#1 panderer and demagogue ever

Maybe not ever.  Maybe Steve Cohen is just very adept at following the tradition of pond scum pandering, agitating politicians.

For some reason I am on his email list.  He's a democrat out of Memphis and since he can't run on the "I'm Black, therefore you have to vote for me or be a racist and traitor to your people" platform, (which most Black politicians do in Shelby County--even against others of their race),  runs on the "I'm not Black, but I'm connected and would stop at nothing to buy your vote by any means no matter how low, dishonest, etc."  "I have pull and will rain federal dollars on the 'hood and even pretend that this majority Black city, run by Blacks, is racist and you are all victims forever.

He is unbelievable.  I cannot believe the people in the 'hood would vote for him. He's a snakey, sneaky, slimy creep.

Check him out.  If you are a progressive even, and honest with yourself after reading his stuff and checking him out, you, too, will want to vomit and hide your sister.
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In Demand. yay. Let me Tell You Bout HJ

So, there is a long time resident of SD county who is probably not far from my age.  Old, in some books.

He fancies himself, "Harmonica John", and is a big wheel in the organizing of the yearly harp fest in La Mesa.  I think la mesa. Can't always tell where El Cajon ends and other names begin.

Anyway.  People who did not hang in the blues circles and such would call me Harmonica John when I first got here.  I discouraged that.  Since my facebook is under an alias I told them to use that name when they needed to say something in public or at a jam or whatever.  I explained that 1. I would never fancy myself the only John somehow connected with stupid harmonicas, and 2.  that there was cat around town calling himself that and I wanted to avoid the mix up.  Besides, he was here first.

The guy is a very good player but not a ground breaker.  I find him to be very good at what thousands of blues harp players try to play.  Nice, but not really original.  But good.  And he's a pompous $%^&*head.

So, now the marine is back wanting me to play and has streamlined that band, much like I am encouraging Sande to do.  Just makes sense for our likely venues and if the bass is iffy for gigs and can only practice sometimes, do without.  Last gig was only the three of us, Guitar and vocal lady, viola lady, and me.  It was far better than most outings.

Anyway so there are four separate acts who want me playing with them.  That is great.  Now, I do not hang in blues circles or harmonica circles--often the same--since I arrived.  Just not into it.  And not into most of the people.  The ones who don't have to play 50 year old tough guy with all the usual affectations. Or any year old tough guy.  It spans generations.

For some reason though, Harmonica John seems to feel threatened.

I posted an old Memphis video on FB for the benefit of the marine and his girl, because they were curious.

So, they have something nice to say and HJ immediately wants to critique, as if he is the ultimate.  "Well, you are better now but blabla decent then."  ??? No one asked.  I found it nervy and offensive but you do not defend or you give the pompous something to feel ego fed over.

Ha. But then others jump in.  Sande said I was a God.  oh geez.  among other nice praise.  He has to answer, "Well, I wouldn't go that far..etc."  Saying his idea of a god and hers were different. It is crazy.  He is known in this area and I just play without promoting myself much.

Anyway, I tried to end it at the beginning by just saying WTF Friday. Zip..over the head.

So all this god stuff happened and I finally said, The men don't know but the pretty girls understand.  Haha. That shut him up.

He is right, maybe. I think I am better now. Different anyway.  By necessity.  But no one asked.  Should I say he has great tone and technical skill but lacks punch, excitement and originality?   No, I should not.  You didn't ask. I pretended you did.

It has taken all my life to believe that any seemingly competent person would be threatened or intimidated by me in any field or endeavor.  Finally I realized that some people always think they are in competition in odd games that many people don't even play.  But, even smart people can be so screwed up and egocentric that they become petty and small minded.  All in an effort to be elite and superior.  Problem is they freak that maybe they convince no one, or that their competition does not even care.

 Maybe more playing will be good, and more of it will bring in a little bit of cash.

I need every dime and every thread I can touch.  Unstable and screwy times
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Never Say Die, (except when appropriate)

It grates on me whenever someone says something like, "never say never".  They just said it!!!  Twice, for cryin' out loud.

Never say die?  OK.  But what do I say instead?

Thank you, Powers that Be, I suppose...

Or the old one about, "You know when you assume, that means you make an ass out of u and me."  Utter nonsense!!  These words exist for a reason.  You assume things all the time.  You assume that bottle of water is not really hydrochloric acid, for example.

And never has its place.  Just like always has its place.

Another case of people being smart enough to sort of understand, but not quite smart enough to really get it.  But they think they are way ahead of the game, mentally.  It happens.

It pays to know that you may not know it all.

What I am thinking now, though, has little to do with that.  I have been doing some mild checking on this physical stuff and I definitely think part of the dx is erroneous, and I think another test is needed, and I have a feeling I know what it will reveal.  In a way it may be more serious than the erroneous part of the present diagnosis.  However, I think that it is likely to be curable with some kind of stem cell hooplah.  Whether I am a candidate is another story, but I see no reason this cannot turn around.

To say anything is incurable is stupid.  Maybe they do not presently know how to cure something, or maybe a particular medico is behind the curve on new therapies and cures.  No true scientist or competent trouble shooter would label a problem as unsolvable.  Not yet solved and impossible to solve are two different things.

It is crazy that people with conditions which leave them very fatigued are the very ones who most need to take charge and protect against lazy or incompetent, or arrogantly unconcerned physicians. But that is the name of the game.  It is good to bring a level headed friend with you so you don't ransack the office or beat the doctor senseless with stethoscopes and other weapons which may be handy.  That is what I do.  And it has kept me from flying right over the edge a time or two.
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But now I have a plan, and I have resources which will help guide me.  Mostly a very dedicated and concerned hematologist way over in Iowa who has offered to review any lab results and such.  He is one who helped in the early stage of this game.

Oh, so now it looks as if I will be playing with Chris Hamilton band some more.  He's the ex Marine sniper.   He and his girl Emily and Richard Resonator are playing the only place in Mt. Laguna and that is just fantastic.  Super cool venue.  And now they invited me to come join them.

They have figured out that it works best around here to streamline the deal.  It is hard to get bass players to commit or show for practice anyway.  Sande and I are running into that, as well.  I think we do better just the two of us, or us plus the viola, Karen.  Looks like my thinking is swaying Sande on this.  Chris, Emily and Richard have figured it out too.

So, in the next couple of months I am playing with Sande and with Chris and them, and with another guy.  At this rate I will be a fixture at Hard Rock Cafe.  All three are booked there.

The trick now is to find some energy.  I am working on it.  I can hide it when I play, but if I were to actually hang around with people it would be very hard to hide the fatigue and discomfort.  But the more I learn how, the better off things are.  I do not have much concern about the stuff except that fatigue can prevent activity.  But I always think about things as if there is no issue. Only when I get up to tackle those things and find it way more difficult than I thought.  Or maybe not doable at the moment.

There is too much of what I call magic in life to "assume" the worst is a foregone conclusion.  It simply is not.  Especially in my case.  And I have a vague plan for the best of futures, and the shortest.  Bases covered.  I should found an institution which teaches scientists and doctors how to be decent trouble shooters and how to leave their egos at home.  And make them pay me big bucks for putting them in their place.
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