I just got back from taking my son to the dentist, and for the hundredth time, I wondered who on earth makes all of the "dental art" you see in dentist offices across America. You know what I'm taking about: the piece of stained glass in the shape of a molar; the needle-pointed smiling mouth; the dentist figurine holding a little sign that reads, "I was dentist of the year and all I got was a little plaque."

I have been in a dozen dentists' -- and orthodontists' -- offices, and every single one of them has some sort of "dental art." What makes it slightly perplexing is that I  know hundreds of artists, and have never heard of one who specializes, or even dabbles, in tooth art. Nor have I ever seen any of these anti-cavity crafts for sale at a craft show.

It must be friends and family members of the dentists who make this stuff, but for all I know, there's a huge dental art movement going on, and I'm the last to know. 

From the moment I heard the first few lines of the first song on Suzanne Vega's self-titled record, I was a fan. It was 1985, I was 14, and the only female singer-songwriters I knew were those piping from my mother's speakers: Cary Simon, Joan Baez, Helen Reddy.

But Vega's music was different -- edgy and poetic lyrics -- with a voice both girlish and womanly, a quality I would later love in so many others, notably Bjork, Karen Peris and Joanna Newsom.

In her latest effort, called "Beauty and Crime," Vega conjures up an upbeat collection of folk-torch songs to New York City. When I first read that the Big Apple was her muse for the new record, I instantly lowered my expectations. It reminded me too much of a "Sex In The City" episode five years ago called "I Heart New York" where Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) forgets about men for a moment and metaphorically types a love letter to NYC.

However, after listening to Vega's record just one time, I bagged my skepticism. There's something very familiar about "Beauty," especially since her voice is as pure and sweet as it was 20 years ago. In fact, "Edith Wharton's Figurines" could have been on the first record, right after "Small Blue Thing."

But the 11 songs on "Beauty & Crime" are far from recycled versions of "Marlene on the Wall." Vega continues to add instrumentation and technology to her alt-folk narratives, creating danceable tunes like "Unbound" and "Zephyr & I." Critics and fans originally realized the dance club potential in her music in the early '90s, when Soul II Soul remixed Vega's popular song "Tom's Diner" (named for an Upper West Side Manhattan diner, the facade of which features in most episodes of "Seinfeld") into an infectious dance beat.

Since her early days singing about an abused kid named "Luka," Vega was in tune with the melancholy aspects of life. And indeed, the past few years dished up a few cold plates worthy of sullen reflection -- Vega lost her younger brother Tim to alcoh…

As an experience junkie, I value unusual and ridiculous opportunities. Hence, the chance to sit in a dunk tank this past weekend --  since I had never done it before and will probably never do it again -- was right up my alley.

Although I have good intentions, at this point in my life I'm unable to be as politically active in my neighborhood, Riverwest, as I would like to be. But, I do what I can, and when the Riverwest Neighborhood Association (RNA) asked me to sit in their fundraising dunk tank for 20 minutes during Center Street Daze, I was happy to do my part.

About two hours before I was scheduled to sit in the tank -- I started my shift at 4:20 p.m., which is funny to some people and you know who you are -- I thought about what I would wear. I considered the obvious swimsuit option, but then remembered I had a nurse's costume somewhere from a mid-'90s Halloween party.

The costume was easier to find then I thought it would be, and once I tried it on and decided I looked OK in it, I decided to wear it. Wearing a costume to sit in a dunk tank during Center Street Daze keeps with the "anything goes" spirit of Riverwest, and it also allowed me to make jokes about being a "wet nurse." (Bah-dum-dum.)

Luckily, the weather was amazing on Saturday, and as I walked into the festival in my nurse's costume, I got a lot of smiles and nods. My friend Melissa was sitting in the tank when I arrived, getting dunked three or four times in a five-minute period. I guess I didn't realize I was going to go down quite so many times.

In a 20-minute shift, I did take the plunge at least 10 times, probably closer to 15 or 20, but I lost count. I had one nasty water-up-the-nose situation, but for the most part, it was really fun, albeit unnerving when the ball is in mid-throw and I didn't know if I was taking the plunge or not.

The best part of the experience was getting to heckle the ball throwers, and saying things that I have never said before (and will most like…

I saw an incredible documentary during the LGBT Film festival called "For the Bible Tells Me So," and it's showing again during the Milwaukee International Film Festival. I urge everyone in the city to see it.

The documentary reveals how anti-gay bias is based solely on a misinterpretation of the Bible by profiling five American families, including those of former House Majority Leader Richard Gephardt and Episcopalian Bishop Gene Robinson. It shows how people of strong faith came around to varying degrees to accept their gay child -- unfortunately in one family situation when it was too late.

I saw this film with two gay friends and a "straight" friend, and all four of us  laughed, cheered and wept during this film. We walked away deeply saddened by the reality of being gay in America -- especially for those coming out to religious families -- but we also felt a sense of hopefulness.

After all, if these conservative codgers learned to understand and accept gay people, anyone can. Jesus certainly would have, right?