One Step Closer

[Mythsaje]

I love it that the Dixie Chicks kicked butt at the Grammys. They certainly deserve all the acclaim they can get. In this recent environment, it's important that people who have access to a microphone have the guts to speak the truth to the American people, whether the corporate media likes it or not.

I can't speak for anyone else, but my respect for these amazing musicians went up several notches when Natalie spoke out about the pResident. The fact that the country music industry snubbed them for it just sealed the deal for me. I don't listen to country at all anymore. And ain't missing a minute of sleep over it.

My star as an author continues to rise, which is a good thing as well. I've just received a few awesome reviews for my newest books--released in December and January, respectively. That's always a great feeling.

Right now I'm a relatively minor noisemaker, since my readership is still fairly small. But, as it expands, I will be able to reach a wider and wider audience and that can only be a good thing. I don't preach in my novels, but just to have my name known means that at least some of my fans will read my political essays as well.

Maybe they'll learn something.

Reviews like the ones I just received take me one step closer to the day I achieve the level of fame (or notoriety) that will make all that possible. Maybe I could end up on the Daily Show, or on Bill Maher's Real Time. :D That could be fun.

In the meantime, I've been working on my website, adding new features and updating old information. It's kept me busy, along with writing my next novel and, the last few days, dealing with a KILLER toothache. I've got an emergency dentist visit today. Man, I hate dentists. Most people do, but I think it's a little worse for me because my problem isn't ONLY that novocaine doesn't quite work as well as it should on me (I've got some sort of partial immunity to anything in that family of drugs), but also I get really weirded out being trapped in a chair with someone's hand in my mouth. It's a good thing I'm getting gassed for this experience.

I'm only awake now because my teeth woke me up a couple of hours ago. Which is probably a good thing as well, if I can stay awake all day. This week I'm doing a special shift that starts at 4:00 AM, so I might as well get used to it. I did it a couple of weeks ago and didn't have time to adjust. By the end of the week I was feeling more than a little irritable.

I'll be working with an ex-military republican lady who seems smart enough, but, boy, there's a lot of stuff she just doesn't get. One day I remarked that Americans would buy anything and she actually asked me if I was an American. I laughed and said I was. She then remarked that I seemed pretty down on Americans and I replied that we, as a culture, were way too commercialized.

I don't think she got it.

Ah, well.

Well, wish me luck at the dentist. I'm going to need it.