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An arm with a tattoo: "I was made for the library, not the classroom."

For the last time…?

Truth or hyperbole? I've learned to never say never but in all likelihood, Wednesday, August 4th will be the last time I appear on stage as a featured poet. I fell into the slam scene on a lark back in the summer of 1997, competing in my first Friday night slam at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe on August 8, 1997. In the years since, I've attended four National Poetry Slams, written a lot, met a lot of people, visited places I wouldn't have otherwise, got married, had two kids, returned to the Bronx [twice!], and tapped into a side of…

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An arm with a tattoo: "I was made for the library, not the classroom."

Racists say the darndest things: "In the end it is an historical fact that if you mess with white people too much, they will destroy you."Because this quote came from a "friends-only" post on LiveJournal - excerpted from the reposting of an email sent to the LiveJournaler in question - I won't name the offender other than to say that he's a published author of genre fiction and not known to me personally.While his quote is ironically true - to a degree, as we know that, historically-speaking, white people haven't usually waited to be messed with before destroying someone - it's the context…

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An arm with a tattoo: "I was made for the library, not the classroom."

PUMPKIN SEEDS: Short Weeks Feel Longer Edition

1. Sixth anniversary weekend was a big hit as we caught a couple of movies, had a great dinner with friends, hit a street fair, bought stuff and slept until 12:30pm on Sunday. I even got some Xbox and GameBoy time in. (Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay rawks! Castlevania: Circle of the Moon is one of the hardest games I've ever played.) Cool gifts were exchanged, including a belated autographed copy of Matt Ruff's Fool on the Hill. My own, thrice-read, beat-up paperback that Salomé mailed to Ruff to sign, which he did, and threw in a fresh, autographed copy…

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An arm with a tattoo: "I was made for the library, not the classroom."

Pumpkin Seeds: Comic Book Roundup

1. These days, most comic books are written in story arcs of 3-6 issues; more for limited series. At best, this means fuller stories with more complex plotting and deeper characterization. At worst, it's filler and fluff. Typically, it's the worst that dominates the bookshelves and sales charts. 2. There are way too many X-Men-related titles coming out every month and the Reloaded stunt seems to have killed the only one - New Mutants - I was interested in. 3. Ultimate Fantastic Four: Like most things from the House of Ideas, I love the concept of their Ultimate line but have little…

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An arm with a tattoo: "I was made for the library, not the classroom."

Pumpkin Seeds: Random Edition

1. I don't particularly lke Jay Leno, but this was funny and on point: I love that the Department of Homeland Security always tells Americans if you don't fly commercial airlines, "the terrorists have won." If you don't hold the Super Bowl or the World Series, "the terrorists have won." If you don't get out to the mall and do your Christmas shopping, "the terrorists have won." Comes time for the election, "Oh, let the terrorists have that one." 2. Taylor Mali offers the best explanation of the whole NPS/ClearChannel hubbub over in his journal and, if what he says…

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An arm with a tattoo: "I was made for the library, not the classroom."

Pumpkin Seeds: Anti-Corporate America Edition

1. In a bizarre turn of events in the Yummy Sandwich saga, I bumped into its President/Owner, Avi, on Tuesday afternoon as I was heading out for lunch and a walk in the park. He was standing out in front of my office building, wearing a Yummy Sandwich t-shirt, and stopped me, asking my name with a gleam in his eye. It took a second for my brain to process everything as I answered, "Guy. Why? Are you kidnapping me?" He laughed and we talked and he apologized for the infamous Powerpoint presentation, "We’re a new company and we’re making…

Continue ReadingPumpkin Seeds: Anti-Corporate America Edition
An arm with a tattoo: "I was made for the library, not the classroom."

eBay is evil! Like the internet that shelters it, it is one of the roots of all evil and people with addictive or competitive personalities should stay far, far away from it. People like me, for example. It all started so innocently this morning, when I found myself searching the internet for my favorite Yankee ever, Graig Nettles. I'm not even sure why but perhaps it was destiny? I came across an interesting site, Baseball Almanac, that had some great stats for him as well as links to other sites. One of the featured Google Ads linked over to the…

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