"he'd been so quiet lately..."
aka "it was bound to happen"
Well, for me to go over a month without a post shows me that my theory was correct: if too many things started rolling, something was going to be left behind.
If you actually read these pages, I apologize for the delay. Poetry events have escalated, with feature opportunities starting to crop up and the Poetry Grind final qualifying weeks winding down. In mid-April we will slam-off to see who sits upon the coveted team for Nationals, so a lot of thought and effort is going into writing and strategizing in that direction.
Plus, writing in general is on the upswing. Don't know what clicked last August that started me going full-bore again, but it hasn't subsided. This, for me as the writer, is only a good thing, whether I slam or not. It's an added bonus that I have a marginal shot at making a team (something that has never happened before).
So, writing, up. Blogging, down. Movie viewing, sadly, also down. On the other hand, almost 100% of what I have seen lately has been brilliant. Cache, Election, The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada, The New World and Sympathy for Lady Vengeance...all incredible films of varying shapes and sizes. I highly recommend you seek them all out. Of course, I said almost 100%. There've been disappointments, too. Last night, however, there was a plunging black hole of "cinema" called Ultraviolet, and it was such a sucking, silly, ridiculous and badly-made piece of celluloid that I dare not speak its name again for fear of giving it some kind of arcane power. Utter garbage.
***
Life outside of these artistic ventures has been dulling. Work has been tiresome, and there have been many layoffs over time, leaving our staff worried, tired and fearful. But moreover, sapped of any kind of morale. And that can be worse than any layoff. And I'm not used to a job where regular performance reviews and disciplinary action against under-achievers are not standard practices. It pains me to see people slack around and remain while hard-working folks get pitched, and then to learn that there is no real effort in place to reward those who stick with the company and make things work? It's hard out here for a pimp, yo.
***
I am not one to buy into every well-hyped machine, but I have to say that Starbucks has put out a very nice collection of jazz recordings that I would reccomend for the casual listener. Riverside Jazz is a sweet little set of tracks from the Riverside Records studios, which from 1953 to 1964 provided a venue for up-and-coming jazz musicians like Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane, Wes Montgomery, Bill Evans and Mongo Santamaria. It's a good mix, and even if you have contempt for the store itself, maybe give it a shot.
***
I have been biding my time and holding my tongue regarding the Dena Schlosser case, a local Dallas-area trial of a mother who killed her infant child. The crux of the case is about how the woman was possibly out of her head with post-partum depression and various mental issues, but I am sickened by the fact that someone who could do what she has done could get off with a lifetime in a padded cell. Which is what looks increasingly likely after the first trial was declared a mistrial due to a hung jury. 10 of the 12 jurors wanted insanity, one was undecided, and one said he would not be swayed.
I hate that it will sound like I condone the death penalty, but after reading about what the woman did to her baby, I am inclined to agree with the ostracized juror. Personally, I hope if they return to trial, they don't take the easy way out. Not that anything about such an event is "easy", but I think you know what I mean.
It makes me sad, but the alternative makes me queasy.
***
Well, let me stop here. The coffee's getting cold and I need to get moving.
And attempt to remember that the blog is still here, and in need of more frequent updates.
I notice that my opponent is always on the go
Well, for me to go over a month without a post shows me that my theory was correct: if too many things started rolling, something was going to be left behind.
If you actually read these pages, I apologize for the delay. Poetry events have escalated, with feature opportunities starting to crop up and the Poetry Grind final qualifying weeks winding down. In mid-April we will slam-off to see who sits upon the coveted team for Nationals, so a lot of thought and effort is going into writing and strategizing in that direction.
Plus, writing in general is on the upswing. Don't know what clicked last August that started me going full-bore again, but it hasn't subsided. This, for me as the writer, is only a good thing, whether I slam or not. It's an added bonus that I have a marginal shot at making a team (something that has never happened before).
So, writing, up. Blogging, down. Movie viewing, sadly, also down. On the other hand, almost 100% of what I have seen lately has been brilliant. Cache, Election, The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada, The New World and Sympathy for Lady Vengeance...all incredible films of varying shapes and sizes. I highly recommend you seek them all out. Of course, I said almost 100%. There've been disappointments, too. Last night, however, there was a plunging black hole of "cinema" called Ultraviolet, and it was such a sucking, silly, ridiculous and badly-made piece of celluloid that I dare not speak its name again for fear of giving it some kind of arcane power. Utter garbage.
***
Life outside of these artistic ventures has been dulling. Work has been tiresome, and there have been many layoffs over time, leaving our staff worried, tired and fearful. But moreover, sapped of any kind of morale. And that can be worse than any layoff. And I'm not used to a job where regular performance reviews and disciplinary action against under-achievers are not standard practices. It pains me to see people slack around and remain while hard-working folks get pitched, and then to learn that there is no real effort in place to reward those who stick with the company and make things work? It's hard out here for a pimp, yo.
***
I am not one to buy into every well-hyped machine, but I have to say that Starbucks has put out a very nice collection of jazz recordings that I would reccomend for the casual listener. Riverside Jazz is a sweet little set of tracks from the Riverside Records studios, which from 1953 to 1964 provided a venue for up-and-coming jazz musicians like Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane, Wes Montgomery, Bill Evans and Mongo Santamaria. It's a good mix, and even if you have contempt for the store itself, maybe give it a shot.
***
I have been biding my time and holding my tongue regarding the Dena Schlosser case, a local Dallas-area trial of a mother who killed her infant child. The crux of the case is about how the woman was possibly out of her head with post-partum depression and various mental issues, but I am sickened by the fact that someone who could do what she has done could get off with a lifetime in a padded cell. Which is what looks increasingly likely after the first trial was declared a mistrial due to a hung jury. 10 of the 12 jurors wanted insanity, one was undecided, and one said he would not be swayed.
I hate that it will sound like I condone the death penalty, but after reading about what the woman did to her baby, I am inclined to agree with the ostracized juror. Personally, I hope if they return to trial, they don't take the easy way out. Not that anything about such an event is "easy", but I think you know what I mean.
It makes me sad, but the alternative makes me queasy.
***
Well, let me stop here. The coffee's getting cold and I need to get moving.
And attempt to remember that the blog is still here, and in need of more frequent updates.
I notice that my opponent is always on the go
posted by scn at 5:15 AM
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