I'm loving "Creature Commandos" and loving its soundtrack.
Friday, December 20, 2024
Pre-Holiday Wisdom
Bruce Wise closes out the week with wise Words. Thank you for reading Oddball Magazine this week.
Stone Soup Croutons, 12-18-24: Some Things Can't Be Held in Haiku
Stone Soup Croutons is a weekly poem I write using lines and impressions selected from Stone Soup Poetry's open mic readers and features. I figure out a title (and sometimes the rest of the poem) later. You can read the other ones I've done since 2015 here.
I also have a book collecting the best of my first year of poems. Click here to purchase it.
At long last, BeYouT featured at Stone Soup, and it was worth the wait. I'm sorry I left my mic on for part of the feature and didn't realize it. At least I muted jist in time fro the strong finish, which was a tribute to LUCCI.
It made me really want to try with this poem. I thank BeYouT and Glen for that.
Thanks for reading.
Some Things Can't Be Held in Haiku
Courts
declare Just
Say So clause.
Santa
can't arrive
can't arrive
fast enough.
Winter Came a Little Early
And Janet Cormier's Bamboozled No More! column is right on time. Read it now over at Oddball Magazine.
Lee Varon, Virtual Thursdays Dire Literary Series Plus Q and A with Timothy Gager, 12/19/24
Yesterday's Dire today. Hosted by Timothy Gager.
Advent Calendar, Day Twenty
DJ Cummerbund hasn't posted a holiday mashup yet, so I'll post this one from a few years back. Definitely for people tired of Mariah Carey.
My Friday Morning Music
I can't believe I never heard of Gogol Bordello until they used two of his songs in James Gunn's "Creature Commandos."
Thursday, December 19, 2024
New Vagabond Anthology: A Call for Submissions
From Vagabond Publisher Mark Lipman.
Dear poets:
Vagabond announces a new call for unpublished poetry and original artwork for our upcoming anthology: DEPOSE (an anthology of working class solidarity).
Tonight: Lee Varon at the Virtual Dire Literary Series
The Stone Soup Pot
Love this art from last night's Zoom call by Ricard Spisak. I love that Robert Fleming looks jealous that he's not in the pot. He can have my spt. If anything, my head should be thrown in the fire to match my Hell backdrop...
The Great Distiller
James Van Looy poem column this week delivers. As it always has. Read It's All One Thing at Oddball Magazine.
BeYouT Features at Stone Soup Poetry, 12-18-24
From this week's online gathering. Thanks to BeYouT for helping Stone Soup close out the year wonderfully. If you'd like to donate to her poetic causes, please do so by donating to her Venmo (@BeYouT2022).
Bye, 2024
Farewell, 2024, the year that is hitting all of our asses on the way out. This is definitely our last open mic with a feature for the year, and I'm glad the feature was BeYouT. Thanks to her for a wonderful feature. If you'd like to donate to her poetic causes, please do so by donating to her Venmo (@BeYouT2022). Thanks to everyone who supported Stone Soup this year. Stay tuned for more announcements as I struggle to get ready for 2025 while Stone Soup takes Christmas week off.
Advent Calendar, Day Nineteen
Homestar Runner has become so self-referential, it's almost impossible to recommend it to new viewers. That said, I'm posting this because I love Homestar Runner and look forward to wearing my Decemberween shirt next week.
Wednesday, December 18, 2024
Before I Run
I need to head home, but first I want to make a final promotional push. Please come by tonight to Stone Soup Poetry's virtual open mic and hear BeYouT's feature. You won't regret it.
We Yearn
Great to welcome back poet Jenny Middleton Bonnie Matthews Brock for the final Wednesday of 2024.
Two poems of longing this Wednesday. One of a raw kind of longing, this entry a more mature kind of longing. I like when things flow.
Thanks so much for reading Oddball Magazine today. Don't worry. There's more coming.
Out from the Cocoon
Poet David Jibson returns along with artist Bill Wolak. The last Wednesday before the holidays is still delivering the poetry at Oddball Magazine.
Mass Flyers!
So many venues vying for attention, the flyer situation in Jamaica Plain is making the graffiti look subtle!
A Moment of Comics
Art and entertainment does not make us hate corporations or their CEOs. Corporations and CEOs are monsters, and that's why there is art and entertainment depicting them as such. Sometimes as literal monsters. Introducing the minotaur Darius Agger as the CEO of Roxxon from Incredible Hulk #27 written by Al Ewing, penciled by Joe Bennet and inked by Ruy José.
American Haiku: One Nation Under Trump
When I started my Sarcastic Haiku series, I wrote my first American Haiku.
An American Haiku doesn't care about tradition, formality or history. it takes as long as it wants to make its point because America. You can read
others I've written since by clicking here and scrolling down.
American Haiku: One Nation Under Trump
You all say I won?
You're all under arrest...You're all under arrest...Advent Calendar, Day Eighteen
According to the internet, Middle Earth does not celebrate Christmas. But there are lots of videos with the words "Middle Earth" and "Christmas" in them. This one I first saw on Instagram and tracked down on YouTube.
Your Wednesday Morning Poetry
Shuntaro Tanikawa passed away last month. Eric Lee Friedman was reading one of his poems on the open mic in Topsfield this past weekend. Here's another poem of his from Poetry International. Read "Just the Way It Is."
Tuesday, December 17, 2024
Goofing Around
The tweet above has nothing to do with the poem. Just needed a graphic. Decided to touch on the drone craze with a rip on a classic Carlos Drummond de Andrade poem. Read it on Substack.
This Thursday: Lee Varon at the Virtual Dire Literary Series
Svelte and Glossy
Thanks to Oddball MVPs Emma Wells and Edward Michael Supranowicz for holding up Tuesday for us. Tuesday starts now at Oddball Magazine.
This Week's Most Distinguished Network Name
It's amazing what people will name their online networks. I'm always trying to hijack Wi-Fi when I'm commuting, so I often come across a number of interesting names. Every Tuesday, I post the most impressive and/or cringe-inducing names.
 |
| I wasn't even near a school. Feel like I should report this... |
Monday, December 16, 2024
Chapter Thirteen
Steven David Justin Sills is back with one more chapter on his ethics treatise and Richard Spisak is back with another illustration. Take time to look their work over at Oddball Magazine.
Some Year-End Recap
For her last strips of the year, Anne Skove will be going back to when things were nicer just a few months ago. Read the first of two special "She Who Laughs Lasts" strips for the end of 2024 at Oddball Magazine.
A Wonderful Early Christmas Present
Thanks to Anne Skove for sending me a copy of her latest project A Short History of Burnet Woods. It's an educational work focusing on an area in Cincinnati, Ohio that I now want to visit. Several pages also appeared first in Oddball Magazine. I'll let you know if there's a way to order this online.
Approaching Winter
Poetry and photography by Luis Lázaro Tijerina marks the seasonal transition today at Oddball Magazine. Have a happy Monday. As always, we're just getting started today.
Tim Killing It in Topsfield
I'm so used to not updating during the weekend, but I posted this photo of Tim featuring at Zumi's on my social media as it was happening on Saturday. Just wanted to put it here on my blog today.
The Face is Back!
After weeks of the "Face" being removed from the wall of an empty building, the Face is back again in all its glory! Same place, same artist. Let's see how long it stays up now.
The Ultimate Bicycle! Bicycle! Bicycle! Graffiti
This bicycle art is at the infamous stop under the footbridge in Brookline. The word balloon next to the bicycle says, "It's Dry Here." I have to get a better photo of this while I still can.
Advent Calendar, Day Sixteen
A friend was talking about this Justin Bieber cover of "The Christmas Song" and mentioned how "unnecessary"it was. I would have mentioned the Billy Crystal cover, but much to my surprise, I posted it three(!) times over the years, and I try not to repeat myself (except for Day Twenty-Five).
My Monday Morning Music
I am watching "Creature Commandos" and just wanted to highlight some of the music James Gunn's used. I'm always pleasantly surprised by his choices.
Sunday, December 15, 2024
Put This on my Funeral Photo Collage
Jason took this when I must have felt a chill or something. I look like Strong Sad whining, "I. Don't. Like. FOOD anymore!"
Celebrating
A post-feature victory dinner at the Four 66 Pub & Grille. Photo of me and Tim taken by Jason.
My Favorite Picture from Last Night
I call this one, "Tim Has a Brilliant Idea While Reading Amidst Americana." From his feature last night at Zumi's.
Your Weekly Dose of God
My secret sources reveal there is literally an "I Spy Inside the Church" teacher's worksheet. This is real! Ther's even a crucifix on the checklist sheet with a happy looking Jesus. WHY DOES HE LOOK HAPPY?!?
Advent Calendar, Day Fifteen
Doobus Goobus is an animator. This is the first of his Christmas animations I've seen. It's not for everyone, but it's definitely for people unfortunate enough to watch that "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer" TV special.
Saturday, December 14, 2024
December 18: BeYouT's Stone Soup Feature is Finally Here!
She has been
through a lot this year (more than even most people in 2024), and we are
grateful to her for making time to feature during a busy
holiday season.
I've been looking forward to this rescheduled feature, and I hope you will join us.
Join us on Wednesday December 18 from 7:00 to 9:00 PM ET by clicking this link.
The meeting ID is 872 0179 0554
Password: stonesoup
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