We Must All Choose...

The lines are drawn. We all must choose sides. I throw in my lot with this side of the conflict.

We Are Storms Within the Storm!

I don't want to claim any special Super-Powers...

But my friend and I spend lots of time "healing" other beings. Really. It's just something we've done over the years. For many, many years, we didn't even know, or notice we were doing it. Lately though, it's become more and more apparent. 

Folks actually come up to us, and look for an encouraging word, a hug, a smile, a positive gesture. Some people just want to be in the shining light, the positive glow around us. 

I specialize in the healing the non-human beings amongst us (see previous post). I spend lots of time with little critters: old, crippled, lonely, needy. I often spend my time making their time on the planet a little less harsh.

My friend is an extraordinary healer. Her healing powers extend to all human and non-human forms. She is much more powerful, way more accessible than I. She attracts human beings from all walks of life. They come to her, they seek her out. They often end up crying on her shoulder, or seeking a hug, a smile, an encouraging word.

Of course, we are not totally healed beings ourselves. Not so good at healing each other either. We are too close to each other. Too tangled up. We both have hurricanes and tornados in our hearts, our heads. We are not the calm in the storm. We are storms within the storm.

But we do seem to have something others seek. For sure. It's odd. Weird. Strange. Interesting. We are Healers. That just seems to be a simple truth. A reality we live with. It would be great if we could "monetize" this ability, or somehow make it our life's work, but it's just a thing we have, a thing we do, an ability that comes unbidden, unbridled, a gift that only arises when another being seeks the gift.

The Amazing Bird-Reviver!

Remember when I wrote about our little Zebra Finch, the one who  bumped his head, or got a virus, or stroked out, or whatever...? He couldn't hold his head up, he only walked in circles and backwards? He looked like a goner.

Well, surprise, surprise, he had a miraculous recovery. We put him in isolation, a little cage next to the big cage of Finches, and then, every morning, noon & night I would scoop the little birdie up and feed him water from an eye-dropper. We also put a fresh millet stick in the bottom of the cage every morning. So even though he could barely get around, he got plenty of food & water.

Over a 4 week period, we could see he was slowly getting stronger. Without a helping hand, he would have been toast, but we were determined to keep this little dude alive and kicking. Maybe the daily hand coming to snatch him served as some kind of exercise routine? He got harder and harder to catch as he recovered. Finally he could hold his head up. He could walk, he could fly.

All thru the process his "little buddy" in the big cage sat next to him, chittering and chattering at him. We must thank the "little buddy" for all the hope and encouragement.  They have been reunited and all seems well in Bird-Land.

We gave our little backwards dude a new name. Beckett didn't seem right anymore. He escaped his fate... so now, we call him Lazarus. I won't dare to think of myself as Jesus... but how about The Amazing Bird-Reviver! 

Wilco (the Fan).

There's Wilco (the Band). Wilco (the Album). Wilco (the Song). And well, I guess, I would be Wilco (the Fan).

I'm not the best Fan. I mean. I fall down on the job a lot. I love this band. I own many, many of their records. But I often think I underrate this band. I over-look, I underestimate. I take for granted.

Okay, I will admit that Jeff Tweedy is a phenomenal singer/songwriter. Just a wonderful lyricist. Love his singing. He often reminds me of a much more grounded, American version of John Lennon. Really.

And the band, what can you say? Superb musicianship. Always surprising. Glen Kotche - great, inventive, driving drummer. Nels Cline - an otherworldly guitarist, avant-garde, melodic, always very musical. Always makes inventive, unexpected choices. A great band.

But I'm the kind of fan who will ask another obsessive Wilco fan, "What do you think of 'Wilco - the Album?'" And they will reply, "It's OK." And I won't buy it. For years. It came out in 2009 and I bought it at the used record store last week for $4.99. I am that kind of fan. And then when I do buy it, and listen to it, of course, I love it, and I say to myself, "It's more than OK. It's freaking great."

And I'm the kind of Fan who should have known it, all along. I love every album of their's that I own, plus I often watch their great DVD - "Ashes of American Flags." I mean, I watch it often, over and over. And every time I think to myself, "I love this band." Sometimes I actually get tears in my eyes thinking about how much I love this band.

And still. I often take them for granted. Underestimate them. They have two recent records that I haven't even gotten to yet... I am that kind of Fan...what's wrong with me?!

Life. In the Studio. In Life.

I'm not ready to let Bruce Springsteen go... (see previous post).

I really, really enjoyed reading Bruce's insights on performing live, and recording music in the studio.  Nothing is casual. It's the most important stuff. Performance is like Communion: a holy, sacred thing. Even if you're up on a tiny stage for a few folks bashing out an indelicate version of  "Louie, Louie." It's a "you" and "them" thing, making one grand, glorious "one."

And if you've ever been in a "big-time recording studio," (by big-time I mean, can a band, with a full drum-kit, bass, guitar & percussion all play together in one room with a singer in a separate booth coming thru headphones?) you will greatly appreciate the stories of Bruce and the E Street Band on their journey together thru recording sessions for "Born to Run," and "Darkness on the Edge of Town."

If you've been there, (I've recorded two records with whitewolfsonicprincess in a big-time studio), lots of good stuff from Bruce on the process of getting a good guitar or drum sound. The essential things. And when he talks about spending uncountable hours, days, weeks, years in the studio, well, it will ring a bell for sure for anyone who has been there. Mixing? Did you say mixing?! Do you have any idea what is hidden within that little word, mixing?! If you haven't done it, you just don't know, but if you have, you do, you surely, surely do.

There is a magic alchemy of elements that can reveal the essence of a song. Sometimes it happens just once. Lightening. A butterfly. A cloud. A vapor trail. Each sound has it's frequency, it's place, there are infinite possibilities, choices, and it's all up to your ears, your engineer's technical proficiency, and your "creative sensibilities."

You realize the little things, tiny things, the almost over-looked things can have seismic consequences. That's in the studio, and in life too.  So anyway, yes, Bruce. Still rattling around in my head.

Springsteen Goes to the Dark Places...

I finished reading Bruce Springsteen's memoir, "Born to Run." A beautiful, powerful book. No surprise. Springsteen worked on it over 7 years. He is not afraid to delve into the dark places of his life, his soul, his psyche. It's quite the epic American journey. Unlikely, inspiring, insightful.

When you think of Springsteen you recall the 3 hour plus r&r extravaganzas. Blood, sweat and tears splashed across the stage. Exuberant, thrilling, rocking, balls-to-the-wall. I was lucky to catch Springsteen and the E Street band in their glorious prime on "The River" tour, circa 1980? One of the great shows. No doubt.

Listen to the records. It's all there too. The darkness. The exuberance. The pain. The joy. The contradictions of being a human being. Springsteen's music has always been grounded to a time and place, but at the same time those times, those places were difficult places to be:

Oh-oh, Baby this town rips the bones from your back, 

It's a death trap, it's a suicide rap

You end up admiring the man's work ethic. His commitment to his art, his life. You marvel at his ambition, determination and ability to risk everything for his r&r dream. At the same time you are kind of stunned to find that the man also suffered from supreme indecision, crippling depression, deep rage, and an ability to swim in the deep dark places.

Springsteen was able to "escape" from his childhood dead-end in the "swamps of New Jersey," but there is no escaping the life-long demons we all have to contend with. Maybe that's why Springsteen and his music has always spoken to me. He embodies all the the light, and all the darkness, and he's fearless in showing everything.

Believe in All of These...

It is the True Believers who give "believing" a bad name. You have to be wary of folks who decide that other folks should think, act and be just like them. You have to be wary of folks who want to build walls, round up people, remake the world according to some big idea clouding up their feeble, unsound, incomplete brains.

If you are gonna believe in something, make it something big and impossible... something that can drive you, make you crazy, give you peace, keep you alive, but won't fuck with other people.  Believe in something like, no, believe in every something like these:

Sin
Redemption
Grace
Bad Luck
Contradiction
Imperfection
Perfection
Salvation
Damnation
Heaven
Hell
Gods
Devils
Chance
Randomness
Chaos
Love
Hate
Indifference
Music
Science
Religion
Atoms
Gravity
Evolution
Creation
Masturbation
Sex
Drugs
R&R
Poetry
Transcendance
Work
The Good
The Bad
The Ugly
Uncertainty
Mystery
The Great Cloud of Unknowingness
Etc.

Russia is the 3rd Rate Circus Clown's Banana Skin!

According to NBC News (not fake), Putin wants to get inside Trump's head. Seems like a really dangerous & frankly disgusting idea. Toxic territory. There are some choice nuggets in this article:

"Among its preliminary conclusions is that the new American leader is a risk-taker who can be naïve, according to a senior Kremlin adviser."

Fedorov added: "Trump is not living in a box — he is living in a crowd. He should listen to the people around him especially in the areas where he is weak."

The issue of Russia "is now a kind of banana skin for Trump — that's why we should avoid any kind of step that could damage Trump," said Fedorov. "Trump cannot come to a meeting with Putin as a loser — he must sort out his domestic problems first."

Yes, Russia is now The 3rd Rate Circus Clown's "banana skin." So true!

"It Ain't No Sin to Be Glad You're Alive!"

I'm reading Bruce Springsteen's memoir, nearly finished. So good. Sends me off in so many directions. No one has written more vividly about the experience of performing & recording music. Redemptive. Soul-enriching. Bruce is a man who totally sacrificed himself on the Altar of R&R. He really did offer himself up to the r&r dream. Had no alternative, no back up plan.

A young kid from the "swamps of Jersey." Catholic. Irish & Italian. Risked everything he had. And he pretty much just had himself. He had no advantages. A hard childhood, no real-world skills. A sheltered "Mama's Boy." All he had was glimmer of a dream, and his own ambition, drive, commitment.

It's all in his music. It's all written in the records. I am driven back to the music, especially: Born to Run, The Wild, the Innocent, the E-Street Shuffle, The Rising...

And what I suppose is my all-time favorite Springsteen album: Darkness on the Edge of Town. It's so elemental. Deep. Powerful. Haunting. The E-Street band live in the studio. Each song a short story. Little vignettes. Holds together as one cohesive narrative. I have been doing some concentrated listening. Always energized when I spin it. 

This line, (and many others too), keeps popping into my head, over and over:

"It ain't no sin to be glad you're alive."

People Don't Like to Hear the Truth!

Reading Bruce Springsteen's memoir now. Almost finished. Beautifully written. Epic American life. I was reminded of this song, "American Skin."

It's Springsteen's song about Amadou Diallo, a 23 year old immigrant from Guinea gunned down by plain-clothes New York City Cops. 41 shots. He was reaching for his wallet. And died in a hail of bullets. He was hit by 19. 

"Diallo was unarmed, and a firestorm of controversy erupted subsequent to the event as the circumstances of the shooting prompted outrage both within and outside New York City. Issues such as police brutality, racial profiling, and contagious shooting were central to the ensuing controversy."

And there's this: "All four officers were charged with second-degree murder and acquitted at trial in Albany, New York.[1]"

What can you say?! That's an American Story. Sad to say.

In New York this song was quite controversial. The Fraternal Order of Police claimed Springsteen was "a floating fag," (whatever that means) and he was greeted with boos when he first performed the song with the E Street Band.

Bruce was reminded that stepping into America's "race thing," is always controversial. It was then, it is now.

"Black Lives Matter," right? People were pissed just because Bruce wrote a song, and suggested that there were at least two sides to the story. And really a Black Man was gunned down for no reason.  Bruce said the best comment he heard about it all, was from an elderly Black Woman, "People don't like to hear the truth."

Ain't it the truth? Great song... sad... true...

"Enemies Unite!"

I remember Richard Nixon & Watergate. It was a dark time in America. The President was up to dark and nefarious things. He was paranoid, and saw enemies in every corner. As the scandal unraveled we even found out that Nixon had an enemies list. The man who compiled the list, John Dean revealed existence of the list during the June, 1973 Watergate Hearings. Just another bombshell that summer.

The official purpose of the list was to "screw" Nixon's opponents by means of tax audits. Nixon was a dark, paranoid, vindictive man. Luckily for the country, the Watergate Scandal brought him down.

I am reminded of this because of one of The Third Rate Circus Clown's latest Tweets. Yes. He still tweets. Here it is: 

"The FAKE NEWS media (failing @nytimes, @NBCNews, @ABC, @CBS, @CNN) is not my enemy, it is the enemy of the American People!"

BTW, Kevin Drum points out  the original Tweet posted was quickly deleted, edited and reposted. Some fascinating edits. You wonder what goes through that man's mind? Don't really want to spend too much time in there. But still... what a head-case.

The 45th President of the USA see enemies in every corner. Basically anyone who does not kiss his pinky ring. He thinks the FREE PRESS is "the Enemy of the People." It would be laughable if it wasn't so chilling. Or maybe it's laughable and chilling.

As Kevin Drum puts it: "Oh, and by the way, calling the press an enemy of the people really is pretty Hitleresque. Unfortunately, I have a feeling that an awful lot of Trump's supporters might not really consider that such a bad thing."

BTW - "Enemies of the People," was one of Josef Stalin's favorite catch-phrases... just saying...

This is a bold statement by America's very own aspiring, wanna-be, Autocrat. He is taking a page out of the Authoritarian handbook. Can a U.S. President be successful attacking the Press, the U.S. Intelligence Community,  the Rule of Law, The Constitution, the Democrats, Immigrants, Etc. ?

So far (one month in), we have seen a disaster unfolding before our eyes. This is a totally self-made disaster. You wonder if the country can cleanse itself of this nasty virus.

We have to root for the Press, the Intelligence Community, the rule of Law, the Constitution and an engaged opposition. This President has decided he only represents his small slice of fans. Everyone else is his enemy.

I say "Enemies Unite!"

Trapped in a Scary, Warped, Fun-House of Horrors!

Unmoored from reality. Unhinged. Touched. Mad. Insane. Kooky. Nuts. Nutty. Silly. Wacky. Berserk. Cuckoo. Lunatic. Psycho. Screwball. Barmy. Bats in the Belfry. Bonkers. Cracked. Daft. Delirious. Flipped out. Fruity. Idiotic. Mad as a Hatter. Maniac. Nutty as a fruitcake. Unsound. Out of one's mind. Out to lunch. Around the bend. Screwy. Unglued.

I figure we need lots of new words to try to describe our so-called 45th President. Language. We need lots of creative language.

Hard to describe that man. The way he speaks. The way his mind works. Listen long enough and it's like being trapped in a scary, warped, fun-house of horrors.

"Rants and Raves!" Yes...

Josh Marshall takes a stab at describing  yesterday's stream of consciousness madness: "That press conference speaks for itself."

And he gives us the 8 craziest moments.

I am beginning to think that The 3rd Rate Circus Clown's fans just love the form, the symbol of the man. They love to see a big blowhard ranting at the Press, ranting against the Democrats, ranting about Hillary Clinton. They just love the form of the messenger.

They are not listening to the content of the rants. They aren't parsing the message. Anyone with any sensibility, any thinking human being that actually listens to what the man is saying realizes he is totally bonkers. Out of touch. Unmoored from reality. 

The Dude did not answer any of the burning questions gripping D.C. He just dug himself deeper into the fog of the Russian Dupe in the White House Mystery.  

We have a major problem on our hands. 

The Spooks Against the President!

The Spooks against the President. Foreign and Domestic Spooks. That's the battle going on right now. Looks like the Spooks have the goods on the President. 

What are the goods? The President has been doing dark, nefarious things with the Russians. Passing $ and bodily fluids. And, oh yeah, there's hacking, emails, and disinformation.

The President's Party is trying hard, oh so hard, to look the other way. It is a pretty amazing act of mass denial. 

How does all this end? Don't really know. But the stakes are high. The fate of our Democracy hangs in the balance.

The Free Press is the conduit. The Spooks feed info to the mass media beast, and then we all watch the fireworks. Seems like there is much more to come. Will we find out the truth? Every last juicy bit of truth? 

I have no idea. But it is all quite entertaining, baffling, and unbelievable. Not Fake News. The story. The dark, nefarious, subterranean story unfolding, unraveling right before our eyes.

Maximally Juiced Political Scandal: A Russian Mole in the White House!

A Russian Mole in the White House. A tight cabal colluding with Russian Intelligence to upturn an election and install a Russian Dupe in the office of the Presidency.

That is the story that has been floating before our eyes for the last year or so. We see it in plain sight, but it's sort of like an unlikely mirage. We doubt our eyes. We doubt the narrative. We ask ourselves, "Can it really be true?"

Josh Marshall grapples with the question. He can't quite make the leap that Moby takes (see previous post). Moby (yes, Moby!), is ahead of the curve. But Josh is heading in the same direction.

I, of course, have also made the leap with Moby. Sure. The 3rd Rate Circus Clown is a Russian Dupe. And Flynn was a Russian Mole placed right at the heart of the new administration. No doubt. 

And some of this has been obvious all along. So obvious, it's kind of been the invisible fact.

The NYTimes has the bombshell report this morning: "Trump Campaign Had Repeated Contacts with Russian Intelligence."  This story is unraveling. Turbo-speed. Fascinating.

Kevin Drum at Mother Jones spells it out for us: "Just to make this clear: At the same time that Russian intelligence was hacking various email accounts in order to sabotage Hillary Clinton, multiple members of the Trump team had repeated phone calls with senior Russian intelligence officials. And during this entire time, Trump himself was endorsing a foreign policy that appeared almost as if it had been dictated to him by Vladimir Putin."

Think: Watergate on Steroids. Which kind of makes sense, right? The Russians are famous for their expert doping. So this is a Maximally Juiced Political Scandal!

And really this kind of political disaster, maximal debacle could not happen to a more deserving human being. Karma! The 3rd Rate Circus Clown has asked for it. Practically demanded it. He is so full of himself, so full of shit, and now he faces a major shit-storm of his own doing.

You could not come up with a better screenplay. Although, most folks would probably tell you it sort of stretches the plausibility factor. But sometimes the truth looks implausible. Funny. That.

Holy Shite... It's True... The Third Rate Circus Clown Really Has Been Compromised by Russia All Along. And the Great Unraveling Begins.

Holy Shite... 

Michael Flynn, The Third Rate Circus Clown's back channel to Russia resigns! It seems it's true, the Third Rate Circus Clown really has been compromised by Russia all along...

It has been the big story floating around before our very eyes and ears for a long time. It's such a big, strange, story, it was almost impossibly hard to see.

We thought that Russia did a little hack-job during the election to sabotage Hillary. But there is so much more to the story. And it is starting to unravel. Big time.

The clock is now ticking down on The Clown's time in the White House. What are my sources for all this? TPM, NYT, Washington Post. Any credible news source with a thinking, breathing reporter.

This is the big story of our time. Our 45th President really was/is a Russian asset.  But now comes the great unraveling.

And then there are the incredible sources too...

When you have lost the fringe pop culture world too, you know you are toast. Even folks like Tom Arnold and Moby the great Techno musician, (Isn't "Play" one of the greatest records of all time?), you know the Clown's time is short.

This was the strangest little post yesterday from Moby... I know, sounds kooky, I'm quoting Moby, right?! But who knows? Is it plausible Moby has credible sources in Washington D.C. Credible or Incredible. You decide!

I do think Moby wanted to get ahead of the curve and show how smart and clued in to D.C. he really is... the is holy shite material... but to me this all seems pretty damn plausible...

Here's Moby on Instagram:

after spending the weekend talking to friends who work in dc i can safely(well, 'accurately'...) post the following things: 1-the russian dossier on trump is real. 100% real. he's being blackmailed by the russian government, not just for being peed on by russian hookers, but for much more nefarious things. 2-the trump administration is in collusion with the russian government, and has been since day one. 3-the trump administration needs a war, most likely with iran. at present they are putting u.s warships off the coast of iran in the hope that iran will attack one of the ships and give the u.s a pretense for invasion. 4-there are right wing plans to get rid of trump. he's a drain on their fundraising and their approval ratings, and the gop and koch brothers and other u.s right wing groups are planning to get rid of trump. 5-intelligence agencies around the world, and here in the u.s, are horrified by the incompetence of the trump administration, and are working to present information that will lead to high level firings and, ultimately, impeachment. i'm writing these things so that when/if these things happen there will be a public record beforehand. these are truly baffling and horrifying times, as we have an incompetent president who is essentially owned by a foreign power. -moby

A Blood-Sport of Sporting Dolts!

I hear this morning The Third-Rate Circus Clown is meeting with Justin Trudeau Prime Minister of Canada today. My first thought: Embarrassing! I mean for us!

I read this morning that the "rats are jumping ship!"  Already folks who work for The Clown, people in his "inner circle" are sharpening their knives for each other. When you are a rat, you don't trust rats! Just rats just ratting out rats!

This just cracks me up: "Many do not believe he has surrounded himself with people who know how to get from point A to point B in Washington." Really? You think?!

So many leaks, so much incompetence, so much bad blood. That's the Clown's team. A blood-sport of sporting dolts.  Sort of medieval. Who will be the first to go down? Who will be thrown under the bus? 

Enquiring minds want to know!

"Transnational Menace!"

Gary Kasparov - Russian chess grandmaster, former World Chess Champion, writer, and political activist, whom many consider to be the greatest chess player of all time.

He has lots of experience living with Vladimir Putin and his "transnational menace." 

And now in the USA, that transnational menace is smack dab in the middle of our political consciousness. We, the thinking, caring people of the country are now all political dissidents very much like Kasparov. We are playing a grand game of chess with an Imbecile  - the fool, the idiot.

The Imbecile is a formidable opponent. He doesn't know what he doesn't know. And even worse, he doesn't really care. He is such an imbecile he doesn't think any of the rules apply to him.

The Imbecile = The Third-Rate Circus Clown, and he is the kind of total fool that would say... "I alone can fix it!" Or... “I was a good student. I understand things. I comprehend very well, OK? Better than, I think, almost anybody."

Be sure to read  Kasparov on how best to oppose the man: "Making him look like a loser!" Life rolls on. We must do what we must do. But we are all in politics now. Each and every one of us. 

And be sure to laugh at the Imbecile. Ridicule is our best weapon. 

Saturday Night Live is so funny and relevant now. See Alec Baldwin, Melissa McCarthy and Weekend Update: 

The Third-Rate Circus Clown = Paper Tiger!

Yes. Funny. After one phone call it seems that the Chinese leadership has already decided that our Third-Rate Circus Clown is really just a "Paper Tiger" -   One that is outwardly powerful or dangerous but inwardly weak or ineffectual.

The Bully is actually a big, blubbering coward. All talk, big words, lots of noise, signifying nothing. Some of us have known this for a long time. Some of us (most of the GOP for instance), have been "hornswoggled"  - see also bamboozle, beguile, bluff, buffalo, burn, catch, con, cozen, delude, dupe, fake out, fool, gaff, gammon, gull, have, have on[chiefly British], hoax, hoodwink, deceive, humbug, juggle, misguide, misinform, mislead, snooker, snow, spoof, string along, sucker, suck in, take in, trick.

And don't forget: kid, put on, tease; bleed, cheat, chisel, defraud, diddle, euchre, flam, fleece, gyp, hustle, mulct, rook, shortchange, skin, squeeze, stick, sting, swindle.

One phone call. Those Chinese are no dummies. The Emperor is no Emperor. Naked as a Jaybird!

Words...

A film. A flam. A shim. A sham. A con. A ripoff. A fraud. 

A Carnival Barker. A Confidence Man. A Flim-Flam Man. 

A Liar. A Cheat. A Sore Loser. A Sore Winner. 

Egotist. Narcissist. Sociopath. 

Vulgar. Ignorant. Bully. Baby.

Unhealthy. Unsound. Unbearable.

4 years... ?

No. Me thinks the Implosion comes much sooner...

"Shop wisely, Grasshopper!"

The Third-Rate Circus Clown, and his wife, and his daughter and sons may think that the Presidency is just a great branding opportunity, a way to make $, and swim in a vast sea we should or should not call "Conflicts of Interest," but the American Consumer does not have to play along.

We vote with our votes. And we vote with our $. So yes, boycotting certain companies because they support the new regime is a good idea. Supporting companies who speak up against retrograde actions should be applauded and encouraged and supported with our $. More than 100 companies, some of the most important and successful companies in America (for instance), are loudly and proudly declaring they do not support the Third-Rate Circus Clown's "Travel Ban."

And yes, we as smart consumers can crush the brand! Refuse to stay at those brand hotels - they are garish, over-built monstrosities. Don't buy the steaks, don't attend the University (oh never mind, I think that idea got sued out of existence). Don't support or further the fraud!

Yes, even at the Great Altar of Consumerism, the Super Bowl, companies unveiled pretty strong "political" commercials, pointing out the strength of multiculturalism, immigration, and inclusion. Everything is political now. There is no safe place of neutrality. We all must choose sides. And those who choose not to choose are choosing too.

These are extraordinary times. Seems we are wrestling with foundational truths and meanings. What is America? Who is American? What is right and good and true? We all have to answer the bell. Now. Vote. Participate. Spend your $ judiciously. Strategically. Shop wisely, Grasshopper!