Welcome to The Drunken News.
     My only journalism class was in ninth grade.  I got edited for my content, so I said, "Fuck it, I'll never take a journalism class again."

     Here is a friendly shot of Tomato and Vodka mix from a very nice bartender....   :)

     Here is a napkin art of mine, with a local celebrity tucking it in his shirt...

     Here is the guy who yelled out all of a sudden..."You disgusting Americans!"  Then he pissed in the grill by the flower pot.  Hey, I don't judge, I just report the news,...but yeah, I really hate this guy.  He threatened a couple of weeks ago to leave and never come back, but he broke his promise.   Grrrrr.

     Here is one of my favorite napkin arts, placed by one of Vera's photographs, or 'peectures' as she calls them.  She is a nutjob.  That is my opinion.  However, many people share that opinion with me.

     There is so much that has happened in the last two days, I can't even begin to write it down right now.  Maybe I'll get around to it, maybe not.
                        

     Author's Notes:

1.   Vera moved back to Russia, the last time I heard, and I am glad for that.  She was very paranoid, and
      would laugh and talk to herself.

The Epidemic

     Not much happened last night, except that I got annoyed with some man who was trying to sell me some dope.
     When I saw him, I turned my back to him, and I was staring at a wall, and he still managed to bother me.
     The guy couldn't take a hint that I didn't want to talk to him.
     So, he decided to bother me.
     An argument ensued, and it wasn't pretty.
     It is a real hard thing to mind your own business in this town.

Author's Notes:

 1.  It is an epidemic in San Francisco for people to ask other people for things, mostly spare change.
      There is not a place in San Francisco where you can walk freely without someone asking you for
      something.  I am disturbed by it.  Others just tolerate it as a fact of life.
             Often times I'll be minding my own business, thinking some pleasant thoughts, and all of
      a sudden, I'll hear, "Hey, bro, got some change?"
             I find it unnerving, and rude.
             Then if you react in a way they don't like, or according to script, they get upset, and it becomes
      a whole drama.

Honest Reporting for Christ's sake

     One thing is for sure, and that is that 'The Drunken News' is heavily influenced by alcohol.  That means you'll get honest reporting.  ( I've been called a liar with what I write, so I don't know.  The person who said that isn't too credible in my eyes, so I really don't know.   I know of one person who has said 'he is insane'.  Take it for what it is worth.  I don't exactly believe that myself, just so you know. )

     Anyway, it was a good time making napkin art last night.  I enjoyed myself.  I drank some beers, and painted to my heart's content, which made me feel real good.

     Also, my friend took me to a topless strip club.  We each had a vodka cran, and we looked at the women.  A couple of them were real cute.

     I like to watch dancers, and to make drawings from them.  My imagination goes wild, as the flood gates  of the imagination open up.

     To tell you what goes on with me nightly, well, I go up to my favorite bar on my bike, and I order a Raineer, and then I paint until closing time.  Often, I get some sales, which helps to support my drinking.  Some nights are good, some bad, but I always get a story or two of what goes on with people.

     I mostly try to keep people anonymous, unless I really hate them, lol.  Because as you know, what happens in a bar, should stay in a bar.  We wouldn't want people's secrets getting out there, not that I think it would matter anyhow.  However, I try to be polite and respectful of people's right to privacy.  Unless it is a story that everybody needs to know about, then it is my policy not to blow the lid off of things.

     ( Some people have such inflated egos, that they think what I write about them really matters to the world at large.  First of all, no one really cares about North Beach, much less people's little lives.  I've talked to people in San Francisco who don't even know where North Beach is, for Christ's sake. )

     I'm just sitting here thinking about gearing up for another night.  The hardest part of my job is making the decision to get off of my ass and bicycle up there yet again.  I've often sat for an hour dreading the chore.  But once I am on my bike riding, it is a good time, so I don't know why I procrastinate.  Maybe it is because painting is hard, and I enjoy the comforts of being in my studio.  However, sitting here nets me no money at all, so therefore I have to venture out nightly.

     It's not a bad life.  I have fun, and if there is nobody there to entertain me, I amuse myself.

* * * * *

Author's Notes

1.  Nothing too offensive on this entry.

Falling Down

     Jessica fell down again last night, but she was okay.  I worry about her sometimes.  Then again, I worry about myself, too, with good reason.
     Part of being a good alcoholic is knowing when to call it quits, and go home.
     Otherwise, you risk losing faction points.
     The only memory you should ever give a bartender is the thought of a good tip.  Then they think of you well, if they think of you at all.  ( This is really good advice. )


     Anyway, it was a good night of cards.  I won a couple of games.  My opponents weren't too happy about that.
     Truck 'em.  They would kill me with no mercy at any given moment.

     The whole show is going to start again in a couple of hours.

     I did my napkin art thing at the cafe, and I thought about last night.  Not too much to think about.  The same old people show up at the bar every night.  I see the same old people doing the same old thing.  It bores me.

     This happens at the cafe, too, where I just see people sit there, and they stare into space.  They don't even bring a book.  They expect others to entertain them.  There are those who entertain themselves and others, and there are those who expect to be entertained.

     I was thinking today, "Dang, I wish others would entertain me."

     I put on a show every day with my art.

     The thing I hate is when people look and stare and they don't say a word.  I already made the art, does that mean I have to reel them in, too?  It probably does.  It is hard to be a working artist, salesman, and friend all at the same time.  I admire anyone who can do it.  ( I'm getting better at this.  I now call it 'pulling teeth' where I have to work hard to reel in a potential customer because sometimes they are too shy to talk to me about my art.  When they stare at me and what I'm doing, it drives me insane.  I wish they would just say 'hello'.  Instead, I have to initiate.  It's a pain in the ass to do, but it looks like I have to do it from now on. )


     I could definitely use some people skills, that is for sure.  But then, on the other hand, I don't want to be a kiss ass, and sell to any random person who comes by.  Most people at the cafe don't have any money to spend on my art, anyhow.  Otherwise, they would have bought from me by now.  ( I'll sell to anybody at this point.  It doesn't matter anymore. )

     Anyway, I have to gear up for another night of napkin art at the bar.  The hardest part of the job is making myself get there.

     I forgot who is 'Red Wine Jessica' and who is 'White Wine Jessica'.  I'll have to find out again tonight.

     ( Red Wine wears the strawberry cap.  White Wine is the talker. )

     Wish me luck, and thanks for reading.

     I don't know what I am going to do with 'The Drunken News' yet.  I'm going to play it by ear.

* * * * *

Author's notes

     1.  Ooh, mentioning the 'Jessicas'.

     Hello, it is October 4, 2012.  I seem to have gotten some hits on this blog, so I might as well write some more for 'The Drunken News' to keep people entertained.

     I don't have anything to write about, however.  All I know is that I got a 40 oz. of Mickey's, and I'm rip-roaring to go.  Maybe something will pop up.

     Anyway, I like to type, so maybe that is my impetus, which means 'my driving force' or the thing that keeps me going.

     Anyhow, to continue, well, it's been my art project to show up at the bar every night for a year.  It is October now, and I have not missed a day.  Funny enough, I'm not the only one who shows up to the bar every night.  There are more than a few of these people.

     I started my Napkin Art January 1st, and it is going good.  I am making a living at it.  I am surprised as much as anybody.  I didn't know it would work so well.

     Recently, I broke my record of Napkin Art sold in a night.  The record is now $230, up from $185.  I thought the previous record would never be broken.  I just thought I got extremely lucky.  How wrong I was, and thank god for that.  Now I know, that even $230 can be broken.  That will be fantastic when that happens.  I'm all for it.

     My three day record was established, too.  Including the $230, in the next two days I sold more each night, so the three day record is now $370.  That is not bad.  Then the following day, on a Sunday, I made $0.  It happens.  It figures, but there are always events to keep me humble.  One of these events is going to the cafe during the day, and not selling anything.  Sober people don't buy art, that much is proven.

     Anyway, I will be going out to the bar in an hour or two, if I can get it together.  This is not always an easy thing to do.

     One thing I always have to deal with is poets.  Always on Wednesdays and Thursdays, they gather together and talk their hot air stuff, and it creates a stifling arena for me to make art in.  So, I have to deal with that, trying to paint while they massage each others' egos.  My, what fun that is for me.  It is often negative, since they just end up raising their voices instead of calmly talking about the issues.  In a way, I am glad that somebody gets heated up over some intellectual topics, but why they have to do it in front of me is a burden, especially when I am trying to create.
     Plus, they call themselves poets, but I never see them write anything, haha.

     Anyhow, I go into the bar, order a Raineer, set up my paints, and let it rip.  Sometimes even I don't even know what will happen.  It all depends on who comes into the bar.

     It is not my intent with 'The Drunken News' to start naming names, or to give out personal information of people.  I'm just here to give the gist of what goes on.  None of my readers care about who it actually is, and it doesn't matter anyway, because what is the point?  There is no point.  In any case, I have nicknames for a lot of people, and that will work in many instances.  ( As it turned out, people do want to know who I'm talking about, and more than a few have asked to be written about. )

     I do know one thing.  Certain people I hang out with while I am painting, well, let's just say that some people help to facilitate my sales, and some don't.  I know of at least one guy that I absolutely do not want at my table while I am painting.  He doesn't like my art for one thing, and doesn't really believe in what I am doing, so fuck him.  Who needs him?  I certainly don't.  ( This is The Big Lebowski.  His position still has not changed. )

     I'm definitely not the biggest fan of pot-smokers you will ever meet.  It kind of takes away your desire to do things.  To smoke enough of it kind of makes you not want to do anything, not that you could at that point anyway.

     Pot affects people in different ways, that is for sure.  I'll smoke it occasionally as a social thing, but I don't enjoy it all that much.  My favorite way to get stoned is just to breath it in second-hand.  It is a good way to avoid all the coughing, and I get just the right buzz.

     Anyway, there is so much that goes on at the bar, I don't even know where to start.  I don't think it is my business to tell people's details when they are in a bar.  What happens in a bar should stay in a bar, just like in Vegas.
     What I do like about bars and alcohol, is it is a truth serum.  It almost never fails.  The truth always comes out.
     Well, that's about it for me right now.  I have a lot to do before I jet out to the bar tonight.  Thanks for reading.  I appreciate anybody who reads my writing.

* * * * *

Author's notes:

$230 still has not been broken.

This is a funny entry.  I'll have to work on it some more.

This is the first mention of 'The Big Lebowski'.  He is a nice, and a smart guy.  However, I beat him in Magic The Gathering the last four out of five weeks, so I don't know what to think of his tactics.