Improvisation dysfunction

So there are these commercials for an ED drug that talk about being at that age when you’re old enough to know how to take care of things.  Except, apparently, getting it up and satisfying your partner which is why you need their pill.  But I digress.

The first one I saw had this guy driving through the desert in an old muscle car and it starts to overheat.  So he pulls into a service station – remember those? – walks past the guy standing in front of the garage and waves.  Then he walks inside, buys a bottle of cold water from the fridge in the store, drinks some and pours the rest into his car.

I guess he knew enough to manage to get the radiator cap off without getting scalded, but somehow he was too stupid to ask the mechanic for a hose so he could top off his radiator with warm water – which would almost certainly be free.  Instead he buys cold water to put in his overheated car.

I’m not sure what this guy has learned in his life but how to take of a car wasn’t part of it.

Another one shows a guy on a sailboat and the clamp for a pulley on the boom breaks.  So on a boat full of ropes and lines and various things for tying things down, this guy takes the strap from his life jacket to reattach the pulley.  Now there’s real genius for you.

I’m not sure what point these commercials are trying to make, but I think they better start selling a pill to improve common sense because these guys are morons.  Maybe all the blood rushed from their brains.

Round 2

I had the second dentist visit for my root canal yesterday.  He couldn’t finish it the first time because the canal wasn’t dry and it needs to be so he can fill it.

This time wasn’t quite as bad because there was less done.  I asked him to just put a temporary filling on, like he did the last time, rather than start the crown work with a base and a temporary crown.  The only reason for that was financial.  I can’t really afford the work I just had done but my tooth broke so I didn’t have much choice.

Even with dental insurance I just can’t afford a crown right now, and based on my x-rays I need more than one.  My dentist is a good guy.  He knows this stuff isn’t cheap, he’ll discuss alternatives even if he doesn’t really recommend them (like pulling teeth instead of fixing them) and he always talks about arranging things both in the best way treatment wise and also to spread the cost out.  He doesn’t lower his prices, but they haven’t gone up much over the years and the biggest part of the cost is the independent lab that makes the crown.

My dentist has worked with me in the past to spread out payments and he’ll do his best to keep my teeth from falling apart – and keep me healthy – with the lowest cost possible.

This may sound weird but I actually like my dentist.  He has a great chair-side manner and makes sure that you aren’t in too much pain.

There is a lot to be said about dental care in this country and I had a really depressing post written about this involving my own health and situation and the state of this country, but you really don’t want to read that.  I don’t really want to post that, either.

I’ll let you know when I get the work finished because I know that everyone is hanging on every word I write about my teeth.  This is absolutely riveting.

Deliberate malevolence

People who want to destroy public education are evil.

I really can’t think of another word for it.

Questions

Do the people who want unregulated markets leave their cars and homes unlocked, their money lying around the house and not want police to protect our lives and property?

If some people can’t be trusted not to steal a few dollars why can we trust these financial geniuses not to steal billions? Somehow they’re the ones who are moral and upstanding and eminently trustworthy? That’s how we save the economy, by letting people do whatever they want?

I’m supposed to take these ideas seriously?

More pain, less gain

When people talk about broadening the tax base they mean making poor people pay more.

Who thinks that’s a good thing?

Do as I say, on second thought …

Having taken my own advice, last night I turned off the TV, shut down my PC and picked up a book – and proceeded to read until an hour after I had intended to go to bed.

Oh well, it’s a start.

Don’t touch that dial

Does anyone even know what that means anymore?

If you are prone to insomnia and find yourself awake late at night and are tempted to flip channels just to see what is on, I would suggest that you resist the urge.

I intended to get to bed early last night, which would challenge my body’s tendency to keep me awake into the wee hours of the morning, but I live in hope. Between the cat lying on me and a certain lethargy brought on by little sleep the night before and a long day, I was too tired to get out the chair and drag myself to bed. So I kept the TV on and just looked to see what was on and found a local channel that showed old TV.

I got sucked in by Peter Gunn, watched an episode of Mission: Impossible and then watched the end of Double Indemnity. Yes, it was a foolish thing to do, but let it serve as a warning to you. When you think it might be a good idea to watch just one more thing, don’t. Turn off the TV. Just grab the remote and turn the TV off.

You should be reading instead anyway. So should I.

And no, it does not escape my notice that I am posting this late at night.