Margaret Fabrizio and Turning 80

This is video by artist/vlogger Margaret Fabrizio. I guess the main take away from the video that I got was to go ahead and live your life to the best of your abilities.



I'm trying to strip away the filters that bind me to in-action. I need reminders like this to keep on moving forward.

Margaret has her website where you can view more videos, check out her art work, quilts, her collages absolutely rock; I love collage art so I am extremely biased but this is good stuff.

She has music for listening or downloading.

Margaret is starting to making me feel like a first class lazy bone couch potato. Definately give the site and her YouTube channel a visit.

Read More

Poetry In Plain Sight - Michelle Angelini

Michelle is a long time poet in the Los Angeles area. Represented in this poem is a love of animals and of nature. This is a poem from her chapbook, Resurrection, A collection of poems, drawings and designs.

This is Michelle reading her poem, What Is Airborne:



Michelle has two places to check out her work. Her photo blog has photography about animals, that is located at http://cheetaahhspot.blogspot.com

She also has a place at the Pathetic.org poetry site. Pathetic.org is a collection of poets and poetry community. Long before Facebook it has had a community that supports poetry and poets.

If you would like to purchase her chapbook, and really every poet that has a chapbook would like to you to buy a copy or two, send her an e-mail and I am sure Michelle will hook you up with a copy.

Read More

Blood On the Saddle on the Finally Friday Freakout

This week I have mentally been Xena, Warrior Princess. I have been the Hulk without David Banner's control. I have been Thinker when I could get a word in edgewise. Mainly I have been the imaginary great, great, great-granddaughter of Walter Mitty.

The visualizations have been astounding. There was blood in the saddle. There was blood on the ground. Hey, that might make a catchy song!

Courtesy of Mr. Tex Ritter here is his rendition of that most expressive tune.



Culturally I am not supposed to talk about blood in the saddle. I'm not even supposed to admit that I have emotions because that would mark me as a female and, as some jerk face men will tell you, a female is nothing but emotions and no logic or reason.

And good help us if I talk about spherical contractions of the painful kind. The truth is that a new body is emerging. Like a teen I am caught betwixt and between.

I have a evolutionary two for one deal going on and it is not fair!

Getting menstruation was a picnic compare to this stuff. A pain hit one week a month until I was old enough to buy a small can of Pina Colada to chill out the ovaries.

Lawd, I miss those days. Now one day it is "Buy me ice cream!" or "I want the extra garlic shrimp with the veggies and the noodles oh can I also have that entire soy sauce soaked chicken too?"

The answer is no. The internal parent knows she can't let the inner child stuff herself without repercussions the next day.

The internal parent is a drag, man.

She won't let me drink, she moderates what I eat and dang if she don't have something to say about my bedtime. I freaking gotta bank hours to do stuff or there is a power drain switch she has rigged to force compliance.

Let's not talk about the internal teen age wild woman of Wongo. Or Sargent Slaughterina. Especially not Sargent Slaughterina.

If you will excuse me, I am going to whip up a peach smoothie. I will try to visually it being one scoop of Black Cherry Vanilla and one scoop Chunky Monkey. With a side order of Pad Thai and some BBQ Ribs.

But first as Queen of All She Sees I have to re-align the business sector of the U.S. to provide total production and employment and at the same time re-nurture the planet by having all commit to loving and protecting earth.

After my intergalactic mission of course, where I find the kind parental aliens with the mind ray to help me force compliance and help me deal with the ethical questions.

Yeah. I know.

I have to say, it isn't boring. Challenging, but never boring.

Read More

Poetry In Plain Sight - Marvin Dorsey

This is a holiday two for one deal folks on account that I ran out of money before I could buy Marvin's chapbook.



The first poem is titled A Warm Glow of Lust and the second poem is Do You Know What I Mean.

As a side note having nothing to do with Marvin's poem, I was watching a video the other day about a man who was not threatened by being the submissive receiver of affection by a woman.

There were no whips or leather involved. She was not a Drill Sargent of Love. It wasn't violent or a stereotypical displays of affection.

It was like it was all good to him and however was love and energy was being directed toward him was alright with him.

I'm getting the impression that isn't a common held sentiment among some men. That is too bad.

I'm not talking about full time dominion. It is more like every once in a while lay back and appreciate being enveloped in female energy. Or the other way around. It isn't always about the hunt.

For the 10% per folks translate to top and bottom, ying and yang or flip a coin.

Support A Poet or Two

If you could flip one day of your latte habit for a poetry chapbook I'm sure that Marvin and Don would greatly appreciate it.

Should you be heading out to a poetry reading help a poet out by purchasing a chapbook. If I were you I'd bring a bunch of one dollar bills. $10 would do fine but more money is always appreciated.

Read More

The $99 Netbook, Frugality and Technology Don't Always Mix

The circular felt onto my desk, my eyes paused in disbelief. $99 for a Netbook? At CVS? I went into a logic loop.

No, yes, impossible, really? I went to the CVS web site but they had bupkis, that is more like the CVS I know. Separation of drugs from any knowledge of what is in the retail store.


It took a bit but I tracked the sucker down. The Sylvania Netbook is for real. The retail price is $99 plus sales tax plus the CA e-Waste fee if you live in California.

Now before you rush out to buy this netbook we need to talk. This is going to make about as much sense as trying to convince a bored teenager not to swig on a can of Colt45 but I have to make the effort.

The Very Short Version

This is an underpowered computer. It is designed for using on-line applications like Google Apps, Zoho Apps, Facebook, YouTube or Twitter. It is strictly for connecting to the Internet away from home.

It is an limited function device. Unless you have a Wi-Fi connection at home you will not be able to use this computer to connect to the Internet unless you purchase additional devices and/or subscription service.

You can rack up another $250 to $400 trying to make it work but I think there are better uses for your cash.

Quick Specifications:

• It is not a powerful CPU. It is a chugita chugita Via 8805 CPU.
• Windows CE - I don't know where to begin on this one. Let's say that this variation of Windows was designed for low powered devices.
  
• 128MB internal memory. I ain't seen internal memory that small since the PC-AT class computers of the early 1990s. It can only handle really limited tasks. I stand corrected. Task.
• 2GB of internal storage. Saving early versions of MS Word or Open Office docs, yes it is possible. Downloading all of your 5 megapixel photos from your camera, I don't think so.
  
• You can purchase an 8GB SDHC memory card for additional storage but you will pay more for it at CVC and similar drug stores. They tend to really mark up stuff like memory cards. If you need it you'll pay 2x more for the SD card unless it is a blowout kind of deal.
• You have to have either a viable Wi-Fi connection or be willing to purchase additional devices, for example, Virgin Mobile sells Broadband2Go. You purchase the device and the service plan.

When Need Overrules Practicality

My friends that are Frugalistas are waving their hands in the air. They want it known that they can't buy a used notebook because they don't know how to tell a good one from a bad one. Sure they understand that this netbook only connects to the Internet at local Wi-Fi hot spots.

The Frugalistas just want to keep up the the TwitFaceTube generation. And to help find employment, connect with family and stay information viable at under $150.

I know. Seriously. Those of you having to go to the friends house got old years ago. You are tired of the bum rush to get a computer at the library. You need it for school and you can just about scrape up $150.

I am sympathetic. I know what it is like to need a computer and can almost buy it without going broke.

College Students

If you are a college student that needs an Internet computer and your campus does have Wi-Fi or you can get to a public library then yes, go for it because you need to have something to help you stay competitive with other students.

The keyboard is cramped. You will be sorry but you will be connected.

Members of the Fiscally Challenged Club - Working Adult Division

I can't recommend this computer. It would be so much better to save your money and purchase a new notebook or a decent used notebook computer.

You are not going to be able to install modern software. I keep typing this but you have to understand; you could spend almost $250 to get what you need to make this Wi-Fi capable in your home. $99 Netbook + $250 Wi-Fi = $349.

That is not frugal. That is stupid. Frugalistas are not stupid.

Folks on the Go or Conventioneers

I suppose it is a cheap way to have a function computer without worrying that you could lose everything. For use at the airport, hotel room or as a passenger in a car, maybe.

I still think you are gonna get the shank due to its lack of functionality and the size of the keyboard. If you can also use it like an e-book reader then, sigh, perhaps.

Well, I've said my piece. The choice is yours.

Oh, one more thing. Don't go looking for tech help in same place that sells suppositories.

Read More

Poetry In Plain Sight - Lynne Bronstein

One of the reasons I wanted to start documenting poets is to discover the poetic history of Los Angeles. I'm reading the introduction to Lynne Bronstein's chapbook, Border Crossings, by Julia Stein.

It is an eye opener. I learned that her poetic voice shook up the old school poetry audiences of the 1970s. There seemed to be a problem about being able to listen to poems expressing woman's sexuality, enjoyment or transforming the Great Whore image.



Come to think of it that is still a problem.

These days the battles are closer to home. In fact this poem is about her home and the struggle to stay in it.

For those folks outside of Los Angeles there are certain areas and cities that are under rent control ordinances. If the tenet stays in the apartment the rent is locked in at a certain rate. If the tenet moves the rent control is off.

Theoretically, let's say that it might be a possibility that a new owner who purchases the building could be motivated try to use less than honorable methods to clear the apartment for new tenets who will pay more to live near the beach.

For more information about Lynne you can visit her site and if you are so inclined by a chapbook.

Read More

Cry Me A River on the Finally Friday Freakout

Well, it is almost done, this summer. The Los Angeles drivers are hell bent for leather this weekend, as in if you are a pedestrian you are at extreme risk, even when crossing at a green light.

There is enough cheap gas to make them forget about conservation or frugality. They are wired for the internal mantra "We just gotta get away." If, as I witnessed, one of them rascals in a VW almost side swiped a Metro bus to do it then so be it.

I don't need a roller coaster, I ride Metro.



It has been a week of mixing female hygiene products with resumes and a wealthy powerful man telling women in tech they just don't want it enough to go get it so don't blame him.

I came home to a Post-It note with three questions with Bible verse answers stuck on my door.
Dude must have seen my tweet from early this morning from Pascal:

"Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction."

I can see that the campaign to Christ-up this nation is in full effect. As I have said before, the Christ Jesus and I have a working non-aggression agreement.

I try hard not to blame him or any of his authorized representatives for the actions of some of the dumb ass clucks claiming to be Christian and he loves me enough to let me go my own way.

I'm trying to hold to the spirit of the agreement but God knows I've had problems with my vocabulary and faith. I got so angry at some cruel faith based statement of idiocy that I had to take a double dose of Rumi's poetry just to settle me down be remotely civil.

Yeah.

Love that Rumi.

Not a great week but better than the last one. So to the hurtful disagreeable people who might find themselves in an uncomfortable situation and seek a balm I submit to your attention a young vocalist who has potential.

Cry me a river babe.

To the rest of you this is a reminder that sometimes we need to touch our inner spark. That sometimes can happen when we take a peep over at someone else displaying his or her spark.

Read More