Wednesday, October 28, 2009

The "Frillies" vs. The "Yankers"

Yeah! Getting ready for the Phillies’ second consecutive World Series! I think the series versus the Yankees will be hard-fought and will go to at least six games, but I think the Phils will prevail. I’m still a bit ticked off about an article in that bastion of responsible journalism, the New York (Com)Post the other day. The headline read “The Frillies Are Coming” and featured a Photoshopped picture of Shane Victorino with a cheerleader’s skirt and legs. The piece of tripe that accompanied it proceeded to trash the team, its fans, and even the city. I won’t repeat all the nonsense that came out of the mouths and pens of the three alleged “writers” and the Yankee fans they quoted, but they even went as far as to say the Phils arrived in New York in true “second-class” style – by train. Now who travels from Philly to New York by plane anyway, unless they want to pay more and take longer to get there (or unless they have a private jet – like maybe A-Rod)? Anyway, I hope the Phillies take the series and make those Post morons eat their words – like a cheesesteak “with”.

Poetry:
Another reminder that my group’s journal, Up and Under: The QND Review is now accepting submissions for poetry. Go to http://quickanddirtypoets.com/ for more details. You’ll also find links to two other journals that members of my group edit, Chantarelle’s Notebook and The Barefoot Muse.

I’m not doing a lot creatively these days other than an occasional so-so poem, but I am helping edit our journal and submitting to others. My new book Breathing Out has been slightly delayed but hopefully will be shipped out the end of October. Thanks for your patience to all of you who ordered copies in advance. If you didn’t get around to it and still would like a copy, check the publisher's website: http://www.finishinglinepress.com/.



Music: Besides enjoying the new album from The Swell Season (Glen Hansard and Marketa Inglova, the folks who brought you the indie film “Once” and its Oscar-winning song “Falling Slowly”) and turning my 13-year-old on to the joys of Bob Dylan, I’ve been thinking about lists again. I’ll have a best-albums-of-2009 list soon enough, but for now I’m thinking of the best of the decade, the 00’s if you will. I’m still tinkering with a list of 70-some candidates, but for now, here’s a list of my favorite 30 albums from the years 2000-2009:

1. The Crane Wife – The Decemberists
2. Illinois – Sufjan Stevens
3. Kill the Moonlight – Spoon
4. Twin Cinema – New Pornographers
5. SMiLE – Brian Wilson
6. We Were Born in a Flame – Sam Roberts
7. The Shepherd’s Dog – Iron & Wine
8. Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga – Spoon
9. Merriweather Post Pavilion – Animal Collective
10. Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! – Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
11. Asleep in the Back – Elbow
12. Stay Positive – The Hold Steady
13. Flock – Bell X1
14. A Rush of Blood to the Head – Coldplay
15. The Boxing Mirror – Alejandro Escovedo
16. Magic – Bruce Springsteen
17. Picaresque – The Decemberists
18.Gimme Fiction- Spoon
19. Fate – Dr. Dog
20. Okemah and the Melody of Riot – Son Volt
21. Sound of Silver – LCD Soundsystem
22. Viva la Vida – Coldplay
23. Electric Version – New Pornographers
24. The Rising – Bruce Springsteen
25. Boys and Girls in America – The Hold Steady
26. Boxer – The National
27. The Stage Names – Okkervil River
28. Separation Sunday – The Hold Steady
29. The Hazards of Love – The Decemberists
30. Come Away with Me – Norah Jones

Poem of the…Month:


I entered this limerick in a Halloween poetry contest – it didn’t win, but I thought it was fun in a slightly macabre way, so in the spirit of the season, here it is:

Nice Mask

“A Halloween full moon is neat,”
thought the werewolf, “I’ll go trick-or-treat!
They’ll think it’s a mask,
so they won’t even ask –
I’ll come home with a bag full of meat!”