It's been four days since my last confession, Blogger, but in a rare switcheroo, I was busy talking smack over on my little-used LiveJournal account, commenting on the debacle that was the 2004 National Poetry Slam. I won't get into it here other than to say, while I feel bad for those who attended and got screwed over in one way or another, you get what you pay for. If I were you, I'd think twice about renewing that PSI membership next year. Mind you, this is completely separate from my opinion on the concept of slam itself, which I…
Guy stuff.
Best. Feature. Ever.
Thanks to everyone that came out to the Blue Ox last night. There's no possible way you could have enjoyed it more than I did but I hope it came close. Having family, both blood and chosen, and friends in the audience along with a nice mix of complete strangers helped make it a truly special moment. Other than the night I proposed to Salomé at the Nuyorican, nothing else I've ever done on a stage even comes close. At the beginning of my set, I mentioned Tony Brown's approach of what if this was the last time you ever…
Aniticpating Acentos
I don't usually get nervous about a reading until 10-15 minutes before it starts so the premature butterflies that have been floating around since last night have me feeling really dizzy. I found out last night that my aunt, youngest on my father's side and more like a cousin, is coming to the reading and got a little freaked out. A couple of my cousins from my mother's side will be there, too - who haven't seen me read since my first couple of slams at the Nuyorican - as well as a handful of non-poetry friends, turning it into…
Nothing like terror alerts, Footloose and ESPN NFL 2K5 to cap off a fun but tiring weekend! Something in Bloomberg's demeanor during today's press conference suggested this particular alert is the real deal and not some post-Democratic Convention political boogeyman cooked up by Karl Rove and friends. He looked intense and tired, like he'd been up all night, and his statement was an unusually page-bound reading of a carefully worded script, equal parts calm and alarm. That I work a few blocks south of the NY Stock Exchange and right across the street from a Prudential office building didn't help…
Kerry Weak; Kucinich Dissed
"I'm John Kerry and I'm reporting for duty." That's the best intro they could come up with for this clown? The biggest speech of his life and he goes with not just a bad pun, but one that is basically a slap in the face to every anti-war Democrat that's being asked to hold their nose and pull the lever for him in November, as an icebreaker? I really, really, REALLY despise this guy. So much so, he's even tainted my opinion of John Edwards. If he keeps doing that dorky little thumbs-up thing he does I'm going to reach…
Personally, I'm a Jung kind of guy but this thing is oddly on point! Freudian Inventory Results Genital (40%) you appear to be stuck between a progressive and regressive outlook on life. Latency (56%) you appear to have a good balance of knowledge seeking and practicality. Phallic (50%) you appear to have a good balance of sexual awareness and sexual composure. Anal (26%) you appear to be overly lacking in self control and organization, and have a compulsive need to defy authority. Oral (33%) you appear to be stubbornly and irrationally against receiving help even when it might be the…
Pumpkin Seeds: Countdown to 35 Sedition
1. I turn 35 in 26 days! If you order my gift now, Amazon's free shipping offer will get it here in plenty of time. :-) 2. I know it's wrong to take pleasure in others' drama, even in an I told you so situation, but if this is true, I can't help but be tickled pink. 3. In related news, I found out yesterday that I'm the only feature at next week's First Wednesday reading at the Blue Ox, which may mean some flexibility on the 20-minute set. Considering a good chunk of my "audience" will be regretting the money…