the end of the world

got all my Christmas shopping and cards done before the end of November.

sent out some poems to ZYX and ART:MAG. hopefully my good run of luck with both zines continue.

i get that the Yankees want to tell all of us they are on a budget. but to see on the same day they bring back the hammer of god, Mariano Rivera, they lose their starting catcher to the Pirates because they offered more money. you've got to be fucking kidding me. i know all the benefits they will get if the team gets under the pseudo salary cap. i'm not sure i want to see 2 years of fucking sucking in order to do it. but, if it means that afterwards the team payroll goes up to $300 million, i'll live with it. i just don't see that happening either. the fucking Pirates.

i always thought the end of the world would sneak up on me. i'll be damned, it did.

lucky people, start checking your mailboxes in the coming week or so. some goodies are on the way. goodies or shit taking up space in my bedroom. you be the judge.

"Keep your face always toward the sunshine - and shadows will fall behind you." - Walt Whitman

and remember to put sunscreen on that face if you don't want cancer.

...and back to reality

first things first, this blog post is brought to you by episode #36 of The Sam Roberts Show Online. you can find the show on ITunes, Stitcher, and by going here http://notsam.com/podcast.html. give it a listen, you'll enjoy it. and even if you don't, tell someone about it. and help Sam out if you can. help him add a video element to the podcast as well. this guy has all the goods to be big one day. get on the train early.

hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving holiday. i had my usual family dinner on Friday. i don't do much family shit on Thanksgiving. i decided as a teen it probably wasn't the best for me to be with the cousin that molested me as a child. so, i imagine once she dies, maybe i'll come around again. until then, it will be me, some football, some porn, and an early start to Christmas shopping. which, thankfully, i am about 98% done with.

i was going to get on here earlier and give a long rant about UD losing tonight by 1 fucking point to Weber St. but i decided to let my anger pass. i didn't go to the game as my mother is in Columbus at a conference and i really didn't feel like driving at night with these new glasses. (quick side note, holy fuck my eyes are bad. first time i've had new glasses in 3 years and fuck, it was like the first time i saw HD. oh, so that's what i have been missing. i'm willing to bet in 10 years i'll be legally blind.) but, by watching the game i remembered why i always like going. god, the UD tv announcers fucking suck. just god fucking awful. let alone the game. when you can't make a shot from 3 feet to save your life, you die. it's really that simple.

thankfully, Manchester United won earlier in the day 1-0. RvP scores 31 seconds in and the other 93 minutes were nearly a complete fucking bore. but, 3 points are 3 points. and a clean sheet, been a long fucking time since i remember one of those.

random thoughts

tomorrow will be a laundry day, wait around for the UPS/FED EX guy day, hope my fantasy football team gets off to a good start day, who did the Yankees sign day, does this still look good to eat day.

i gave in to the hype and got Trilogy by TheWeeknd. glad i did.

totally stoked for the final 6 from The Voice. i'm good with any one of them winning.

Boardwalk Empire has really got hot with the last 2 episodes. can't wait for the season finale coming up.

welcome back Kuroda and Pettitte. may father time elude both of you AGAIN. fuck me, sign someone under 40 for a fucking change.

i think i figured out what was leaking in the fridge. and if my mother reads this, i mopped and cleaned it well. if she's not reading this, i love strong paper towels.

music today:

Rolling Stones - Exile on Main St.
Buffalo Tom - Big Red Letter Day
Audrey Rose - Smoke EP
The Lighthouse and The Whaler - Pioneers EP
Matthew Perryman Jones - Land of the Living
Guided By Voices - Class Clown Spots A UFO
Guided By Voices - The Bears For Lunch
TheWeeknd - Trilogy

and in honor of the greatest guitar player that ever walked the earth
"You have to go on and be crazy. Craziness is like heaven." - Jimi Hendrix

behind the clouds

my poem "behind the clouds" was published this morning at The Camel Saloon. you can find the poem by going here http://thecamelsaloon.blogspot.com/2012/11/behind-clouds.html.

my poems in ZYX #62

my poems "a moment like that", "the cold winds of death", "and then some", "certain for death", "the dark angel of hindsight", and "contemplating death in early march" have been published in ZYX #62.

others with work in the issue include Jean Esteve, David Stone, Nathan Whiting, Alan Catlin, B.Z. Niditch, Guy R. Beining, John Grey, and Arnold Skemer.

for more information contact:

ZYX
c/o Arnold Skemer
58-09 205th Street
Bayside, NY 11364

and here come the holidays

first off, this blog post is brought to you by The Sam Roberts Show Online, episode #35. i urge all of you to listen to this for Sam's take on the Elmo controversy. you will never look at puppets or cartoons the same again. you can find the show on ITunes, Stitcher, and by going to http://notsam.com/podcast.html. if you can help Sam out, by all means do so. also, if you like what you hear, tell as many people as you know.

i had an eye appointment yesterday (my left eye has gotten worse, but, new glasses coming soon) so i missed Manchester United's loss yesterday. given that they have already clinched the group in Champions League play, i'm not too concerned. BUT, they better fucking win this weekend against QPR.

i did manage to see that Chelsea lost and their manager got fired after the game. pure fucking glee on my end.

after i get done with this i will hopefully catch CR7 eliminating Manchester City. fingers are crossed.

i'm on a bit of a Rolling Stones kick here lately. really enjoyed Crossfire Hurricane on HBO and the new video for Doom and Gloom is interesting. of course, i may have just liked it for the nudity, but the song is pretty damn good as well. hunt the internet a bit, you'll find it.

speaking of music, found some new music on NoiseTrade.com today. check out the music section and do check out the bands. well worth your time.

lastly, i do hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving. if you happen to be going shopping, please lose your patience and murder someone. ok, that was just to see if people are actually reading this.

i have started my Christmas shopping. hello internet. given that most of the stores around me have closed, i don't know if i will leave the home to buy anything. of course, it feels like i'm trying to keep the postal service afloat by myself. that being said, a few lucky ones should be checking their mailboxes in the coming weeks.

music today:

Pixies - Doolittle
Saints Apollo - Saints Apollo EP
Boots & Wesson - Boots & Wesson EP

and now from the birthday boy:
"When it is a question of money, everybody is of the same religion." - Voltaire

what should have been

so, today started off well enough. last night i got the 2 poems accepted. Dayton whipped Boston College in basketball in a holy shit, did we really make over 60% of our shots for the entire game. i was glad to have seen it as that might be the only way i would ever believe it happened. they play Auburn tomorrow to try to come home 3-1 on the season. they should be able to get it done. another name to remember, Dyshawn Pierre. if this kid ever reaches his full potential, look out.

so this morning i'm up early to watch some soccer to prepare myself for Manchester United this afternoon. lackluster would be too kind of a word to describe the game. listless might be a better fit. frankly, i should have known this shit filled game was coming as soon as i knew Wayne Rooney wasn't playing. so much for first place.

after that shitty experience, here came Ohio State. i figured the game would be tough, all the road games are. especially at Wisconsin. in a game that maybe set back offense 100 years, Ohio State wins in overtime 21-14. they totally didn't deserve to be anywhere near winning this game. i hope they know if they play like that next week, there will be 100,000 fans looking for... use your imagination as it will be Michigan week.

i still had the victory beer. didn't taste as good as it should have. oh well, some more football this evening. maybe i'll get a head start on picking up the trash as i have a morning full of fantasy football shit ahead of me. if my old ass can stay awake, i'll try to catch the new Saturday Night Live tonight and some ROH as well.

hope everyone has a good rest of the weekend.

peace and chicken grease.

music today:

Bassnectar - Freestyle Mixtape

"There's no such thing as simple. Simple is hard." - Martin Scorsese

response from The Camel Saloon

i heard back from Russell at The Camel Saloon on my recent poetry submission. my poems "behind the clouds" and "trouble" were accepted for publication.

frustration and poetry news

got my daily chores (getting the paper and mail from town) done early this morning so i could try and watch the Dayton Flyers via the internet this afternoon. let's just say i would have been better off forgetting they were playing today.

the feed was spotty at best but i hung with it because Dayton was winning. as soon as the game turned to shit, i gave up on my supposedly high speed internet feed and just turned on the radio. a loss by 10 points to Colorado is not that bad in the general sense. the game was much closer than that for most of it. the shitty part is you are now in the losers portion of the bracket and the teams you will face in that will be a drag on your strength of schedule and RPI later on in the season. all shit you need to be good to get into the NCAA tournament. needless to say, i'm not a happy camper.

so, the only way i know how to blow off some steam and not kill something, music and poetry. turned on some tunes and sent out some poems today to The Camel Saloon and Zygote in My Coffee. 2 of my favorites and 2 that i figure i have the best shot at some good news coming back. i'll pass along the (good) news as soon as i get it.

the rest of my day will be spent on dishes, google+, checking fantasy football injury reports, and getting ready for a Thursday of tv viewing.

i really wouldn't mind if the players i have going tonight in NFL action actually have great games so the stench of last weeks 3 losses can finally come off of me. fingers are crossed.

music today:

Shooter Jennings - The Wolf
John Prine - Souvenirs

"I've been absolutely terrified every moment of my life - and I've never let it keep me from doing a single thing I wanted to do." - Georgia O'Keeffe

back on the horse

watched team USA play Russia to a 2-2 draw that they totally didn't deserve. if it wasn't for Tim Howard, the Russians would have scored 5 or 6 goals. i am happy for Michael Bradley though. he is really coming into his own and hopefully can be the midfielder this team has needed for years. the defense played like absolute shit once again. that has to get better or the Gold Cup and World Cup qualifying will be gut wrenching in 2013.

seeing that it was International Friendly day in soccer around the world, most people interested will be talking about the bicycle kick goal from 35 yards out in the Sweden vs. England friendly. some are calling it the best goal they have ever seen. it's close, but i doubt think i have ever seen a goal as good as the one Wayne Rooney scored against Manchester City a couple of seasons ago. in a game that mattered. against your in city rivals. PURE FUCKING BRILLIANCE. look it up on the internet one day. you won't be disappointed.

sat down today and realized i have written 2 poems in the last two months. so, in order to change that, i went to my room, put on some tunes and forced myself to write. one hour later and i'm typing up 8 poems, a few true gems as well. i'm always a bit leery of forcing creativity but i'm getting better at it. i know i have to combat the lazy fuck inside of me.

i will hopefully get a couple of submissions out before turkey day.

check out episode #34 of The Sam Roberts Show Online. especially if you need a good laugh. i highly recommend it. it can be found at iTunes, Stitcher, and at notsam.com. help him out if you can as well. Sam totally deserves to be heard by many more people.

home alone tonight. not sure if dinner will be just beer or some food as well. i figure if i get drunk enough, i'll break out the watercolors.

until we meet again my friends.

music today:

Nine Inch Nails - Year Zero
Cypress Hill - Black Sunday
Ruckus Roboticus - Playing With Scratches
Jeff Buckley - Grace
The Black Crowes - Greatest Hits 1990-1999
The Firm - The Firm
Grant-Lee Phillips - Green Corn Songs (Live at McCabes)

"Never be afraid to sit awhile and think." - Lorraine Hansberry

the opposite of fun

saw the first flakes of snow this afternoon as i was pumping gas into my truck. all i could think was fuck, the holidays will be here soon and i'll be fucking miserable. dysfunction, molestation and apathy aren't the greatest qualities to be afflicted with as a child if you truly want to enjoy the holidays as you get older. the joy of experience.

what a totally fucking shitty Sunday. bad enough i watched Manchester City come back to win, but my fantasy football teams absolutely shit the bed. or, as i should put it, their owner did as well. i bet, even with the stats from tonight's game unknown, i have players on the bench of all 3 teams that if i had started them, i wouldn't be bitching right now. unforced errors are the absolute worst. i'll be beating myself up over this for a few days. unless of course a miracle is pulled off tonight by the Steelers. let's just say i'm not holding my fucking breath.

i doubt i will watch much of the game. The Voice is on tonight with probably my favorite group at this point of all 3 seasons. also, The King makes his return to Monday Night Raw tonight after his heart attack a few months ago. i should have gone as the show is in Columbus. the joy of being poor.

between wasting time on google+ and remembering all the people that have forgotten me over the years, i realized i haven't written shit in a few weeks. seeing how the cold front that came through dropped the temps over 30 degrees, i got a feeling a pen and paper will meet rather soon. and given the pain in my back at the moment, blossoms of rage will be all over the pages.

music today:

Ryan Bingham - Tomorrowland
Ana Tijoux - La Bala
Red Wanting Blue - Live at City Winery

"Getting angry doesn't solve anything." - Grace Kelly

what a lovely Saturday

a nice southern breeze taking the temps into the mid 60's. some sunshine and some college basketball. i couldn't ask for more.

went to UD Arena to see the Dayton Flyers open up the season for real. a sluggish game with plenty of hope. when your best player doesn't score in the first half and you are up by 7, i always think that means you have a team with great depth. and when that best player finishes the game with 12 points, 10 assists, and 6 rebounds and you know he played like shit for most of the game, you can smile. this team has plenty of good parts. but relying on freshmen the way they have to, this season will have plenty of warts as well. a win by 13 is a nice way to get the season going.

then, a little bite to eat and a trip to the grocery store. wasn't nearly as bad as i thought it would be. seeing that Ohio State is off this week, i kind of figured everyone would be at the store instead of in front of a television. it was packed but i managed it. when i'm calm i have a real fuck off look to me, so i'm usually left alone. makes it easier for my mother to get through the aisles, i know that much.

got home to see that Manchester United won 3-2. the usual, go down 2-0. enter the Mexican God, Chicharito, and just like that, 3-2. i learned a long time ago, this team has a will that can't be extinguished. no matter the players, the conditions, or the odds, drama is never far away. been a fan since the early 90's. they probably have taken a few years off my life, but it's been enjoyable.

then, enter chaos into college football as Alabama loses at home. down goes the number 1 team in the land. i smell a god conspiracy going on to make sure Notre Dame plays for the national championship. just sayin'.

and since the NHL can't decide if it wants to be relevant or not, this Saturday night will be spent with a beer, some more football, waiting for Saturday Night Live. i'd much rather be watching Canadians fighting, just sayin'.

music today:

Bassnectar - Freestyle Mixtape
Escondido - Escondido EP
Joshua James - Build Me This
Yellow Red Sparks - Simply Put Me In Your Place EP

"The beginning is the most important part of the work." - Plato

by the way, as some of you may have noticed, not that any of you should really care, a part of my soul got robbed last night and i'm now on google+. the world has officially started to end. you're welcome.

my 3 poems in ART:MAG #39 (The Election Year Blues Issue)

my poems "ditches and graves", "gravity always wins", and "some asshole thinking he's profound" appear in ART:MAG #39 (The Election Year Blues Issue). others with work in this issue include Guy R. Beining, B.Z. Niditch, normal, Cathy Porter, Alan Catlin, Neal Wilgus, John Grey, and Jon Bush just to name a few.

subscription: $8 (includes 2 issues, plus any chapbooks)

Peter Magliocco, Editor

ART:MAG
PO BOX 70896
Las Vegas, NV 89170
USA

what a strange last 2 days

first off, this blog post is brought to you by the Sam Roberts Show Online, episode 33. a must listen as Sam gives a first hand account of going through hurricane Sandy. you can find the show on Itunes, Stitcher, and at notsam.com. click on podcast, and help Sam out if you can.

secondly, a nice FUCK YOU to Frontier Communications as my phone and internet were out for 4 hours today. you couldn't have done that before the fucking election when the GOP was calling here 7 times a fucking day?

woke up yesterday to a coyote in the lane looking for food. on the other side of our wood lot there was a roll over accident. and as i was going to out to feed the cats a medical helicopter was taking off from the field next door. not your usual start to election day, but fitting i suppose.

i did have fun today driving into town to get the mail. all the yard signs of candidates that lost. i love it. living out here with all these rednecks in the sticks. the anger and disgust on their faces today was priceless.

i did watch the last few hours of election results. my mother was worried that Romney was going to win, knowing that meant the farm was going bye bye most likely. i did my best to calm her as i explained political math and how only 10 states really decide this shit. once Ohio was called she felt some relief and went to bed. i stayed up for another few hours laughing at all these assholes on tv explaining away how they had the numbers wrong, etc. etc. fucking beautiful.

but thank fucking god the election is over. living in a battleground state fucking sucks with the constant tv ads and robo calls. enough to drive normal people to a suicidal urge. personally, i enjoy the chaos. i learned a long time ago, don't bother picking up the phone. and, when all else fails, there's always porn to watch.

i did settle down to watch Manchester United this afternoon in Champions League play. just get a draw and you advance to the round of 16. when i saw the lineup Sir Alex put out, i knew this was going to be a fruitless struggle. but, after giving up the first goal. make a few substitutions, get a well timed power outage in the stadium, and get fucking Nani off the pitch and well, well, well, a 3-1 win. RvP, Rooney, and Chicharito. not pretty, the effort sucked ass, but the result was golden. all 3 goals came in the last 10 minutes of the game. and with the result the group has been won. with 2 games to spare. that victory beer will taste good at dinner tonight.

been getting the itch to do some writing or painting here soon. the weather has been like a fucking yo-yo here. decent amount of sun but cold. hopefully it warms up the next few days and a creative spark starts a fucking fire inside me.

of course, there's enough college football and basketball and fantasy football going on to keep my brain occupied. i just like to be using more than 10% of it at all times.

welcome to the world of constant failure.

music today:

Humble Wolf - Paper Thin

"Nobody realizes that some people expend tremendous energy merely to be normal." - Albert Camus

my 2 poems in Gutter Eloquence Magazine #24

my poems "sixteen years" and "bring back old memories" were published today in Gutter Eloquence Magazine #24. you can find each poem by clicking on the links below.

sixteen years
bring back old memories

my 2 poems in Big Hammer #15

my poems "the lessons we are to learn from" and "tv in the afternoon" were published in Big Hammer #15. the issue arrived in the mail today.

others with work in this issue include: Ed Galing, Ron Androla, Marc Olmstead, Mather Schneider, Mark Weber, normal, Lyn Lifshin, Guy R. Beining, John Bennett, Steve Richmond, Hugh Fox, B.Z. Niditch, Douglas Blazek and many more. 58 pages of goodness.

the issue can be purchased for:
$5 in person
$10 postage paid in USA
$20 postage paid to the rest of the world

Iniquity Press/Vendetta Books
c/o Dave Roskos
PO BOX 906
Island Heights, NJ 08732-0906
iniquitypress@hotmail.com

it wouldn't be a Friday afternoon without...

i just love watching tv in the afternoon, nearly asleep, when i see something come across the crawl. and not really sure if this is real or my evil side is making up shit to fuck with me, i make a mad scramble to the computer. and sure enough, the news was real.

always fun trying to find a replacement running back when your most important fantasy match up is just a few days away. and when the choices are basically shit, you slowly begin to realize the chances of you being 9-0 after this week have just about ended. i could think of about a trillion other ways to start my weekend...

just heard from my publisher. Sofisticated White Trash should be hitting the streets in January 2013. a nice way to mark my 37th year on this planet.

saw today that the NHL cancelled the Winter Classic. a quick note to the owners. you already have a loaded gun in your mouth. pull the fucking trigger and cancel the season already so the rest of us can get on without a sport we have devoted our lives to. and when the most loyal fans in sports don't come back, don't question why, just look in the fucking mirror. you brought this upon yourself. ask the players to police you by giving money back that you have already paid them. let alone, ask them to do it twice in 7 years. what a fucking joke. hopefully some network here is smart enough to show games in Europe on a regular basis. and it wouldn't shock me if most of the players just say fuck it and don't come back.

i'm going to try to get to bed early tonight as Manchester United plays early in the morning. let alone Ohio State in the afternoon, 3 huge college football games at night (overlapping each other on top of it), and one of my favorite comedians ever hosting Saturday Night Live (Louis C.K.). i'm getting too old for this shit.

and on Sunday, the Dayton Flyers play their final exhibition game. nothing like a little college basketball while i'm sitting there wondering how all my fantasy football players are doing. the game is just late enough that i won't see how the late games finish. and, of course, most of my guys are in the late games. fuck me runnin'.

and to top all of it off, i'm developing a pain in my left elbow that feels like a pinched nerve. my mother believes it could be some kind of carpal tunnel given all the typing i do. fucking lovely.

hope all of you have a lovely weekend. to my friends in NY and NJ, i'll send my love and some cash, but i urge all of you to grab a weapon and embrace anarchy. and with that lovely thought, a fond farewell.

music today:

Slayer - Reign In Blood
Johnny Cash - American IV: The Man Comes Around

"A man is already halfway in love with any woman who listens to him." - Brendan Francis