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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 October, 2012
Wednesday, October 31st, 2012
Same foto of red candle – foto Smith
We’re halfway through day two of no electricity thanks to a storm that was 400-500 miles away, and the electric company estimates it will take five days to restore power.
Think the worst part is the constant cold, it creeps into you, through you, as I sit inside in long johns, pants, double socks, t-shirt, sweat shirt, sweater, neck scarf, stocking cap, with gloves and coat nearby waiting in rescue.
The second worst is the darkness. I can see why folks in the pre-electric days went to bed when the sun went down because doing anything by candle light except making out doesn’t work well. Can’t read, can’t find stuff.
Next is the food loss – everything in the fridge and freezer went bad and our cat wants her chicken breast.
After that there’s a raft of worries, like how to charge my laptop which only holds a two-hour charge, how to charge my fone, my camera, having to pay to eat out just to get electricity and internet access.
And underneath all this is the realization that increasing power outages are on the way to becoming our new normal. I’m almost 67, have lived all over the U.S. and around the globe, frequently in third world countries, and I have never experienced a multiple-day power outage. This kind of thing is to be expected from developing countries, not here in the world’s master coporatocracy. It irritates even more because the electric companies have cut investments in their present & future infrastructure to maximize immediate profits at the expense of their customers, have ignored known problems due to profit considerations, are side-stepping laws and regulations while grabbing for the dollar which has ended up killing some of their old, weak and younger customers . . . basically murder for profit.
It is what it is. At least tomorrow evening we should have heat and electricity when we read from my memoir at the Lorain Arts Council.
1 Nov — Lorain Arts Council Gallery 737, we read from my memoir *Stations of the Lost & Found* by Smith & Lady, 66 years in the living, 7 years in the writing. The Lorain Arts Council is presenting an evening of writers, authors and poets from 4-8pm; Lady & I read from 6 to 6:30. The Lorain Arts Council: 737 Broadway Ave, Lorain, OH 44052 — lorainartscouncil.com/
Ceiling shadow from candle – foto Smith
Posted in america, Photography | No Comments »
Tuesday, October 30th, 2012
No Wi-Fi Smith – foto Lady K
Lost electricity 9:50pm . . . came back on 11:30pm as I went to bed. Woke up to no electricity. I’m addicted . . . to electricity, lights, heat, internet. Have to examine my life because my addictions are contributing to global warming. And the loss of internet is a monkey on my back. We’re at a restaurant paying multi-bucks for a breakfast we could cook for pennies ourselves, but the cafe has electricity AND Wi-Fi and I’m getting to blog, which is another of my serious addictions — this will be blog 2,766 since mid-2006.
So we’re just one of 11 million without electricity right now. We’re lucky in that we have a gas stove so can cook, and gas water heater so can fill the tub and soak, and I have my one final day’s worth of grass to mellow the edges, although I won’t replace it for awhile after it’s gone cuz right now this isn’t a grass friendly environment what with SuperStorm Sandies and rising electric and heat bills and car fixins and teeth stabilizations and the mind saying it’s time to grass fast for a week or 3 to sharpen the focus, rewake the resolve and look on down the road to what’s happening to our nuclear-wasted oil-polluted shale-fracked Mother Earth.
Kinda curious . . . if we have to keep CO2 gases below 350 ppm to avert damaging global warming with more frankenstorms like SuperStorm Sandy, how come we done passed that level in the late 1980s?
1960 = 315 ppm
1970 = 324 ppm . . . increase ~ 9 ppm in 10 years
1980 = 337 ppm . . . increase ~ 13 ppm in 10 years
1990 = 353 ppm . . . increase ~ 16 ppm in 10 years
2000 = 367 ppm . . . increase ~ 14 ppm in 10 years
2010 = 386.83 ppm . . . increase ~ 20 ppm in 10 years
2011 = 388.95 ppm . . . increase = 2.12 ppm in 1 year
2012 = 391.07 ppm . . . increase = 2.12 ppm in 1 year
The higher this number gets, the worse the weather gets. At a certain point, it’ll be high enough that it’ll feed itself without us.
To look on the bright-side of the silvered-lining, this is an adventure, way beyond the old 9 to 5 drive-by ride.
This is Smith Central reporting once again from backside the mirror in Tarnished Brain Land.
And now for our commercial . . . our next book reading is day after tomorrow.
So, seize ya on the downsize, when electrons flow freely in happy internettedness once again.
1 Nov — Lorain Arts Council Gallery 737, we read from my memoir *Stations of the Lost & Found* by Smith & Lady, 66 years in the living, 7 years in the writing. The Lorain Arts Council is presenting an evening of writers, authors and poets from 4-8pm; Lady & I read from 6 to 6:30. The Lorain Arts Council: 737 Broadway Ave, Lorain, OH 44052 — lorainartscouncil.com/
Red-eye Express Smith – foto Smith
Posted in Photography, Poetry | No Comments »
Monday, October 29th, 2012
I have this theory that Hurricane Sandy is a manifestation of Goddess on Gaia. Gaia is upset because people in power haven’t been heeding her warnings enough. First she sent an earthquake to Christ Church, New Zealand. She chose Christ Church not because She has particularly ill feelings towards the people who live there, Christ, and church, but because maybe She was thinking, “OK, how do I make it obvious to people that I’m pissed off and want them to stop polluting so much, degrading the environment so much, eating animals so much? I’ll go for something to get their attention. Christ Church.”
Well, that didn’t work. Most people were somehow oblivious. So maybe Gaia got even more pissed off, and conveniently found a city named “Fukushima,” which reminded her of the phrase “Fuck you.” Not that She was angry specifically at the people of Japan or the people of Fukushima (except for proponents of nuclear power, perhaps). It was just a way to say, “Look here, I’m communicating with you. You didn’t get ‘Christ Church’ and wrote that off to coincidence. But Christ Church followed by ‘Fuku’ shima? That I don’t think you’ll write off.”
And maybe She’s not even angry, but just concerned about people and animals and has decided to appear angry to get our attention, but now we’ve got a megastorm right before election day, and I don’t think it’s a coincidence. This is the planet saying, “See, here I am, and I have this stuff I could do that might make things a *tad* uncomfortable to you. So please heed. Do not break into my skin and fracture my rock. Do not blow the tops off my mountains. Do not kill so many of my creatures. Do not irradiate the environment. Do not drill for gas and oil so much.”
Here’s what She commands our elected people to do: help wild creatures thrive in the wild again. Tap into gentle energy from wind and solar and wave and maybe even geothermal. Develop smart energy grids. Help us stop having so many human babies–let’s value the present and future for all children. Eat more organically farmed, non-monoculture-crop non-GMO food. Live more according to the environment’s needs.
Elected people and wealthy people have reason to heed this. It is worthwhile to have as much environment as possible left unspoilt, given over to wild animals. The pleasures of this life are found by eating healthy food, seeing that people are happy and seeing the beauty of nature and making worthwhile accomplishments in art, poetry, literature, film, engineering, teaching, etc., and all according to best practices… and surely wealthy and elected people are interested in the pleasures of this life.
~ Lady
Posted in Environment, ethics, Events, Family, Lady, ladymemoir, Letters to the Universe, Relationships, spirituality, weather | No Comments »
Monday, October 29th, 2012
Odd sign, no water, the boat at the bottom is tilted – foto Smith
Freudian Sip
Between the must and the mist
the much that we miss
funnels most of this mess
— Smith, 10.29.2012
Posted in Photography, Poetry | No Comments »
Friday, October 26th, 2012
Magic man (framed poster @ Visible Voice Books last night) – foto Smith
Last night’s memoir reading was a blast. Lady started reading some super sad soap opera stuff from 1971 where my first wife and I were fighting all the time and I was having trouble with her quintuple adulteries and this passage: “My waitress just coughed into my coke cup and then filled it with coke and coughed twice more into it. I sat it down on the floor and walked away.”
As she was reading all this misery she started giggling and laughing uncontrollably, as did the audience. Here’s all my suffering laid out in public and I and everyone are laughing like mad. Great reading. Sold two books; everyone else had already had one.
Two Japanese haiku: 1st is life from birth to death, the 2nd the in-between. The two bowls in the first haiku refer to the birthing bowl the new born babe is washed in, while the second bowl is the funeral bowl used to wash the corpse.
From washing bowl
to washing bowl my journey —
and just rigamarole
— Issa (1762-1826)
To ears
defiled by sermons —
a cuckoo
— Shiki (1867-1902)
And then there’s Lady reading tonight at Gypsy Beans . . .
26 Oct — Lady K reads at 6:30pm for the Shoreway Poets at Gypsy Beans & Baking Co. 6425 Detroit Ave, Cleveland, Ohio 44102 — facebook.com/events/152711358207698/.
& Sunday’s reading at Pat’s in the Flats (which I host) . . .
28 Oct — Poetry at Pat’s in the Flats #3, the Fall session, featuring poets Charlotte Mann, Blayne Hoerner Murray, Tom Adams, Adam Brodsky, Cavana Faithwalker, music by Tom Orange, and a magic open mic. Sunday 11:30am – 3pm. Poetry at Pat’s happens four times a year, hosted by me and my bubbleblow jar, to which I might add two musical steel balls. Pat’s in the Flats: 2233 West 3rd Street Cleveland, OH 44113 — patsintheflats.com
6 of my remaining 8 bottom teeth – foto Smith
Posted in Bio, Lady, Photography | 1 Comment »
Thursday, October 25th, 2012
Bad mouth Smith – foto Smith
Will be reading from my memoir tonight missing 5 lower teeth pulled by a dental student yesterday. Appears to be okay; no swelling, little pain. The main question seems to be how do I eat and chew?
Went to Case Dental School last year to get my teeth fixed cheaply and they went into disaster mode in an effort to *stabilize* my mouth. Sounds serious. January they’ll pull my 8 remaining upper teeth and slap in a temporary denture for 6 months until the swelling recedes and the bone loss finalizes, then they’ll give me a final upper plate and lower retainer. Thousands of dollars that could go to helping the world or buying marijuana going into my mouth instead.
4 readings, 8 days, 16 teeth (of 32).
25 Oct (TONIGHT ! ! ! ) — Smith, Shaffer, Smith at Visible Voice Books & Wine Bar will read from their The City Poetry Press books: *22 Years* by Wendy Shaffer and *Stations of the Lost & Found* by Smith & Lady. Thursday 7pm. Visible Voice Books & Wine Bar: 1023 Kenilworth Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44113 — visiblevoicebooks.com
26 Oct — Lady K reads at 6:30pm for the Shoreway Poets at Gypsy Beans & Baking Co. 6425 Detroit Ave, Cleveland, Ohio 44102 — facebook.com/events/152711358207698/. She’ll likely read from her new NightBallet Press chapbook *Firecracker Madalas*.
28 Oct — Poetry at Pat’s in the Flats #3, the Fall session, featuring poets Charlotte Mann, Blayne Hoerner Murray, Tom Adams, Adam Brodsky, Cavana Faithwalker, music by Tom Orange, and a magic open mic. Sunday 11:30am – 3pm. Poetry at Pat’s happens four times a year, hosted by me and my bubbleblow jar, to which I might add two musical steel balls. Pat’s in the Flats: 2233 West 3rd Street Cleveland, OH 44113 — patsintheflats.com
1 Nov — Lorain Arts Council Gallery 737, we read from my memoir *Stations of the Lost & Found*, 66 years in the living, 7 years in the writing. Director Antonio Barrios is hosting an evening of writers, authors and poets from 4-8pm; Lady & I will read from 6 to 6:30. The Lorain Arts Council: 737 Broadway Ave, Lorain, OH 44052 — lorainartscouncil.com/
Smith’s small curd – foto Smith
Posted in Bio, Lady, Photography, Poetry | 2 Comments »
Wednesday, October 24th, 2012
Cindy Sheehan at Mac’s Backs Books 10.23.2012 – foto Smith
Reading from the memoir tomorrow, having 5 lower teeth pulled today. Should be interesting. 3 readings next 4 days:
25 Oct — Smith, Shaffer, Smith at Visible Voice Books & Wine Bar read from their The City Poetry Press books: *22 Years* by Wendy Shaffer and *Stations of the Lost & Found* by Smith & Lady. Thursday 7pm. Visible Voice Books & Wine Bar: 1023 Kenilworth Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44113 — visiblevoicebooks.com
26 Oct — Lady K reads at 6:30pm for the Shoreway Poets at Gypsy Beans & Baking Co. 6425 Detroit Ave, Cleveland, Ohio 44102 — facebook.com/events/152711358207698/. She’ll probably read from her new NightBallet Press chapbook *Firecracker Mandalas*.
28 Oct — Poetry at Pat’s in the Flats #3, the fall session, featuring poets Charlotte Mann, Blayne Hoerner Murray, Tom Adams, Adam Brodsky, Cavana Faithwalker, music by Tom Orange, and a magic open mic. Sunday 11:30am – 3pm. Poetry at Pat’s happens four times a year, hosted by me and my bubbleblow jar, to which I might add musical steel balls. Pat’s in the Flats: 2233 West 3rd Street Cleveland, OH 44113 — patsintheflats.com
We met Cindy Sheehan last night at Mac’s Backs Books. For a person who gets arrested a lot, she’s an extremely nice, funny, knowledgeable, passionate, articulate, hopeful person. Smiles a lot in a good way. You’d have to be a corporation or a war-supporting politician not to like her.
First read about her in 2005 when she camped outside George W. Bush’s ranch in Crawford Texas demanding a reason for her son’s Iraqi War death.
As Wikipedia puts it, “Sheehan attracted international attention in early August 2005, when she traveled to President Bush’s Prairie Chapel Ranch, just outside Crawford, Texas, demanding a second meeting with the President. She told members of Veterans for Peace, “I’m gonna say, ‘And you tell me, what the noble cause is that my son died for.’ And if he even starts to say freedom and democracy, I’m gonna say, bullshit. You tell me the truth. You tell me that my son died for oil. You tell me that my son died to make your friends rich…You tell me that, you don’t tell me my son died for freedom and democracy.” She also vowed not to pay her federal income tax for 2004 because that was the year her son was killed.”
She’s currently running as Vice-President to Roseanne Barr’s President for the Peace and Freedom Party.
We bought her new book *Revolution, A Love Story* which is about the good work Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez has accomplished in the past 12 years, such as eradicating illiteracy in his country, easing the plight of the poor, and providing housing, health and schooling for them. It seems to be working well because he was just re-elected with a majority of 10% in spite of his country’s rich pouring megabucks into trying to defeat him.
* Revolution, A Love Story* by Cindy Sheehan – foto Smith
Posted in activism, america, Bio, health, Photography | 1 Comment »
Monday, October 22nd, 2012
. . . and the eddies of time – fotos Smith
My Tree Barks
My bark is worse than my bite
although once my bite was worse than my bark
back when I was but burgeoning bark on tree
but it was a dogwood tree
so I was bark bark
and became known as Bark Bark Smith
and little dogs pissed on me.
It was a good life
warm and wet
before I matured into tendril stock
which warps and weaves
in woof woof wonder
which is why
I’m now known as
Bark Bark Woof Woof Smith
the One Who Never Whimpers.
— Smith, 2010
Posted in Photography, Poetry | 1 Comment »
Sunday, October 21st, 2012
 Took Lance around to shoot some photos yesterday! We went to one of my favorite places to saturate my eyes, Train Avenue.
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Don’t let the floppy appearance of this rooster be of concern! Maurice (or “Stu,” as he is also called) is quite healthy and happy. He was just kind of taking advantage of the warmth of the furnace!
~ Lady
Posted in Art, cleveland, Tremont | 1 Comment »
Saturday, October 20th, 2012
Poetry at Pat’s in the Flats on 10.28.2012 (in 8 days) – foto Smith
Red, Hot & Cool: three readings Oct 25-11.1, 2012.
No, not one red, one hot, one cool . . . all three all three.
25 Oct — Smith, Shaffer, Smith at Visible Voice Books & Wine Bar read from their The City Poetry Press books: *22 Years* by Wendy Shaffer and *Stations of the Lost & Found*. Thursday 7pm.
28 Oct — Poetry at Pat’s in the Flats #3, the fall session, featuring poets Charlotte Mann, Blayne Hoerner Murray, Tom Adams, Adam Brodsky, Cavana Faithwalker, music by Tom Orange, and a magic open mic. Sunday 11:30am – 3pm. Poetry at Pat’s happens four times a year, hosted by me and my bubbleblow jar, to which I might add musical steel balls.
1 Nov — Lorain Arts Council Gallery 737, we read from my memoir *Stations of the Lost & Found* by Smith & Lady, 66 years in the living, 7 years in the writing. The Lorain Arts Council is presenting an evening of writers, authors and poets from 4-8pm; Lady & I read from 6 to 6:30.
Visible Voice Books & Wine Bar: 1023 Kenilworth Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44113
visiblevoicebooks.com
Pat’s in the Flats: 2233 West 3rd Street, Cleveland, OH 44113
patsintheflats.com
The Lorain Arts Council: 737 Broadway Ave, Lorain, OH 44052
lorainartscouncil.com
Don’t neglect us now – foto Smith
Posted in Bio, Photography, Poetry | 1 Comment »
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