Friday, February 27, 2009
Poetry Slam in the Yakima Gulag
In recent past years the Black Box Poetry Slam has been infested byn a whole famdamily of gangsters, but the Poetry Mafija (formerly headed by keely Murphy sic) is back, meaning good poetry that doesn't involve sick stuff.
There was one fellow I wished would please put on some shoes, but he was good, and a woman who has 'read' for the last five years won. She has the eviable gift of remembering what she wrote, not one of my gifts, but she doesn't do it 'on the fly' She was good. I liked that she read new stuff.
I had technical difficulties, so I wrote something completely new and unplanned and it worked. No it didn't get me into the second round, but there was at least respectable response.
I remain distressed by the lack of transparency in the judgeing process in the first round, and I wihs the woman who won had NOT thrown in 1. her pregnancy or 2. that she's read 5 years straight and never won before or 3. that she isn't coming back to read again. Those things have NO BEARING on the merits of one's work! NON ZILCH NADA NISTA NEMA VEZA NIL AON RUD DADA!
I did like her work, but my situation is in some ways a LOT more difficult. I don't just show up to read, I am just as much there in hopes of victory as anyone else who comes to read. I don't tell people my sorry sad story to get points.
It pains me to see anyone do it, and the gangsters who used to show did the same thing. It pisses me off.
Now to Balkans matters. I saw that Milutinovic got acquitted at The Hague, not a result I terribly liked, but at least five other people who needed to be convicted were.
I hope Milutinovic as my fundamentalist Christian friends say is 'convicted in his heart'!
I wish they all would be whether any court convicts them or not. stid prema Bog!
There was one fellow I wished would please put on some shoes, but he was good, and a woman who has 'read' for the last five years won. She has the eviable gift of remembering what she wrote, not one of my gifts, but she doesn't do it 'on the fly' She was good. I liked that she read new stuff.
I had technical difficulties, so I wrote something completely new and unplanned and it worked. No it didn't get me into the second round, but there was at least respectable response.
I remain distressed by the lack of transparency in the judgeing process in the first round, and I wihs the woman who won had NOT thrown in 1. her pregnancy or 2. that she's read 5 years straight and never won before or 3. that she isn't coming back to read again. Those things have NO BEARING on the merits of one's work! NON ZILCH NADA NISTA NEMA VEZA NIL AON RUD DADA!
I did like her work, but my situation is in some ways a LOT more difficult. I don't just show up to read, I am just as much there in hopes of victory as anyone else who comes to read. I don't tell people my sorry sad story to get points.
It pains me to see anyone do it, and the gangsters who used to show did the same thing. It pisses me off.
Now to Balkans matters. I saw that Milutinovic got acquitted at The Hague, not a result I terribly liked, but at least five other people who needed to be convicted were.
I hope Milutinovic as my fundamentalist Christian friends say is 'convicted in his heart'!
I wish they all would be whether any court convicts them or not. stid prema Bog!
Monday, February 23, 2009
Hurray for Bollywood!
Yesterday, my housemate and I went to see the movie 'Slumdog Millionaire'. We loved it! I realized that I understood all the cusses! :) So I was cuss translator. I did get some of the Hindi other than cusses, a lot more than I thought I would. I am NOT a Hindi speaker but knew a lot of folks from India earlier in my life.
Anyway, I loved the movie because it had thrills and chills, very cute kids, a great love story, and kind of awful crooks. The girls that played 'Latika' were all cute. Loved the traffic jam too.
The dance number at the end is a wonderful bonus. DO reapeat DO stay for the credits!
Here in the Gulag it was higher level zeks, mostly teachers and retired teachers in the theatre, I was surprised that several contingents of high school, early college age folks came.
There was one musical bit that was in Spanish and that reminded me of stuff by 'Emir and Frozen Camels'
The rest of the music was totally Bollywood and great.
Wonderful chase scenes involving the children.
Warning to parents, the life of poor children in India is vividly portrayed. So are inter-religious riots. At leat a couple guys run accross the screen on fire.
Also frankness but not graphicness about the sex trade in present day Mumbai.
Do NOT repeat DO NOT take little children. Do not take very sensitive children.
For those ones you may wish to check YouTube or something for the last dance number, whucg was ytterkt cgarnubg,
I was gratified to see this film got 8 Ocars including 'Best Film'. It was time India had a piece of this!
Anyway, I loved the movie because it had thrills and chills, very cute kids, a great love story, and kind of awful crooks. The girls that played 'Latika' were all cute. Loved the traffic jam too.
The dance number at the end is a wonderful bonus. DO reapeat DO stay for the credits!
Here in the Gulag it was higher level zeks, mostly teachers and retired teachers in the theatre, I was surprised that several contingents of high school, early college age folks came.
There was one musical bit that was in Spanish and that reminded me of stuff by 'Emir and Frozen Camels'
The rest of the music was totally Bollywood and great.
Wonderful chase scenes involving the children.
Warning to parents, the life of poor children in India is vividly portrayed. So are inter-religious riots. At leat a couple guys run accross the screen on fire.
Also frankness but not graphicness about the sex trade in present day Mumbai.
Do NOT repeat DO NOT take little children. Do not take very sensitive children.
For those ones you may wish to check YouTube or something for the last dance number, whucg was ytterkt cgarnubg,
I was gratified to see this film got 8 Ocars including 'Best Film'. It was time India had a piece of this!
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Snijeg u Yakima Gulag!
I had another night of bad sleep because of criminals doing wierd stuff in the neighborhood. Someone fired a shot, I did not personally hear said shot, but P. did and called the fuzz. There were loud S.U.V.s that went through at high speed, one of which had like a light bar, and the Trained Attack Cat was anxiously patrolling all night. So I got up a wee bit late, and it turned out there was SNOW! it hasn't stuck. Going out with house mate S. to see 'Slumdog Millionaire' ako Bog da.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
2 Nights of Less Than Optimal Sleep
The Trained Attack Cat was busy last night, people we couldn't see were around the house, and the police were pretty active in the immediate area, also there were a couple screams either from a couple blocks away or from within a house at about 3 a.m. and the older of the girls sleep walked a bit, so I am kind of ragged round the edges. The car alarm only went off once and it probably was The Trained Attack Cat's boyfriend. She is fixed, but she still dates! Not at all usual for female fixed felines as far as I know!
I mention all this because NOTHING NISTA NADA NIL AON RUD DADA was on the local news on the radio. In fact they went quite off the air for a couple hours last night. They have a bad habit of that, if I do call them to mention it, diplomatically, 'Uh you guys had like 2 hours of Dead Air last night? Care to enlighten me as to what was going on?' They get all bitchy and hang up. Someone tells me the studio has a place where the rain gets in. They need to sue their contractor, and fix it. Also they need some sort of a local news staff that will report on events that concern the whole community not just the right side of it if you know what I mean and I think you do. Probably never happening until a few people Go West! :)
It is a beautiful sunny day that I have gotten a late start to.
A friend gave me an absolutely gorgeous turquoise colored Indian skirt. Actually in India this would be a petticoat, but here we wear them with a few slips and call it good. :)
One friend just got a new grand daughter. She and I caught up yesterday, hung out in the Student Union at the Yakima Gulag People's Institute of Higher Re:Education, I showed her pictures from my year in Sarajevo, and tried to update all my virus protection software but it was taking forever so I went back to the house.
The Formerly Art Bell Show was cut off, I might have slept through all the odds and ends of stuff on my street if it had remained on the air, the bumper music is soothing even if I find some guests in need of Re:Education.
I mention all this because NOTHING NISTA NADA NIL AON RUD DADA was on the local news on the radio. In fact they went quite off the air for a couple hours last night. They have a bad habit of that, if I do call them to mention it, diplomatically, 'Uh you guys had like 2 hours of Dead Air last night? Care to enlighten me as to what was going on?' They get all bitchy and hang up. Someone tells me the studio has a place where the rain gets in. They need to sue their contractor, and fix it. Also they need some sort of a local news staff that will report on events that concern the whole community not just the right side of it if you know what I mean and I think you do. Probably never happening until a few people Go West! :)
It is a beautiful sunny day that I have gotten a late start to.
A friend gave me an absolutely gorgeous turquoise colored Indian skirt. Actually in India this would be a petticoat, but here we wear them with a few slips and call it good. :)
One friend just got a new grand daughter. She and I caught up yesterday, hung out in the Student Union at the Yakima Gulag People's Institute of Higher Re:Education, I showed her pictures from my year in Sarajevo, and tried to update all my virus protection software but it was taking forever so I went back to the house.
The Formerly Art Bell Show was cut off, I might have slept through all the odds and ends of stuff on my street if it had remained on the air, the bumper music is soothing even if I find some guests in need of Re:Education.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Cafe Society in the Yakima Gulag
Right, the housemates and I decided it was time to get some cheap and cheesy reading. I traded my Carl Hiasens for some one book, and have like $8 sometning credit at the Encore book store. I got Prince of Ayodhia. it looks promisingly paneer loaded. Hunky old school Indian dudes, should be good!
I got some stuff in the 'romance' catagory, mostly Scottish themed and some light mysteries and I think some Sci Fi, for a couple bucks.
Before that S. and I went to a new coffee place, called 'The Coffee Clinic' I listened in on soem guys who looked all redneck but turned out to be at least as Woggy as Yours Truely.... Albanian Greek, how Woggy R U?
Anywya, we had fun drinking coffee the wait staff wear sort of medical wear, and there's cheesy gifts like 'Sit Down Shut Up and Hold ON! car air freshener, and some awful pine scented stuff labeled 'This Car REEKS! Just be glad I have this air freshener, then the kids dental clinic has this ultra coooool play area, with jelly fish, killer whales and shards and a pirate ship and God knows what all, the Gulag has had a Serious Up-Grade I'm telling you!
S. and I were looking in the window at the play area and wishing the clinic for kids were not cloesed so we could kidnap a kid for a tooth cleaning and go hang there!
Beautiful and sunny today.
I got some stuff in the 'romance' catagory, mostly Scottish themed and some light mysteries and I think some Sci Fi, for a couple bucks.
Before that S. and I went to a new coffee place, called 'The Coffee Clinic' I listened in on soem guys who looked all redneck but turned out to be at least as Woggy as Yours Truely.... Albanian Greek, how Woggy R U?
Anywya, we had fun drinking coffee the wait staff wear sort of medical wear, and there's cheesy gifts like 'Sit Down Shut Up and Hold ON! car air freshener, and some awful pine scented stuff labeled 'This Car REEKS! Just be glad I have this air freshener, then the kids dental clinic has this ultra coooool play area, with jelly fish, killer whales and shards and a pirate ship and God knows what all, the Gulag has had a Serious Up-Grade I'm telling you!
S. and I were looking in the window at the play area and wishing the clinic for kids were not cloesed so we could kidnap a kid for a tooth cleaning and go hang there!
Beautiful and sunny today.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
More sunshine and more McDonalds
It's sunny today. On Sunday my friend with the 3 year old got me and we went to the very cool retro Unioni Gap McDonalds, we got after a wait to sit in the Chevy with tail fins that has been made into a booth, this was cool and her kid liked it a lot. We had hot fudge sundaes, a cheap treat.
We had planned to walk the Greenway but it was too dim, too bleak, too dismal for walking and my various aches and pains were acting up. So we hit the Valley Mall for a bit of 'keep the kid out of the fancy displays of expensive stuff' and for the afore mentioned hot fudge sundae. I've had a peaceful weekend. My housemates arrived back having had a glorious time elsewhere, bearing seashells. I returned the large curvy dagger and the short knife issued me for household defense back to P. and went to sleep. I was tired for some weird reason.
We had planned to walk the Greenway but it was too dim, too bleak, too dismal for walking and my various aches and pains were acting up. So we hit the Valley Mall for a bit of 'keep the kid out of the fancy displays of expensive stuff' and for the afore mentioned hot fudge sundae. I've had a peaceful weekend. My housemates arrived back having had a glorious time elsewhere, bearing seashells. I returned the large curvy dagger and the short knife issued me for household defense back to P. and went to sleep. I was tired for some weird reason.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
An Evening at McDonalds
One of my friends has a 3 year old, and we went to run around. She had to meet her ex as they had presents for Valentines Day for the baby. Anyway I liked the fake fire place and the nice couches in one section, you could see the Sonic Burger out the window. that place I have had burgers from but not actually tried. They've got car hops on roller skates, Meals on Wheels! :). The cat got some sardine bits from me. She has to have SOME fun! She has been trying to invade my room. I let her in for a bit last night. But not this morning.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Actually Nice out Today...
Last night I went to see a famous Klikitat basket maker, Nettie Jackson and a descendant of one of the famous Yakama chiefs. Heard some of the local legends and had a nice time all around. Came home to some weirness, but it's resolved now. Weirdness generally is. I'm fine, just minding my own business :)
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Passages in the Yakima Gulag
Even though I did entirely share the political views of the woman, Mary Skinner was a very classy and nice lady She passed last week peacefully at home after losing her beloved husband, Dr. Skinner. I had occasion to meet him too, and he was a very nice man, they were one of those couples who were so loving it brings tears to your eyes. I know their families are sad to lose them, and this valley lost a good, honest and courageous legislator. She sometimes defied party line in the name of Constitution and Conscience.
She took risks and that is rare in politics these days no matter what the party is.
She took risks and that is rare in politics these days no matter what the party is.
Editor's Birthday Passed Without Fanfare
Your friendly Editor is a year older as of yesterday. Had a migraine, and therefore some borrowed drugs which took most of the day to work despite being VERY powerful. Then dinner with the housemate and an old work mate, dinner included a nice hot fudge sunday and a cheerful rendition of happy birthday by restaraunt staff at Red Robin, a nice eatery in the Yakima Gulag, famed for it's excellent burgers.
We got a nice coat hook that goes over the door and has a bird on it, a sign, and a gift card to Craft Warehouse, and a cute card that was delightful, and of course aforementioned lovely dinner! :)
Perhaps the Editor was a bit sickened to note she shares a birthday with Sarah Palin? EEEEEK!,,,,,,,,,,,,Runs screaming into the night,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
We got a nice coat hook that goes over the door and has a bird on it, a sign, and a gift card to Craft Warehouse, and a cute card that was delightful, and of course aforementioned lovely dinner! :)
Perhaps the Editor was a bit sickened to note she shares a birthday with Sarah Palin? EEEEEK!,,,,,,,,,,,,Runs screaming into the night,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
A bit bleak today...
Things are going considerabley better at home. C's kid is waking up nicer, and mornings are going better. I much prefer the happy singing to the stuff that was going on before.
All of us are feeling better as the over all weather improves!
All of us are feeling better as the over all weather improves!
Sunday, February 08, 2009
Nice to see sunshine
I really am enjoying the sunshine. Yesterday I went and got ingredients for my meat ball dish, it can be served as a soup or over rice. Everyone that tried it liked it. This despite an accidental inclusion of vanilla yogurt instead of plain in the meatballs! The people who make labels need to do a better job, someone who has a sight deficit and who is shopping while frazzled will make mistakes! :)
I've been tinkering with the Moviemaker program at home some more, and doing a short film of my Sarajevo pictures and film clips. The goal is to have roughly six seperate files, to be shown as a movie in six parts. It is going to go with the short guide book I'm working on.
I've been tinkering with the Moviemaker program at home some more, and doing a short film of my Sarajevo pictures and film clips. The goal is to have roughly six seperate files, to be shown as a movie in six parts. It is going to go with the short guide book I'm working on.
Thursday, February 05, 2009
Lit stuff
A yesterday, after posting here, I went to Mark Fuzie's reading of his new chap book, Crow Lover Poems (I think that's the title).
I have heard him read before, he reads well, and had some pomes of his I had not heard before. I was delighted with them actually! I underestimated his work before because I have only really heard works in progress, so hearing the finished pieces was very cool and as I said surprisingly good. Not many people showed up which is too bad, because there were nice ref reshments. Two kinds of brownies, some salami ( I didn't eat that, makes me break out :() Some cheese and crackers I did eat that, in small amounts and that was delicious, and of course coffee. His book is out for a measly $5 so as soon as I am a bit less broke, I mean to get a copy.
Sarajevo news: The National Museum has a new director, after 20 years. In other news, it looks like Sarajevo is going ot get motorcycle cops.
As well bus passes for one month or five months will be phased in. This is a good idea since often busses and trams are so overwhelmingly crowded that it's impossible to get to where you pay if you get on a bus in the middle of it's run. At the begining it's no problem. They have guys that check whether passengers have paid tickets but they never come on the bus or tram when it is most crowded.
It was curry night last night. I made some kid friendly very mild chicken curry with chicken drumsticks and rice and it was good.
NOTE to Radmilla, I haven't been to your blog so much lately because I mostly am reading and posting from the library and the picture at the top could get me tossed out of here! :) I miss reading your blog but will catch up next time I'm at a friend's place.
I have heard him read before, he reads well, and had some pomes of his I had not heard before. I was delighted with them actually! I underestimated his work before because I have only really heard works in progress, so hearing the finished pieces was very cool and as I said surprisingly good. Not many people showed up which is too bad, because there were nice ref reshments. Two kinds of brownies, some salami ( I didn't eat that, makes me break out :() Some cheese and crackers I did eat that, in small amounts and that was delicious, and of course coffee. His book is out for a measly $5 so as soon as I am a bit less broke, I mean to get a copy.
Sarajevo news: The National Museum has a new director, after 20 years. In other news, it looks like Sarajevo is going ot get motorcycle cops.
As well bus passes for one month or five months will be phased in. This is a good idea since often busses and trams are so overwhelmingly crowded that it's impossible to get to where you pay if you get on a bus in the middle of it's run. At the begining it's no problem. They have guys that check whether passengers have paid tickets but they never come on the bus or tram when it is most crowded.
It was curry night last night. I made some kid friendly very mild chicken curry with chicken drumsticks and rice and it was good.
NOTE to Radmilla, I haven't been to your blog so much lately because I mostly am reading and posting from the library and the picture at the top could get me tossed out of here! :) I miss reading your blog but will catch up next time I'm at a friend's place.
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
Fun with phones.
You know how those mobile phones come with a few games? I hadn't really messed with thaat function before much. Lately I do because sometimes I am in my room and I don't want the child to know I am in fact awake. If the light is out she won't knock on my door.
So I have been playing 21 a bit on my phone. I didn't even ever used to play card games. Now I am sort of hooked. I am getting scores over 4000 and it's been like a week of being all OCD about it.
So I have been playing 21 a bit on my phone. I didn't even ever used to play card games. Now I am sort of hooked. I am getting scores over 4000 and it's been like a week of being all OCD about it.
Inshoring
I have been wondering when companies that outsourced back in the 90s and the early part of this decade are gonna get THEIR Spanking? No seriously... when? I mean companies messed with the lives of good American working people and took their jobs to India. Some banks even imported workers to replace Americans AND have gotten bail out money!
I would like to see them get their spanking now. I will be really disgusted with having to live through this financial crisis if they don't.
I would like to see them get their spanking now. I will be really disgusted with having to live through this financial crisis if they don't.
Monday, February 02, 2009
A few American stories of interest
Well at least to me they are....1. the folks at NPR have given some coverage to a volcano in Alaska that is due to erupt I guess any time... The folks at NPR also said the recession might cause some companies to bring jobs back to the States. I will be very pissed off if this isn't so! Those big bosses need to learn a lesson this is THEIR spanking too! In conjunction with that, the local paper Yakima Herald Republic ran a story that involved a guy who was replaced by someone from another country who got 90K+ per year for a job he was qualified for. Replacign Americans with foreigners who are recruited by these big banks doesn't sit well with me and I am sure the more nationalistic type Americans who don't even want foreigners picking cabbages and potatoes here are livid. If they aren't I want to know why? Is it a class thing?
The good thing about the impending disappearance of T.V. kod nas is that maybe the children (1 full time and 1 part time, both girls, both very cute and diabolically clever!) will stop sounding like the damned MUPPETS! I hate it. I did a blog on it before I believe. It's O.K. if Muppets sound like Muppets, but I can't stand if kids sound like Muppets! I am a bit Victorian on this score, Children should be seen but not heard! If that makes me an awful person so be it! :)
The good thing about the impending disappearance of T.V. kod nas is that maybe the children (1 full time and 1 part time, both girls, both very cute and diabolically clever!) will stop sounding like the damned MUPPETS! I hate it. I did a blog on it before I believe. It's O.K. if Muppets sound like Muppets, but I can't stand if kids sound like Muppets! I am a bit Victorian on this score, Children should be seen but not heard! If that makes me an awful person so be it! :)
Sunday, February 01, 2009
Stupor Bowl Sunday
One of the housemates is a big football fan, he only watches 'important games' anyway we all had a bad night, S. caught something virulent, and then we are just waiting for the rest of us to get it next. You know so we can go to our various sources of medical attention and get like pills or something. Anywy with S. sick, P. and I switch off being 'on call' and it's my time out. I am here to do my computer stuff and then read a local paper, then if the Student fUnion is open I may go make some phone calls on the phone in the Quiet Lunge. If it isn't those calls wait until tomorrow. I am really grateful because it conserves my minutes to do that. Thanks Yakima Gulag People's Institute of Higher Re:Education!
Plus I ran into an old instructor I want to see tomorrow, she said come by the office tomorrow or another Monday so I will. You never know, it could be useful and if nothing else we'll catch up.
It's actually pretty nice out today.
Plus I ran into an old instructor I want to see tomorrow, she said come by the office tomorrow or another Monday so I will. You never know, it could be useful and if nothing else we'll catch up.
It's actually pretty nice out today.
