A Night at the Oscars from My Comfy Couch

I don't always watch them. In fact I did for years and then just sort of grew away from it but I did tune in last night. The funny thing is I really didn't see anything this year that was up for awards.

I think my interest this year was sparked a bit by the fact that in one way or another I felt connected because of a common thread of creativity. There were a couple of nominations that I did hope would be winners.

• An Inconvenient Truth for Best Documentary Feature - which won
• Two Hands for Best Documentary Short Subject - which didn't
• Happy Feet for Best Animated Feature Film - which won
• Peter O'Toole in Venus for Best Actor - which didn't

So I guess I was batting .500

I think the best line of the night has to go to Melissa Etheridge who won for her song "I Need to Wake Up" from An Inconvenient Truth when she said, "This is the only naked man that will ever be in my bedroom."

I know many tune in to see who is wearing what, but from an environmental standpoint it bothers me to see people spend lavishly thousands of dollars for a dress that they will wear one time. Is this really the best use of our renewable resources?

Ground Clutter

Rain and thunder rolled in this morning. A cold chill hangs in the air. It is quiet here, I've already taken the car in for routine maintenance bright and early this morning and back home already. So starts the weekend.

While in the waiting room at the dealership, I let my mind take hold of my pen and scratched out some stuff in my journal. Nothing spectacular came of it.

I kept thinking of things going on around the world this week:

• I thought of Vice President Cheney and I had to ask myself what drives this man to to be so caustic and discordant? His remarks aimed at both China and Iran are not helpful to constructive dialogue.
• I'm wondered what was going through the heads of the Jurors in the I. "Scooter" Libby trial?
• I envisioned the rats running around the NYC Taco Bell. "Which way to the boarder?"
• And the building at Walter Reed Army Hospital with U.S. soldiers who returned home from war facing struggles with psychological issues and housed in deplorable conditions and primarily caring for themselves.

You may think I have too much time on my hands. Perhaps, but in the quiet of a Saturday morning this poet is finding it hard to clear his head of ground clutter.

Poetry magazine creates unity through line breaks - Culture

Poetry magazine creates unity through line breaks - Culture

Interesting piece on Women Celebrating Poetry

Journal Bits

• Global runs both ways- big; all inclusive, / Shrinking; creating less distance, more interdependence.
• Cold War never ended- rather disappeared in hibernation. Recent rhetoric has awaken it.

Going Nowhere

I have today off. Of course Tuesday after a Monday holiday is like a Super Monday with at least 3 x the frustrations and demands.
But I guess that is so we learn to appreciate the regular Mondays. Have I convinced you, because it isn't working for me yet?

Congratulations are in order for Jilly Dybka who has two poems up over at storySouth.

Top News- Children's Book Stirs Battle With Single Word - AOL News

Top News- Children's Book Stirs Battle With Single Word - AOL News

Oh my God.... This is great. A book that won the Newberry Medal and the author uses the word Scrotum on the first page. Why, because she likes the way it sounds and because it conjured up an image of "...something green that comes up when you have the flu and cough too much. It sounded medical and secret, but also important.”

But people are getting their panties all twisted. Take Dana Nilsson, a teacher and librarian in Durango, Colo., wrote on LM_Net, a mailing list that reaches more than 16,000 school librarians. “How very sad.” She said, “This book included what I call a Howard Stern-type shock treatment just to see how far they could push the envelope, but they didn’t have the children in mind,”

In the story, Lucky, the main character hears the word through a hole in a wall when another character says he saw a rattlesnake bite his dog, Roy, on the scrotum. Anyone who sees this as something Howard Sternish has a pretty vivid imagination.

Senate Republicans nix Iraq resolution

On a 56 to 34 vote in the Senate today, Democrats with the help of a few Republicans fell 4 votes short of being able to advance the same resolution forward that the House passed - stating it's opposition the the Troop Surge in Iraq. The test vote Seven Republicans broke ranks with the Party Leadership to side with Democrats. While the vote on the on the resolution itself did not occur, it is clear that a majority of the Senate wanted this to happen and those in the majority on the test vote would likely have voted for the Resolution opposing the Troop Surge itself.

Both Houses of Congress are now understanding just how much the American public sees this war as a mistake and not worth the costs of American lives and the hundreds of billions in tax dollars we have already spent on it. Even as President Bush is sending to Congress a request for $100 billion more.

U.S. House of Representatives Vote Opposition to Bush's Troop Surge In Iraq

On a vote of 246 to 182 - The House approved H.Con Res 63 - A bill opposing the increase of some 21,000 troops to be sent to Iraq.

The stronger sex

The stronger sex-Arts & Entertainment-Books-Poetry-TimesOnline

Frieda Hughes on Poetry - London Times

Unconscious Mutterings Week 210

I say ... and you think ... ?

1. The best thing :: Peter Pan Peanut Butter
2. Hold :: hold on through the night
3. Rapture :: Taken
4. Cover :: Coveralls
5. Restrictive :: clothing
6. Baker :: Bread
7. Author :: writer
8. Pill :: Pill box
9. Months :: Dozen
10. Valentine’s Day :: Roses

12 Republicans Break Ranks on Iraq Resolution

A Washington Post article today says as many as a dozen House Republicans today broke ranks with the President over the Iraq Troop Surge.

untitled draft 2-14-07

Night was lost
In the fall through nowhere cracks
Separated by a tired,
Protracted strangulation
That squeezed the neck of all want
Till the last blood drops puddled below.

A spatula flipped the side over
The splatter of day
Crackled and sizzled
Opening wide-eyed A yellow yolk.

Writing Routine

This weekend I did little writing. This is pretty unusual for me. I have often gone about my days somewhat in a parallel to the routine that Sylvia Plath employed. Even if I am not writing, I am consciously alert, trying to zone in on something that could become a part of my next piece. This can become pretty intense at times.

If and when I hit a brick wall, I sometimes feel overwhelmed. This past week I reached a point of being overwhelmed while still turning out material with relative ease. This was a new situation for me and I decided to allow myself a bit of a break from the writing mindset this weekend. Instead, I turned out some submissions thinking this was still productive. Besides, I as less into the administrative side of it and have to psych myself up for it. In the end, I think it was a good decision.

They Can't Have Their Book Back

Book Policewoman Jackie Taylor [Mother of Cedar Grove Elementary School student] is unhappy with a book her 3rd grader brought home from the school library. "I understand that it is a book of poetry, but there is a fine line between poetry art and porn and this book's illustrations are absolutely offensive in every way," Taylor said. The book is I Saw Esau - a Schoolchild's Pocket Book. Taylor said she's not "giving them this book back, so it can disappear." [source]

Meet Mo

Mo is a rescue dog that came to live with us a few weeks ago. He was left abandoned in a backyard of a vacant house. He was malnourished and has a few other medical issues but he has a great disposition and has very easily come to trust us. He is simply a delight and we all love him!

Barry and Klaus have been for the most part accepting of him. Barry is not real fond of sharing his toys but that is pretty much a part of his whole daschund personality and nothing personal against Mo. He is on the other hand, quite willing to play with Mo's toys.

Reality Be Gone!

Had a KC Metro Verse meeting last night. Read a draft of a poem I've been working on. I have several new drafts in the can right now. I suppose this is a good thing. One I'm very close on.

I've been reading some submissions to the Rogue. I had some really nice work come in this week.

I have a question that perhaps someone can answer for me. What number to we call to vote the reality shows off TV?

The Iraq Troop Surge

The following members of the Senate [in a procedural motion ] went on record against allowing the Senate to consider S. 470 a resolution. This [S. 470] was a non-binding resolution expressing opposition to the President Bush's Surge of 21,500 additional troops to Iraq.

Alexander (R-TN)Allard (R-CO)Bennett (R-UT)Bond (R-MO)Brownback (R-KS)Bunning (R-KY)Burr (R-NC)Chambliss (R-GA)Coburn (R-OK)Cochran (R-MS)Corker (R-TN)Cornyn (R-TX)Craig (R-ID)Crapo (R-ID)DeMint (R-SC)Dole (R-NC)
Domenici (R-NM)Ensign (R-NV)Enzi (R-WY)Graham (R-SC)Grassley (R-IA)Gregg (R-NH)Hagel (R-NE)Hatch (R-UT)Hutchison (R-TX)Inhofe (R-OK)Isakson (R-GA)Kyl (R-AZ)Lieberman (ID-CT)Lott (R-MS)Lugar (R-IN)McConnell (R-KY)
Murkowski (R-AK)Reid (D-NV)Roberts (R-KS)Sessions (R-AL)Shelby (R-AL)Smith (R-OR)Snowe (R-ME)Specter (R-PA)Stevens (R-AK)Sununu (R-NH)Thomas (R-WY)Thune (R-SD)Vitter (R-LA)Voinovich (R-OH)Warner (R-VA)

Sadly these Senators would not allow the Senate to have a serious discussion on the matter.
Then as you can see below, Senator McCain didn't even have the guts to cast a vote.

These members were Not Voting - 4
Johnson (D-SD)* Landrieu (D-LA)
Martinez (R-FL)McCain (R-AZ)

* Johnson is in the hospital.

Poetry & Madness

"The courage of the poets is to keep ajar the door that leads into madness." ~Christopher Morley

Unconscious Mutterings week 208

I say ... and you think ... ?

1. Limit :: the sky
2. Voice :: recognition
3. Change :: very season
4. Expression: Same
5. Tailor :: made
6. Lemonade :: homemade
7. Thought :: police
8. Phoebe :: Friends
9. Impression :: first
10. Sister :: hood