PINK

Stupid Girls is the title of a song written by the artist Pink. The song is about teen girls who are engulfed in celebs like Paris Hilton to the point of losing themselves. These young women are spending beaucoup bucks to have anything and everything Paris and her ilk would wear. But the sad thing is they are pretending to be dumb because they think it's sexy. Especially around boys, they fawn the dizzy blond persona and even purposely play dumb in school and refuse to do anything geeky like be in band. Pink wants these girls to know being sexy and smart are not "oil and water". This is such a disturbing trend and I applaud Pink for standing up.

Thanks to Alex, I was made aware of another song written by Pink.
This song Dear Mr.President speaks for itself.

This is not only a great song but a great performance.

Both songs are on Pink's new CD, I'm not Dead.

LINK Sausages

I am adding links to the site and journals for two people already introduced on this blog.
Steve Schalchlin had one of the first web logs on the net. He is an award winning blogger. His blog Living in the Bonus Round is so named because he was very close to dying from AIDS related illness but didn’t. He wrote a play and started a journal instead. No sad prose here though. Steve is a rocker, songwriter, actor, singer and loves to share his songs, photos and videos.

Alexandra Billings is my beautiful friend. I cannot express the blessing I feel having her in my life. The cool thing is many people who read her journal feel the same although they have never met her. That's how her writing has effected people.

Although Alex and Steve's blogs are totally different they both have the most entertaining, sweet, serious, humorous, thought provoking journals. They will keep your eyes, ears, emotions, funny bone and brain busy, I gaurantee.. So check out Alexandra Billings’ website and her live journal, Stillettos and Sneakers and Steve Schalchlin’s blog, Life in the Bonus Round. There is plenty of background info there on them both... Go discover, learn, laugh, cry, think, feel, and experience Alexandra and Steve.

It's Springtime for Jackie and Chicagoooooo......

I love poetry. I love to read it and write it. Poetry is my life. Yes I love it. My life is a poem. I love springtime too. Birdies, buds, lite balmy breezes, beautiful bods on bikes.

Here is one of Monica and my favorite spring poems, and some springy images.

Spring has sprung
the grass has riz
and I wonder where
the flowers iz




This albino squirrel certainly has enough in the nuts department.




Hummingbird with an eye for a spider.





Dancin' pants in the breeze on the line.


It would not be springtime in Chitown without the eternal Cub hopes.
Of course, they usually end up like these signs. Sigh.

Then, there are the famous Monk Parakeets of Hyde Park in Chicago. These rare birds came only to seven known nesting areas in Illinois one of which is a tree on 53rd Street right off Lake Shore Drive. The tree is in front of the late mayor Harold Washington's apartment. He loved watching them nest and feed from his penthouse balcony. It used to be said that the Mayor's bodygaurds outside on 53rd Street were really there to protect the parakeets. Since his death, The Harold Washington Parakeet Defense Fund protects these birds. The Hyde Park parakeets have since spread their nesting out to other Hyde Park trees and even as far as Grant Park. (www.monkparakeet.com)





A small nest on 53rd near Harold Washington Park.


Looks like these Parakeets get cable.


A parakeet munching on dandelions.
AHHHHHH Springtime...come on summer!

Golden Oldies!!

My mother and step father are married 50 years today!
Congratulations Charles and Jojo!!!!

They have told us so many 1950's stories of what was happening when they were dating and got married in 1956.

1950's......

People were doing the stroll, the bop, and the jitterbug.

Cars had wings and those little triangular shaped windows that had their own cranks

45 and 78 rpm records





Poodle skirts, petti coats, bobby socks and black and white saddle oxfords and penny loafers

Soda fountains, jukebox, Drive-in movies, Woolworth's lunch counter

American Bandstand, Elvis, Connie Francis, Marilyn Monroe, Pearl Baily

Eisenhower, Korean War, Rosa Parks

Chuck Berry, Fats Domino


Ozzie and Harriet (David and Ricky)


Chrome dinettes, Betty Crocker

Going out dressed to the nines to "Cabaret", Swing, Jive,
My parents have great stories about seeing the jazz and blues greats

Miles Davis, Dizzy, Charlie Parker, Monk, Coltrane

Ella, Billie Holiday, Duke, Count Basie, Lester Young, Lionel Hampton

Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf


Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker

AND this is unbelievable......

Income, average medium for four person family 1956: $5,319.

Coke in 1956, 10 and 15 cents; gallon of gas 1956, 23 cents per gal

Movie 1956 about 50 cents, the drive-in movie carload 1 dollar

Glass of milk about 15 cents; ice cream soda about 23 cents

1955 McDonald’s menu: hamburger 15 cents, fries 10 cents, coke 10 and 15 cents, coffee 10 cents

Van Heusen sport shirts short sleeve, $3.65 or long sleeves $4.95

Manhattan brand ties, $1.50-$3.50 1956: Blue Bell Wrangler Jeans for all the family – $2.98-$3.98

1957: Stockings by Cameo $1.35-$1.65 Perma-Lift Control Pantie (Girdle) $5.95 Bra $2.50

Good Grief!

The answer my friend is blowin'....

Although Richie Haven, and Judy Collins are still singing, still touring, I doubt many people under 30 know their work. Back in the day, there was parallel popularity of contemporary folk and pop music.

Rap is folk music, it is. It does speak truths, but a great deal of it speaks about, that bitch done stole my money, or there’s some ho’s in the house. I am thinking more in the tradition of singers and songwriters like Bob Dylan, Pete Seeger, Joan Baez, Richie Havens, Arlo Guthrie, John Lennon or Joni Mitchell. Music that tells harsh truths but music also of hope that speaks to the heart, not the groin. Music that brings out our humanity and reminds us how we should be and what’s really important.

Once again I am stealing and learning from Alexandra Billings. A while back she introduced us to a multi-talented guy named Steve Schalchlin who wrote a song called Holy Dirt. I think it has an important message about the misuse of religion.

I not only hope Holy Dirt catches fire and makes us think about how we handle our reverences but I hope it inspires this type of music.
I like the song and I like his voice. Check it out, pass it on.

Lady sings what?????

Time Out Chicago Magazine printed Alexandra Billings' letter to the editor. (see Out The Box, Please!) Surprisingly for a magazine this size they print only three or four letters a month. So, the fact that they printed Alex's letter is a good thing.
There were no editorial comments regarding her discomfort with the writer's characterization of her comedy. Just a heading that read....
Lady sings the blues.

Well! I don't think she was singing any blues. It should have read...

Lady tells the truth, or Lady sets us straight, or Lady takes us to the wood shed

Reviewer unfair, or Rude Reviewer or Drags all wrong.

Perhaps it could have stated simply,
This Lady is no drag

Meaning: Yes, we hear you Alexandra and you make a good point. Period.