoe stuff, but ended up staring @ the wall. Too bad. Typical me.

So, th guitars. It was a Thanksgiving unlike any other, thanks to the music. I really wanted to organize a little concert, as there were two guitrs, drums, maracas, tambouines, washboard, etc etc etc. In years past the kids always did stuff. however, all we did was basically just jam the whole time. My bro-in-law actually brought an old mini guitar he had bought for Nephew.1 20 years ago over to give to neice.5 - so, three guitars.

But - no concert. No verve had I to get it done. But - unique thnaksgiving this year - music creation. Didnt go the way i'd panned, but sounded ok...

never

Went to Empty Bottle for thir free Monday nite shows. Hey: unemployed, free, chance to hang w. Dragon. Problem is, the band skinda suck. Well, this Onday they did. Very proficient, all three bands - just not very interesting. Plus .... the sound @ bottle really was parta the problem. All just blended in together mushy.

So, the revelation - yes, good enough bands and all that, but if it was me trying to make up live electrified music for an audience, the sound has to be more distinct - they actually have to hear the instruments themselves.

Will go back to free Monday nite bottle. Were chix there. Dragon and I went w. Jacob a few weeks ago. Jacob is the Wildecard in social situations because he will not juste break ice, he will shatter it - handy when trying to chat up birds. However, he can also come off very off putting to a lot of people - so, Wildecard. That nite a few weeks ago he ended up talking w. some guy. This MOnday Dragon and I joked "Where was Jacob this week? He won't be missed - he'd just be talking to sooe homeless guy." (much laughter...)

Hdd two drinx - no cider, so i got some awful beer and then some different awful beer. Yuk.

Fassbinder

Seems Fassbinder (the rock and roll group - check out the Myspace for this band - pretty spare, but .... ) will be amking its first apearance in hilts living room on thanksgiving. Years past th kids would rummage through my acres aof cloths,a nd since Ive been an eclectic dresser for several decades now, there's lota stuff for th kids to play dressup with and look totally goofy. We used to little skits - but since this year I can actually claim to be an actualy musician - and Neice.1 is as well - nd I have a collection of instruments now - we we'll stwitch to a music show this year.

The 8 kids, Bolo, Mom and I are the memebrs of Fassbinder (original single put out under 'Pasolini Trio' moniker here:

No kids in that song- but they will be in the rrst of them. There are problems some of the kids are not, un, quite the freak that their uncle is - so i totally see the three boys not being 'kool enough' to get involved. I have a feeling all 5 girls - if they are allowed by their parents - will take art.

one plan is o come uo w. a totally original song, centered about Gramma. Then maybe 2 covers - Ive been practicing "What yr doing" by the Beatles, which I first started playing Thurday, and it's one of those songs where the riff gets under yr skin - and so it is SO HARD to walk by the guitar and not pick it up. Playing guitar is very often a great joy. But so much work remains to be done.

I'm hepped up for this Thanksgiving. Should be fun to play w. the kids.

Was lovely

...and the thoughts, lovely just. Made my aduly bookclub debut, having rea donly 40% of the book. It was Ice Berg Slim's Mama Black Widow. I've always loved autobio's and novels by African Americans because truely they offer a slice of life I never knew existed. When I was younger, especially - constantly reminded by reading what a DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE different peoles have here - and my thoughts are not the universal thoughts of ths country.

But - the book club. Good showing - Gallo, Homes, Dagwood, Rocky, Jbird, The Hen, and Army Z's girlf (who am I missing?). Funny, because these dudes wanted some sorta ALLCOCK party, where girls are not allowed. Therew as some quibbling about this or that girl invited - but even though it was a gay book and a gay movie, don't we want that female element involved in the discussion -WAIT WAIT WAIT - I just ralised that 100% of these fuxs are married, and so .....

Oh. we did more that laugh when the word "mit" was used in the book and all that - we ate and drank goodly. Gallo had jubbled up the dished ths nite, and the Deustch fare was fairly fantastic. Loved it. Kraut and suusages and all that. Loved it. Also good to dehouse myself and hang out in evanston - watched Bears game thursday nite @ Rocky's w. Gallo.

So - proximo beis I actually read the book fully.

The Pratzen Heights

My life, early on it seems now to do a slite juxtaposition w. Austerlitz, present sitution w. me on the heights, but before the huge counterattack that left the Russian army in shambles rambling backwards in defeat.

Funny, Ive hard a lot of experience being unemployed - but this time surely is worst. I'm too old, these days, and my 2/20 vision on the future hurting, and bad. Earlier days, I was young and couldn't care less. However, the loss of that one girl, who was looking to get married and have babies several yars ao (and did that) when I wasnt yet - (and am still not) - ready for - has totally changed my mind on maturing and all that. I was happy last year that I actually made $10k+ than her (smugishly happy, tho' I knew she'd bnever find out - or care)- but this year it will be .... $80k less than her. That's actually not the big deal, tho'

The added point is that I would really like to buy this house when I can. However, being unemployed destroys that- they wont give any sorta loan to the jobless. So, unless I get hooked up soon, I sense I may lose anychance to buy this house - which my mom wants me to do eventually.

And the unemployment benefits!! I get somethinglike $390/week in unemployment insurance. Now, I ve bnever gotten this before - kinda funny - but since I cannot even substitute (econ.s so bad that they stopped newly unemployed teachers from signing up, since so many recently unemployed teachers had already signed up to do it), I'll take it. I have lotsa bills - $330 for corba a month, rent, food, etc etc... so Im gonna have to start budgeting soon. That'll be fun - I love to budget and do w/out - but, again, something new since I started piling up the cash 15y.a.

So I dunno. There are very scarce jobs available in CPS. I may be screwed forever. But, on I go. Again scouted what was available in CPS, am willing to work in the worst enviroment - and started looking seriously again today.

Sitting arounf may have been ok for earlier years - but I gotta get going.

book club!

Was never involved w. anysorta book club I wa an active participant in besides school based ones whene we read kids stuff. Now I am. Trying to finish up "MamaBlack Widow" for tonites events, which included company, dinner, book discussion, and "Fox and his Friends" - combo combo combo diner/book/fassbinder club club club.

Kool. Strange rules. Heard that originally no women were allowed - then there was one thought he crax - then not ...then....... to quote one of the members when i asked him ((@ a party years ago where chix were swimming)) if I should fone Blackie to come over and he said basically "Why ask a dude to comever - so may women here). Since Im slitelt woman starved - the rest of these dudes - the ones who say no women - are all married anyway, s they dont understand fully. Should be a good time. Am excited. AM missing the St. Rita- Lake Zurich State 7A Football semifinals to make it (Went to Rita game last week, know they will wiin this week, and am fearful of the Wheaton-Warrenville State Final game next week in Champaign- and am going if Rita wins tonite (they will).

second fav. scence hre this movie

fingerless

Love to play rough w. Bolo - he rolling on his back, 'biting' my hands, growling, all in good mood as we goof off. Since he went blind about ayear ago, this game is a little dangerous for me - Bolo can no longer see exactly where to leave off his bite so he actually doesnt bite me. So, 5-6 weeks ago, he bit me when we were playing and its effects have lastet to this day. He came down hard on my hand and cut up my left pinkie bad.

At first I figgered the pain would go away - then started to fear (before i knew it was infected) it was some sorta carpel tunnel syndrome from playing guitar (really - I feared i'd have to quit plaing to save my hands). Then I figered it was broken - it hurt so damn bad. SO BAD. I mean anytime I would happen to clip my pinkie against a table as i was walking by, fex, I'd be overcome by the terrible pain and would yake 30s of concentaration for the pain to pass. Yes, I know - im not having my leg amputated w. anestetics - but it was a real hurt and a real bother. twice in waves of 2 days the pain overall was just rotten.

Finally went to doc, told me it was infected, and heat would have to be applied to it - I guess i idnt get antibotics ecause of the wwhole over perscription of them etc etc etc.

Pinkie still hurts. Still slightly ballooned up, reddish, and skin falling off of it. Looks horrible. However, guitar is easier now and things are seeming to heal slowly.

the beta band

Rockit had a slite slip about finding the first betaband chanson he care'd about or what. My first moment of listening to beta was special - i remember it to this day. w. blackie. @ his crib. he was so into getting all the latest goos stuff, he always liked to dj w. the latest hits. Id never heard of them before, ans he slipped on that EP w. their first three 45's on it - he played their wonder hit, the song that will always 'make them' (tho', this moment, the name of it is forgottn - oh wait, dry the rain!!). The song itself starts lazily, struming and low, but builds up and up and up - and then, in the midst of the song, there is this moment, when a single horn sounds out, complementing .... and for me that was the extreme genius moment - this song is incredible!

Switch later to gallos, a random Sunday nite, and me having gotten the 3 EP's Lp dry the rain is on. Played it for Gallo, just the two of us, Shipley off somewhere, were their kids @ that point?? -- and that moment, the horn, flows up. Gallo, ' who has never heard the song before, suddenly lets out a "UHHH!!" and kicks hs leg out to indicate this song is incredible!

No embeddded, but link it here

fightin!

fightin!

from fucking auntie

BOB's brothers

So deeply did I love Band of Brothers - such an experience. Not here and now to go on about it - but ti was one of the more deeply felt -by me - art werkes ever. Loved it. lately Ive finally gotten around to enjoy two of BOB's children - as in HBO miniseries on war.

I'd read the Rolling stone article "Generation Kill" back when it came out - still a RS subscriber back then - and deeply love dit. well written, interesting, and an excellent cast. I don't know why I didnt read the book when it can out - su cant understand why I didnt - and I also mided the HBO series about it when it came out. But last month, @ the Sulzer, there it was in DVD - so I figgered id try the first few episodes and see if it was worthit - and yes , very much so.

Just loved it. It didnt slay me to absolute death like BOB - but i put that to the time of my life and how i interpret my life through art - but th impression it has left on me rite now is tremendous. Again, like BOB, you are in a small band of men in deeply dangerouz situatons. You spend hours w. them, share their laughter, "share" their danger, triumphs, problems, frustartions, etc etc etc... Again, i felt like I was in this unit - part of the brotherhood. When the mimiseries (7 episodes) ended, I wanted it to continue - so the book was checked out of the library (the West Town branch - it's housed in that beautiful old Wiebolts building on Chicago Ave. that they wre gonna tear down 15ya but the city saved - thanx). I'm nearing finishing - but dont want it to end.

So - military stuff - i love it. the teamwork, the results, the weapons, the solutions, the situations - fetish i have for that stuff. but other fetishes - bodily functions - show up. So may jokes about shitting, etc... Love it. But what struck me most was the how all the marines - although doing a good job as Marines - also know that the situation is kina fucked up. Again and again the thought "What would we think if some other army came to the USA and started 'doing what we are doing' " came up. One of my favourite scenes comes up w. this thought - in the midle of the city, w. women around, the Marines just shit out i public. Funny.

So, 506 PIR, let 1st Marines Second Battalion join the Pantheon(sic) of my fave military units. There are Winters, Liptons, Cobbs, Dykes, Martins, etc etc etc rive throughout the 7h. Do see it.

I watched BOB mainly w. 2 sets of people. When it was first out, i went to those September and October 2001 Sunday's @ the Gallos. I watched the first seven episodes there - but had to wait a year to watch the last three. Joker got the DVD eries, so The last three episodes I watched w. him -especially during those very dark times in my life (some girl or other...). SO, for me, I wanted to watch The Pacific w. eithe the Gallos or Joker Gallo has BO demand, so we planned to watch it that way bit by bit over a 2m period or so. When we finay looked for that first episode - it wasn't on demand!!! However, the same week it was put out on DVD - and I luck upon the first four episodes. ow - what to do - wait for Gallo? Joker? I decided to just go ahead and watch the first four and go from there. It's to hard to plan things these days, and i knew I wouldnt be able renew it - so i just watched the first two episodes.

Good? Very. As good as BOB or Gen Kill? Nope - not yet, not close. Only 1/5 through it - and loving it - but it's definitely in third place. Part of it may be that it is a hoge pge about he war in th Pacific. BOB and G.K. were true stories about the units in action. Pacifc, i believe (/fear), is more of a compilation, or greatest hits, or American units. So, @ Guadalcanal, the two most famous massacres of Japanese men - one a flanking maneuver on the beach and the massacre on the ridge - this nit is in the middle of both. Not sure if they were -but the battle sconce's of these two battles are extremely ell done and actually give you feel for those two battles.

See it too.

Mr. J&B

Written By Lazers
names edited by Hilts

J&B was back at the trivia version of “The Waltons”, aka Salerno’s (“good-bye J&B”, “good night, J&B”, “good night, John Boy”…), where wins have been few since the 2009 Championship.

Prior to the game, Benkowski visits the J&B table and asks MG about being around one of the Huck Finn locations. MG indicates that he lives near there, and Benkowski indicated he saw MG walking past it and thought, “I think that’s Mr. J&B.”

The competition: Awesome, Auntie J, Peeps, and Team Chicago

First half: Scary Movies/Music ’77 and ‘97/Celebrity Year of Birth

1977- sang “Car Wash”?
1984 scary movie was Johnny Depp’s first flick?
1981- scary movie “An American ________ __ ______”?

As you can see from that last one, it was not Benkowski’s strongest night for questions.

During the 1st half, a cute brunette sits at the bar for dinner. She has been around before, but she was particularly noteworthy tonight, wearing a little skirt with either high dark boots or stockings. Dressed like that, could she have been coming from anywhere other than a shift at one of the local strip clubs? Benkowski informs us that she is the owner’s daughter, and J&B now has a huge distraction for the rest of the night (at least some of J&B). She was named “Skirty”.

Scores at the half: J&B 1030 Awesome 860 Chicago 800 Peeps 560 Auntie J 490

Second half: QB Year of Birth/TV 1988/Military Camps

Fort Knox- what state?
Fort Hood- what state?
Camp Pendleton- what state?

On “Empty Nest”- what actresses played the two daughters?
2nd highest rated non-comedy TV show of 1988?
On “Growing Pains”- occupation of Alan Thicke’s character?

On a TV question, J&B guesses incorrectly when MG quickly answers prior to consulting with the rest of the team. As punishment, the “&” is taken from him, the nickname now whittled to “Mr. JB”.

Some guesses for the TV 1988 category: “Marcus Welby MD” and “Columbo”.

Scores after two halves: Chicago 1700 J&B 1570 Auntie J 1510 Awesome 1310
Peeps 990

Final category options:
60s Entertainment
70s Music
90s TV
80s Radio (red flags go up for J&B)
Celebrity Gossip
In the News
Current Major League Baseball
Current National Football League


Instead of the “guess a number” draft, teams were allowed to select their categories in reverse order of their scores. J&B will wager to beat the 3rd place team by 1 if it doubles.

90s TV (Peeps):
On “Roseanne”- what actress from a famous family shared a controversial same-gender kiss with Roseanne?
On “Northern Exposure”- who was the female lead that once dated Mark Grace?
On “Murphy Brown”- what political figure was written into a guest appearance on the show after derisively mentioning it in a speech?


Celebrity Gossip (Awesome):
Taylor Swift’s new song allegedly is about this entertainer?
Christina Aguilera allegedly had a fling with what Lindsay Lohan ex?
When Bill O’Reilly feuded with Whoopi Goldberg and Joy Behar on “The View”, who was the surprise peacemaker?


In the News (Auntie J):
An ad promoting a November 9th event with several motivational speakers includes these 2 Superbowl winning quarterbacks?
General Motors agreement with what car dealership just ended, rendering all of these cars as “used”?
A British company has invented a follow-up to the bulletproof vest- what did they make?


70s Music (yes- this lasted for J&B):
Sang “Little Green Bag”?
Sang “More More More”?
Sang “5-10-15-20 (25-30 Years of Love)?

80s Radio (Chicago- big mistake, fellas):
WMET had a promo in which the program manager imitated Peter Gabriel so well that what competing radio station complained?
On Q101- all shows from the morning to afternoon drives had the same dj act as fill-in, when needed- who was it?
In 1987, when Benkowski went on vacation, what Blackhawk filled in for his radio duties?

Nobody selected the other categories, but brief summaries and one question will be provided here:

Current MLB (aka Benkowski watches game four of the World Series)
Current NFL (aka Benkowski watches some football games last Sunday)
60s Entertainment: In what movie does Raquel Welch kiss another famous actress, and who was that actress?

Gentlemen?

(Part II to include details of the 2010 Trivia Championship)


PART II

Part II

First half answers:
Rose Royce
A Nightmare on Elm Street
An American Werewolf in London

Second half answers:
Kentucky
Texas
California
Kristy McNichol and Dinah Manoff
Murder She Wrote
Psychiatrist (side note: Benkowski does not accept the J&B guess of psychologist)

Final:
Peeps- 990- 90s TV- guesses Ellen DeGeneres (no), no guess for the 2nd question (no), and Bill Clinton (no)- all 3 incorrect- didn’t hear the wager, but probably “thanks for playing”.

Awesome- 1310- Celebrity Gossip- guesses John Mayer (correct), Samantha Ronson (correct), and Elizabeth Hasselbeck (correct)- all 3 correct- with wager plus bonus up to 5410 and the lead.

Auntie J- 1510- In the News- did not catch any of their answers, but they did not win their wager and fell to 390 points.

J&B- 1570- 70s Music- guesses George Baker Selection (correct)…

(let the controversy begin: When given the second question, Benkowski provided the option of learning either the first or last letter of the answer. J&B (ok…Stix) selects the first letter, which Benkowski gives as “T”)…guesses Andrea True Connection…. Benkowski staggers, not sure what to do, pointing out that he gave the first letter as “T”…Stix baffled as to what Benkowski could be getting at…Lazers and Cheial Man thinking the band name might actually be True Connection and should say that…turns out Benkowski was looking for “The Andrea True Connection”…did I hear someone from Awesome suggest that J&B should be allowed to use their Fluff?…Benkowski decides that J&B will get a different question, says a song lyric and asks for the next lyric…Art knows the song but not the next lyric...

…(no), and The Presidents (correct)- two correct- wagered 1451- up to 3021.

Chicago- 1700- 80s Radio- guesses WLUP (correct…duh), Tommy Edwards (correct), and Denis Savard (no)- wagered 1441- up to 3111.

With their stalkerazzi- esque knowledge of Celebrity Gossip, Awesome is victorious tonight!

true

rewatched 'the unbelievable truth' yesterday. hadnt seen it it many years - 15+- and i kept remembering when i watched it first. in many ways, a time capsule back to 1990. the neighbourhood of then - rogers park - was really felt by me sitting there watching. and what ahood back then - not quite the old neighbourhood growing up, where every face was a familier one - but my old saying back then - a walk up sheridan road will result in a meeting w. some friend or other every tiime- evokes for me that place in time. that hood being rife w. familiers on every block spread out. loved it.

changed all. i still am through that hood these days, but rarely. a new crowd -neice and nephew and another- actually live there these days. should make it up more. but the grounds are so different.

whatever - it always changes. but the foundations of back then - so young i thought that these were permenant things. time goes so slowly back then - maybe it seemed forever. but...