Monday, June 23, 2008

Life in Blue by, Myself


The sun casts a blue shimmer
On the oil slicked street
Lined with skinny, green trees
And pedestrians on the sidewalk
It is on the hot, sticky roadway
Where brakes screech
And metal collides with
Metal and the end result
Is all arms and legs akimbo
Out the doors and through
The windows.

More than four cars in this jumble
He guns it in reverse and screeches
Away from the accident scene
He has unwittingly caused again
Through the smoke-filled
Exhaust of fumy haze he hears
A child scream “mamma”
He is too drunk to understand
And thinks that it is the radio
He throttles on, bottle in hand
Impervious to the suffering
Behind him.

Still, the child screams “mamma”
Over the din of sirens and the
“Kaboom!” of the explosion
As it rocks the earth
Cratering the once peaceful
Intersection of motorists
Calmly going to the park,
Cinema, shops, and work
The explosion drowns the
Child’s cries.

All that is heard is sirens
And screams amongst the
Carcasses of cars blown
Hither and yon with nothing left
But the bright blue van stuck
Smack-dab in the middle of
The intersection.

Sunday, June 22, 2008

Metaphors by, Sylvia Plath (1932-1963)

Here is a poem by Sylvia Plath that is a nine-line structure, with nine syllables in each line. I would love to be this talented in poetry writing. This kind of writing is hard to do.

I'm a riddle in nine syllables,
An elephant, a ponderous house,
A melon strolling on two tendrils.
O red fruit; ivory fine timbers!
This loaf's big with its yeasty rising.
Money's new-minted in this fat purse.
I'm a means, a stage, a cow in calf.
I've eaten a bag of green apples,
Boarded the train there's no getting off.

Friday, June 20, 2008

Favorite Pictures

Have an X-citing Weekend

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Movies

Last night I saw the movie Savage Grace. This is an IFC film and it is based on the true life story of the Baekeland family, heirs to the Bakelite plastics fortune. It stars Julianne Moore, Stephen Dillane, Eddie Redmayne, and Elena Anaya. This movie is a great argument for bringing mental illness out of the closet. In this family, the father referred to psychiatry as "professionally amoral" and thus refused to pay for treatment for his son. This stance resulted in some extreme moral boundary pushing in terms of family behavior and eventual murder of the mother (Barabare Baekeland) by the son (Antony Baekeland). This movie was both beautiful and disturbing and I can't think of any other way to describe it.

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Favorite Pictures

I finally saw Sex and the City last week. I used to be rather addicted to this series, but decided to wait for two reasons 1) I just couldn't stand to fight the crowds in order to get a ticket and 2) I had a friend that I wanted to go with and had to wait until she was available. I loved the movie. Jennifer Hudson was incredible and beautiful and a wonderful addition to the cast. There was terrific eye candy and the girls were all true to their personalities. When the DVD comes out, I am planning to buy it and watch it again and again and again...

Sunday, June 15, 2008

Summer Fun

We went to the Forest Theater on the Kitsap Peninsula today for Father's Day. This is an outdoor theater and performances are given once to twice a year by the Mountaineer's Players. Today's performance was "Beauty and the Beast." The costumes were fabulous, the singing was average, and the weather was beautiful. We have had quite a run of rain and nasty weather here lately in Seattle, so this was a real blessing. Afterwards all of the kids hiked around the theater and played in the creek. All in all a pretty fantastic day. Learn more about the Forest Theater at http://www.foresttheater.com/. If you live out of state and are visiting this area in May-June and enjoy plays this is a really unique experience. They have been doing productions since 1923. The environment is very family friendly.

Saturday, June 14, 2008

Summer Fun

The Margarita King, Giovanni at the pool party

Some people were a bit overdressed


Manicures and pedicures were available on-site

Just a couple of friends who are glad to see each other

The two blondes


The Margarita King makes another round

This says it all and he works on an ice bar

Some people are happy just to hang out and look lovely

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Favorite Pictures


Poetry

This is an exercise that I completed recently and it is taken from the book "The Discovery of Poetry" by Frances Mayes. The task is to think of similes or metaphors that are unusual or surprising, ones that you may have never seen in print before, by completing phrases provided by the author. Here is my attempt.

The moon, broken off like...an unfinished symphony
A red flower, brilliant as...a strumpet's gown
Her fingers, delicate as...paint spatters
The island stretches out from the coast like...a stiletto heel
Your backbone ridged like...an unfinished metal edge
Soft as...chocolate swirls
That bicyclist, careening downhill like...Icarus' dripping wax wings
Crazy bird! Its song like...raw lemons
His monotonous voice like...sticky caramel chews
She spun off like...a maypole dancer
Days pass like...amber gems in sunlight

If you are interested at all in writing, this is a great exercise. There is no need to limit yourself to single line descriptions. I did this exercise with my writing group and some members did more lengthy descriptions that could actually be worked into short stories.

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Atomic Bride by, Thomas Sayer Ellis (For Andre Foxxe)

I recently found this poem and I really love it, so I must share:
A good show
Starts in the
Dressing room
And works its way
To the Stage
Close the door
Andre's cross-
dressing, what
A drag. All
The world loves
A bride, something
About those gowns.
A good wedding
Starts in the
Department store
And works its way
Into the photo album.
Close the door.
Andre's tying
The knot, what
A drag. Isn't he
Lovely? All
The world loves
A bachelor, some-
thing about glamour
& glitz, white
Shirts, lawsuits.
A good dog
Starts in the yard
And works its way
Into da house.
Close your eyes,
Andre's wide open.
One freak of the week
Per night, what
A drag. Isn't
He lovely? All
The world loves
A nuclear family,
Something about
A suburban home,
Chaos in order.
A good bride starts
In the laboratory
And works his way
To the church.
Close the door,
Andre's thinking
Things over, what
A drag. Isn't
He lovely? All
The world loves
A divorce, something
About broken vows.
A good war starts
In the courtroom
And works its way
To the album cover.
Close the door,
Andre's swearing in,
What a drag.
Isn't he lovely? All
The world loves
A star witness,
Something about
Cross-examination.
A good drug starts
In Washington
And works its way
To the dancefloor.
Close the door,
Andre's strungout,
What a drag,
Isn't he lovely? All
The world loves
Rhythm guitar.
Something about
Those warm chords.
A good skeleton
Starts in the closet
And works its way
To the top of the charts.
Start the organ.
Andre's on his way
Down the aisle,
Alone, what an encore. All
The world loves
An explosive ending.
Go ahead Andre,
Toss the bouquet.

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Music Reviews

I have a thought running through my head today and it just won't go away. I am going to follow it to completion by posting it on my blog. I am fed up with music reviewers, at least those that write reviews for the Seattle Times and The Seattle Post Intelligencer. Why all of the unnecessary comments regarding the age of the musicians or their burgeoning waistlines? Why all of the criticisms of the age of the fan base? I would love to ask one of these reviews if they plan to attend shows after turning thirty. The worst criticism that I read was of Exene Cervenka. After putting on a truly rockin' show at the Showbox, she was subjected to reviews of her weight gain by a local reviewer in the Seattle Times. Totally unnecessary, her weight wasn't even noticeable to me because her talent was superb and that hasn't changed in thrity years. This same idiot went on to comment about John Doe's age. Again as if! It just goes to show that even in the punk arena we as a culture can't seem to curb our obssession with appearance and then write about it as if that is all that matters. It is truly sad to see well written critiques of music take a back seat to talentless, celluloid journalism.

Monday, June 9, 2008

Sunday, June 8, 2008

Summer Fun







Do you ever wish you could party like a rock star and then come down with exhaustion to get out
of the consequences?? Are you secretly jealous of Lindsey, Paris, and Britney 'cause you too want to make sex tapes, drink until you pass out, attack innocent by-standers, hide out at rehab-spa's, and then get paid millions for your exclusive tell-all?? Then come dressed in your best scandalous celebrity costume and party 'til the wee hours to help celebrate Brittany's 25th birthday (booze and drugs provided)!!








Scandalous Celebrity Party

One of the mormom wives was there (baby in hand) with Tommy Lee!


Bret and Amber made an appearance


Donald Trump got in on the fun

Amy Winehouse stumbled in late

Saturday, June 7, 2008

The Passionate Shepherd to his Love, by Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593)

Come and live with me and be my love,
And we will all the pleasures prove
That valleys, groves, hills, and fields,
Woods, or steepy mountain yields.
And we will sit upon the rocks,
Seeing the shepherds feed their flocks,
By shallow rivers, to whose falls
Melodious birds sing madrigals.
And I will make thee beds of roses
And a thousand fragrant posies,
A cap of flowers, and a kirtle
Embroidered all with leaves of myrtle;
A gown made of finest wool,
Which from our pretty lambs we pull;
Fair lined slippers for the cold,
With buckles of the purest gold;
A belt of straw and ivy buds
With coral clasps and amber studs:
And if these pleasures may thee move,
Come live with me and be my love.
The shepherd swains shall dance and sing
For they delight each May morning:
If these delights thy mind may move,
Then live with me and be my love.

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Parenting

I was introduced, by my two youngest children, last night to a new Disney website http://tv.disney.go.com/disneychannel/originalmovies/myschoolmusical/ that allows children to video themselves singing and dancing to one of four High School Musical songs. Listeners are then invited to give feedback. All of the comments are chosen from a scroll down menu or from icons and all are positive. A child registers to perform and make comments using only a first name. I am clarifying this to show that some aspects of this website are controlled and could be deemed safe for children.

A friend of mine friend recently attended an internet safety class for children. This class was taught by the Washington State Patrol and hosted by our school district. In one of the demonstrations the officer found a picture of a cheeleader on- line. He only had her first name and state of residence. She was wearing her school uniform in the picture. My friend informed me that the officer was able to learn the cheerleaders last name, school, and home address in about 20 minutes on-line. Please keep this in mind as you read more of what I have to say about this new Disney website.



These are the questions that I found myself asking while viewing this website with my children:

Why are parents allowing their daughters to perform the Fabulous video, sometimes poolside, while wearing a swimsuit?

Are there no internet safety classes offered for these parents in their states?

Don't these parents know how easy it is for pedophiles to sit in the comfort and safety of their own homes while viewing children scantily clad and cavorting in swimsuits using hip thrusts and butt arches on the computer screen?

Don't these parents know that the internet is the new domain for these perverts and that they no longer need to call attention to themselves by leering from the cyclone fences of school playgrounds and parks across America?

To be fair, a good percentage of the girls performing to this song were wearing clothes. I know that Sharpay does wear a swimsuit and performs this number poolside in HSM 2, but when it comes to childrens safety, must we as parents replicate this kind of accuracy? I am not trying to be overly conservative, but I am concerned when I see things like this. I am concerned about the growing child pornography statistics and stupid parenting practices.



While I am on the subject, my concern about the nature of some (many are quite good) of the performances on this website extends to the boys as well. The site uses first names and gives the state of the child's location only. However, in the Get Your Head in the Game number I noticed several boys wearing uniforms that could, with minimal research, identify their location. I don't mean to sound paranoid, but parents confuse me with their over-protectiveness one minute and complete disregard for their child's safety the next.

Sunday, June 1, 2008