Thursday, June 07, 2007
Broadcasters Win FCC Expletive Dispute - Forbes.com
The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Monday in favor of a Fox Television-led challenge to the policy and returned the case to the Federal Communications Commission to let the agency try to explain how its policy was not 'arbitrary and capricious.' The court said it doubted the FCC could."
Tomorrow Night at the Writers Place
Reading in the Round: Wilsons and Friends
June 8, 2007
8:00 p.m.
Riverfront Reading
at The Writers Place
Jeanie Wilson and Thomas Zvi Wilson will read from The Door into the Dream. Both poets have previous books to their credit. Thomas’ Deliberate and Accidental Acts came out in 1997; Jeanie’s Uncurling appeared in 2000. The Door into the Dream was listed in the KC Star’s 2006: The Year’s 100 Noteworthy Books. Jeanie currently serves as a board member for TWP, and Thomas formerly served as treasurer on the TWP board. Jeanie and Thomas host The Writers Place Poetry Reading Series held monthly at the Johnson County Central Resource Library.
Other poet colleagues reading from The Door into the Dream:
· Brian Daldorph
· Gregg Field
· Denise Low-Weso—Poet Laureate fro Kansas for 2007-2009; her latest book is Words of a Prairie Alchemist.
· Jo McDougall—an Arkansas native, has published most recently Dirt and Satisfied with Havoc. Jo was inducted into the Arkansas Writers Hall of Fame (2006)
· Robert Stewart—is author of Outside Language: Essays and editor of New Letters magazine.
· Maryfrances Wagner
Nassau Poetry Incident Still Smoldering
Meanwhile, Minority Leader Peter Schmitt (R-Massapequa) called the hours spend debating Wheat's fate, "... time wasted."
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
Nassau County's Loss
Peter J. Schmitt, Republican legislator voiced is objection because he felt that Wheat's book condemned the troops fighting for America in Afghanistan and Iraq. Democrat Wayne Wink was the lone legislator who voted to uphold Wheat's nomination.
Since that time, families too have squared off over the issue. But there has been support for Wheat, even from families who have members serving in Iraq.
Linda Geremia, of South Setauket, NY who has a son serving believe the committee did the right thing.
Nicole Lundin, who lost a son recently however saw not contradiction between supporting the troops and opposing the war. Nor did Elaine Brower, who has a son who served there last year.
And Mary Ann Kochman, also with family in Iraq suspected politicians were more concerned with political cover than with poetic excellence.
I've grown a little less angry over this. The reality is that many people see it for what it is. Short sightedness and as Ms. Kochman put it running for political cover. I believe it was Plato who said,"Poetry is nearer to vital truth than history."
What is sad to me is that Wheat seemed to be an excellent choice. He has written for many years on the natural beauty of the Nassau County region. The people in there will truly miss an opportunity.
There are I suppose always going to be the likes of Peter J. Schmitt, (recipient of my thumbs down award for the day) who are hell bent on defending that which is indefensible. No one I know disrespects the troops and I know precious few people personally who believe this war was ever justified. These young men and women were called upon to serve and (aside from a small handful) have preformed in very difficult circumstances honorably. But they were not the architects of this mistake. The best support was as Americans can give them is to return them safely to their families as quickly as possible.
Sources for this post: here and here
Monday, June 04, 2007
long-haired sylvia looking for her ted....
"Thanks for submitting these. I'm happy to accept them. They will do nicely in the next issue... I hope these won't be the last I'll see from you"
I am so easily amused. I enjoy looking to see what kinds of searches bring people to this site. As I have reported in the past, there are some truly interesting things that pop up. Among the greats is this first timer that came up today:
- long-haired sylvia looking for her ted
followed by some others that often reoccur or at least come up in similar fashion...
- published superhero poem (multiple times)
- nude super heroes (multiple times)
- super hero poem
- i am a superhero quote
- superhero poems (multiple times)
- when life gets you down superhero quotes
- question of interview of super hero
- a superhero of kansas
- meaning of earth's crammed with heaven, and every common bush afire with god (don't ask me, I just report these)
So there are a few and I am sure you begin to realize as I have the common theme of superhero resurfacing over and over. In the past I've has some other interesting variations of Stick Poet. Thinks like beating poets with sticks, sticky poets, poet superheros, stick people poets... it goes on.
These searchers must be terribly disappointed not to find super hero poems here. I have never written one. Though I have been tempted, I have resisted. Perhaps feeling too close to the subject. So just for fun... ( remember I am easily amused) consider this a call for poems about a superhero. Not any superhero mind you, but "Stick Poet" superhero.
For the next week, e-mail me your best effort at a Stick Poet Superhero poem. I promise I'll post them all on here ( the good, the bad, and the ugly) and then you can all vote on the best one. In the end, those who keep coming here in search of super hero poems will at last feel there Google searches are not have been in vain.
Saturday, June 02, 2007
Coffee, Journal and Me
I am following a story about a Boeing Subsidiary that is being Sued Over CIA Transfers of individuals to other countries for detention a practice known as "extraordinary rendition.""[VOA link] This is interesting because I seem to recall earlier stories that an airplane that was somehow connected to the Boston Red Sox franchise or owner was reportedly linked as well to one of these covert transfers.
It's nice to see Jilly back and up to speed over at Poetry Hut.
Friday, June 01, 2007
a draft
Breaking ground in forced exposition
Hoisting aloft the engine of ingenuity
Panels fastidiously fastened to iron girders
Reflecting upon a day stars dream
Of colossal architectural spawning
From the mind’s envelope pushed past all others
Higher vision touching nothing but the wide open
Thinness of molecular indifference to volume