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...and they lived happily ever after. Smith & Lady: poets, artists, photographers & adventurers.
Our relationship was forged to the soundtrack of Yoko Ono's magic,
frenetic, love-laden song, "Walking On Thin Ice." ( play song )
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Archive for the ‘Travel Notes’ Category
Wednesday, July 20th, 2011
I attended a moveon.org meeting last weekend about the “American Dream” movement they are building. Although associated with Democrats, I think this movement also encompasses progressive ideals. Everyone in the room was concerned about sustainability, the environment, peace, universal health care, good work, etc. Several people were very discouraged with some of the things President Obama has done, so there was a lot of conscientiousness and self-examination in the room.
Here’s some bit of news about the Gang of Six in the Senate: http://www.commondreams.org/view/2011/07/20-4
They are trying to raise taxes on us and cut taxes on the rich, and cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. But we aren’t going to let them.
For young people reading this, these things might seem like things that don’t immediately matter or that it is useless, but they do, and there is hope that we can change things. I’ve seen the standard of living deteriorate and expectations deteriorate significantly over the past ten years. It is not unreasonable to see this turn around and become healthier. We have the resources and talent to turn things around. I had the pleasure of seeing a Democrat in Wisconsin get reelected last night after having made phone calls to do this; I’ve seen us raise over a million signatures for putting Ohio’s anti-collective bargaining SB-5 bill on the ballot so we can overturn it when we only needed to raise 230,000… I have been involved in these campaigns and it does help and it does matter.
One of the action items of last week’s meeting moveon.org is to find five friends who will also participate in the movement to a small or large extent. As we are in such a time of flux, I think this is an important opportunity for people to engage and thus am providing this information with the thought that you’ll consider this and participate if you can. You can sign up for some information here: http://ourfuture.org/blog (newsletter signup on the right column of the screen.)
I understand that we live in a fast-paced society, but I think in this time of flux it is especially important to help ensure programs like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.
I think also we’d seen a kind of deterioration in community life over the past twenty years, and now people are rebuilding community with local food movements, poetry, music… and activism is another way to rebuild and heal and socialize. I think that many have felt apathetic, estranged and horrified by the insanity of some of the stuff going on in the political realm. A way through this is to step into it and be part of healing via activism.
Lady
Tags: American Dream, Budget, Congress, Democrats, Medicaid, Medicare, moveon.org, President Obama, republicans, social security Posted in america, Being, dreams, Environment, ethics, Events, Family, health, Healthcare, Letters to the Universe, news, Philosophy, Relationships, spirituality, Travel Notes, writing | 1 Comment »
Sunday, October 24th, 2010
Marrakech Lady – foto by Smith
(I didn’t finish my blog yesterday; I left out this data)
I’ve been much more productive since we’ve been back, poetry-wise.
2006 (the year we left the country for 31 months of living out of backpacks in foreign lands) I wrote 13 poems, most before we left the country.
2007, 3 poems;
2008, 8;
2009 (the year we returned to the USA) 24;
2010 = 72 so far; 25 in the past 3 months alone. For me this is way way above average, and some of the poems are even good.
Also did 58 new pieces of art this year.
To counterbalance this, from 1975 to 1985 I wrote zero poems (drank, did art, committed adultery, and had adventures instead — of course once I started writing again I still continued with the drinking, art, adultery and adventures, so it wasn’t their fault I’d stopped writing).
My new productivity comes from being back here in America, living in a language I can understand, in a country I know the basic dynamics of, and being immersed in the local poet/artist communities and their attendant interactions and feedback.
It also comes from having traveled and lived in 10 countries on 3 continents for 31 months amidst languages, cultures and customs I did not understand. One stores up a lot of creative juice potential walking such paths.
Been back here for 20 months now. It is faster, more stressful, colder, and way more expensive living in America, but it do stir the creative juices.
Here is my favorite poem from our travels, one of my three from 2007. . . I still remember the moment of the poem, us walking out of the ancient walled city of Marrakech, the red bougainvillea flowers falling from the trees all around us, the ground covered in already fallen Jacaranda purple flowers — a horse and carriage full of overweight white people driven by an Arab clattered past us and Lady seeing them said disgustedly, “How colonial.” The tourists were amazed we were actually walking alone in such an unsafe neighborhood — of course it wasn’t unsafe at all, merely had a paucity of white skin (meaning zero % except for us).
Marrakech at dusk
Purple petals on the ground
Red flower falling
Marrakech flora – foto by Smith
Posted in Poetry, Travel Notes | 1 Comment »
Saturday, September 11th, 2010
Dear Citizens of the World:
I am hoping that September 11th is remembered as a somber date for this country and the rest of the world–that we come to recognize the genocide that we perpetrated in Iraq (over a million Iraqis dead), and that we make reparations. I do not know enough about what people may or may not be doing in Afghanistan, but I am hoping that we pull out of Afghanistan unless we can sufficiently change our philosophy to actually help all Afghan people.
Interesting info about bees and wasps: http://www.greensmiths.com/bees.htm – turns out that not only bees benefit us, but wasps as well. I really like the name greensmith as I am now a smith, and I used to be a green.
Grunt work:
Checking the collective psyche…
Collective psyche seems A-OK as far as facebook goes.
Checking mainstream media…
9/11: Mainstream media is expressing grief over the disappearance of the World Trade Center. I hope the Mainstream media can start publishing statistics of the number of people killed by the US due to our outrage. I find these statistics disturbing and sad. (1 million Iraqis or more, from what I understand. I am hoping for fewer casualties from Afghanistan, and I’m hoping we can actually make reparations directed by the governments of those countries.) We allowed the looting of one of the cradles of civilization.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/20100910/ts_ynews/ynews_ts3590
Checking marginal media on the left…
Alternet seems to have an appropriately conscientious examination of the situation, but I’m hoping for less fear and vitriol. http://www.alternet.org/
Speaking of fear and vitriol, I have difficulty reading commondreams.org lest it seem like commonnightmares. But I’ll check…
Interesting. I bet if some of the people who read common dreams start reading Fox News, they could resolve some of the vitriol and start coming together. Weird when left meets right. http://www.commondreams.org/
Checking mainstream media on the right…
Very interesting. Foxnews seems to be picking up on the same stories commondreams.org picks up on. http://www.foxnews.com/
I’m hoping though, that we can let the mexicans into this country without restriction, as it is my understanding that mestizos are bona-fide native americans, who are supposed to be allowed to cross borders without restraint. http://www.foxnews.com/world/2010/09/10/el-salvador-says-mexico-blame-migrant-massacre-mexican-leader-lashes/
Checking the elite media (New York Times)…
Apparently, there was a muslim prayer room at the World Trade Center: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/11/nyregion/11religion.html?src=ISMR_AP_LO_MST_FB
I like the headline of this article: “Business Class Rises in Ashes of Caste System” – http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/11/world/asia/11caste.html?_r=1&hp=&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1284201551-WGuN9h8LThEwzIyH89FeJg
German Identity is reasserting itself. I’m glad about this–I’m hoping for a candid self-examination by the youth who did not experience the conditions of WWI & II. I understand that seemingly homogenous populations have more of a seeming rootedness and xenophobia than what we experience in the US–I am hoping the US can become an example of excellence, integration and conscientiousness again. I know this is possible.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/11/world/europe/11germany.html?hp
Checking the weather…
World weather report as far as hurricanes/cyclones/etc. seems AOK today although I really wish I could see the west coast of Africa and South America. http://severe.worldweather.wmo.int/
Severe weather warning in Greece. Hope it is much needed rain, but if not, that it peters out and goes away.
Adembe and love and respect,
K
Tags: news, weather Posted in conservatives & other flatearthers, Conversations, corp-o-rat corporation lies, Creative Writing, dreams, Environment, ethics, Events, Lady, ladymemoir, news, On Writing, Philosophy, Poetry, Relationships, Smokey Grey, spirituality, Stories, Travel Notes, Tremont, Uncategorized, zen | No Comments »
Wednesday, September 8th, 2010
Ponytails were killing us. My most excellent friend & I are solving the problems of the universe. The most excellent show maybe ever–”Red Dwarf…”
On Friday, the Red Dwarf ran into the Squid of Despair, a giant squid. The cast and crew discovered that everything is a giant, mass hallucination, that we’ve all been playing parts for four years in a GIANT VIRTUAL VIDEO GAME.
SO, now they find out who they REALLY are–and THAT’s the DESPAIR–the despair was that they found out who they really were…
AND, right when they were about to KILL themselves, all cast members lined up, four in a row with one bullet–the ship’s computer finally got to a high enough FREQUENCY where they could HEAR and save them.
Oy.
So.
Friends, we suggest that we buy each other’s organically grown sustainable smoothie very expensive cakes and artisanal food, get frequent behive hairdos, sans hair dye, at the beauty salons where the hairdressers are paid magnificently and enjoy their work. Exercise classes and spas. Sustainable capitalism–it’s a plan.
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I suggest free education for everyone, or paid education, whatever works. And a career of anyone’s choice. Some people have to go to school longer for their careers. Those people should be paid a wee bit more. OK, incentive. But not ridiculous incentive. I’m thinking: sliding scale speeding tickets, like the ones they have in Sweden. Getting rid of tax loopholes and offshore accounts. Staying local. Stopping all this weird international shipping except for cruise ships to one anothers continents. In the basements of the cruise ships, we could carry very expensive, fine cheese and the spices and coffee of the world. Gigantic, energy efficient cruise ships. Free energy? What was that thing Tesla was talking about? Hope it works. I would like to beam myself to the North and South pole if possible, and Japan. Coffee crops as well. I really like coffee from fair wage growers whose wages must grow more excellent.
Keeping the inheritance ‘stuff’ within reason, but making sure these rich people work doing art/music/artisanal food or whatever tickles their fancy and stimulates the economy in a sustainable way.
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Primed the pump last night and bought some local, organic food. Sharpened our old knives for only $12. Hope he charges more next time. Hope the family business has more business coming in–we are an overtly ethical business. Hope our book projects take off. I know all this will happen. I just, know… it.
Lady
Tags: beehive hairdos, japan, red dwarf, sustainable capitalism Posted in america, Amsterdam, Art, ArtCrimes, Being, censorship, conservatives & other flatearthers, Conversations, corp-o-rat corporation lies, Creative Writing, Croatia, dreams, Environment, ethics, Events, Family, Food, France, Italy, krakow, Lady, ladymemoir, life, London, Mexico, Morocco, movies films, Music, news, Old Journals, On Writing, Philosophy, Photography, Poetry, Poland, Politics, Publications, Smith biography, smith memoir, Smokey Grey, Spain, spirituality, Stories, techno, Travel Notes, Tremont, Uncategorized, zen | No Comments »
Saturday, September 4th, 2010
Precedent kathy’s economic stimulus package – a prescription for today & possibly the future (albeit with tweaking and optimization):
1. If you happen to be near a flower shop, I hear the bees are expecting food next year and so buy a flower, think of a bee, and if you are wealthy, buy flowers for your entire house. I hear they are going to flower forever and ever.
2. I hear the bees have been heard of as ‘unhealthy’ in an outdated narrative, but I’ve recently heard an update on this information: there are some 15 or so new species of bees. I hope they are very good, sturdy, happy little pollinators and that they somehow magically know how to find their ways back to the hives. I anticipate that we shall eat fruit, good fruit, from now until the foreseeable future. I COMMAND IT SO. And the fruit will be wildly and widely available for maws of mass consumption, and will be very healthy and beneficial for the maws of mass consumption.
So, I command you to start eating 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day (if you have the money for it and if it is available in your region. I hear most regions do have enough food. I would like to assume so. If not, I COMMAND IT SO.)
Of the grocery stores, et cetera: I really don’t understand how a couple of red peppers can really equal the life of a chicken. How can this situation be changed so that healthy food is subsidized? GOVERNMENT: I COMMAND YOU TO START SUBSIDIZING HEALTHY FOOD FOR PEOPLE.
3. Cellphones used to have a ‘bad’ reputation. I hear that they are now in collaboration with our needs, and nature’s needs. Thank you, cellphones! We love you!
4. I hear more and more Republicans are finding that they really were right, after all, that they are decent human beings who put their mouths where their money is in terms of helping the poor with churches, in stimulating the economy ethically so that people can buy more locally-made, hand-made goods – this is my vision for the near future. This is my economic stimulus plan.
5. The rich people will dine on the most succulent, juicy, well-marbled grass-fed beef, served to them by wonderfully paid and happy craftspeople who work with food.
6. McDonald’s and its ilk will start serving healthy, inexpensive, wonderfully-tasting food, and will pay its workers very well, a living wage that will meet and exceed its collaborators expectations, 32 hours per week with full benefits and pension plans in reparation for the history of the business’s exploitation of its workers and environment. In turn, the workers will become very faithful advocates of McDonald’s (and its ilk). And their high wages and high health will help stimulate the local economies.
So, on some days, a person of moderate wealth might find that he/she would like to eat at McDonald’s or its ilk, and other days, at an expensive smoothie bar or expensive restaurant or vegetarian restaurant (I hear they are becoming quite popular.)
7. Artists: Did you know that anyone can become an artist? Sure, some of us are misunderstood, but–get this–in a civilized society with lots of cash flow, the rich people buy lots of art. They buy personalized items for lots of money, and so do we. We are rich people! Did you know that? All of us are rich.
We might not have the actual cash money in our bank accounts right this second–but I hear it’s coming! Has to do with that hand-crafted, ethically-produced stimulation thing. Yowzers.
8. Poets: Why are you giving away God’s words for free? You are so good. Buy each others books. I command thee. I command more people to start appreciating poetry–people who might not necessarily write poetry, but suddenly find that, wow, what a goldmine of nuance and love and reverence for life there is in those darned poets! BORDERS BOOK STORE: I command you to buy books from local poets in consultation with the people who know best–like Suzanne from Macs.
INDEPENDENT BOOK STORES: You are lovers of hand-crafted zines, recycled and reowned books, fine coffee environments, tee, pastries, plants, atmosphere, music, fine wine, et cetera. IN MY ECONOMIC STIMULUS PLAN FOR YOU, YOU WILL NOT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT LOSING BUSINESS, ONLY GAINING IT!
9. Back to the bees. I hear monoculture crops weren’t such a good idea. I’m glad they’re realizing now that they need to employ beekeepers for the local areas, and that most of the year (maybe?) the bees need to eat organic, varied, wonderful, varieties of food. Perhaps a patch of this food with a local beekeeper could be employed in every area that needs one? And that the use of pesticides is suddenly found to not be necessary, or that somehow, it is in coordination with the health needs of pollinating insects? Seems like local beekeepers would be a good jobs program to me.
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I imagine that this plan will require some tweaking, but it sounds like a good start and good vision to me. What do you all think?
Tags: beekeepers, bees, economic stimulus, pesticides, plan, reconciliation, republicans, rich people, vision Posted in Art, Conversations, Creative Writing, creativity, Environment, ethics, Events, Family, Food, France, health, Italy, krakow, Lady, ladymemoir, life, London, Mexico, Morocco, movies films, news, On Writing, Philosophy, Poetry, Poland, Politics, Publications, Relationships, Smith biography, smith memoir, Smokey Grey, Spain, spirituality, Stories, techno, Travel Notes, Tremont, Uncategorized, zen | No Comments »
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