Friday, January 17, 2025
My Friday Evening Music
I am by no stretch of the imagination a Bon Jovi fan. How they got into classic rock rotation kind of baffles me. Still I remember "Wild in the Streets," a B-side to "Livin' on a Prayer." I would hear it on once in a while and didn't mind it. Probably because unlike other Bon Jovi songs, it wasn't played every fifteen minutes on the radio.
Wisdom Quest
Wise Words by Bruce Wise closes out Oddball Magazine this week. Thanks for reading. There is more to come. We hope you keep coming back.
Eileen Pollack, Virtual Thursdays Dire Literary Series Plus Q and A with Timothy Gager, 1/16/25
Yesterday's Dire today. Hosted by Timothy Gager.
It's the Final Countdown
Looks like TikTok is going away.
Less than three days to capitalize one more time on the "Emotional Damage" meme.
My Friday Morning Music
It says online that "Use It or Lose It" was a B side of "Smokin' In The Boys Room," and that tracks. That was way overplayed in my day. For a B-side, this got a lot of plays at my Papa Gino's job. More than "Smokin[ In T?he Boys Room" I would say. The lyrics have more teeth than most Mötley Crüe songs. It's as if the band wrote their own cautionary tale, then ignored it for nearly four decades.
Leopards Eating Faces Update!
I love when the conservatives who voted for Trump start feigning concern after voting for him. "What will happen now that the leopard has learned the ropes?" Are they really wondering what will happen with a Republican Party shaped in Trump's image when it was already shaped in Trumps image the first four years?
Thursday, January 16, 2025
Coming Again
Check out the first two poems from Indolent Books' new Second Coming series, which will officially start with Trump's inauguration. When they post their official call for submissions and guidelines, I will let you know.
Tonight: Eileen Pollack at the Virtual Dire Literary Series
We're Not
James Van Looy sets us up for Monday with this week's poem column. Read It's All One Thing at Oddball Magazine.
Jennifer Martelli Features at Stone Soup Poetry, 1-15-25
From this week's online gathering. Jennifer Martelli gave an excellent feature that in some ways was a perfect prologue for the next few years ahead of us. We are grateful for her clarity. Be sure to purchase her latest collection, Psychic Party Under the Bottle Tree.
If You Know the Wave, You Know
What an amazing last Wednesday in semi-sorta-free America. Thanks so much to Jennifer Martelli for being the first feature of 2025. An amazing start. Stay tuned for more Stone Soup news!
Wednesday, January 15, 2025
Oh God We Made It!
It's the end of the day! And Jennifer Martelli is featuring at Stone Soup Poetry later tonight! It's our reward for making it this far.
Pow!
I love this poem by Noah Berlatsky and the artwork specifically created for it by Peter Urkowitz. It's my favorite combo so far this year. I love Noah's work, and Peter becoming a regular visual art contributor for us makes me excited for the rest of the year.
Thank you for reading Oddball Magazine this Wednesday.
Reeling
A poetry journal of some reknown rejected my work.
I never saw it until I checked my Submittable for the first time in months.
It was the most complimentary rejection I've ever received.
I was going to post it here, but I'd rather keep it to myself for the time being.
Maybe if I share it then it won't be real anymore.
Also...
Confession
The secret theme for today could be called socialist roots. The poem going up later this afternoon is more subtle if you don't know pop culture history. Our first poem this morning by Diana Rosen is less subtle, which actually makes it more enjoyable. Thanks to Diana and returning artist Jennifer Matthews for their work kicking off this Wednesday at Oddball Magazine.
A Moment of Comics
In John Byrne's Next Men, evil mastermind and President Aldus HIlltop not only brainwashed Jasmine to think she was his wife, but he also filled her mind with racist nonsense that Brianna Wu today would probably call centrist. From John Byrne's Next Men #28 by Byrne.
American Haiku: Pete Hegseth's First Call
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: Pete Hegseth's First Call
If I wanted hard
hard questions I would beat them
out of you! I mean, anonymous smears...anonymous smears...Future Story Graphic
Hung out with Jason Wright last Saturday, and he pointed out this bumper sticker that just might be used for one of my articles on Substack I'll be putting behind a paywall.
Tuesday, January 14, 2025
This Thursday: Eileen Pollack at the Virtual Dire Literary Series
Lonely Hallways Have People in Them
Tuesday Poem Sixty-Eight is up on my Patreon. Join for as little as a buck a month to read all my hidden work.
Sometimes, Family Kills
Glad to have a photo of mine included with our newest talent Abigail Rivers. Don't skip Oddball Magazine this Tuesday.
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.
 |
| Neil Gaiman's other alias? What?!? I can be timely... |
Monday, January 13, 2025
Not a Preview
I'm working on something for a colleague. I don't want to give anything away, but I'm looking forward to diving into this mini-project tonight.
What's to Hate
Richard Spisak give s us the state of Meta and evertything else is his latest poetry and visual art offering for Oddball Magazine.
A Tale of Four Eyes
Anne Skove channels Lynda Carter and Amy Carter to give us this week's gem of a comic. Read "She Who Laughs Lasts" at Oddball Magazine.
What a Week
Jackie Oldham does her best to sum up the last few days with illustrative assistance from Edward Michael Supranowicz. Welcome to the new week (help) at Oddball Magazine.
Coming Up
I'll be uploading a heartfelt message onmy TikTok. And maybe later, something that has to do with the fake burning Hollywood graphic above?
Hightlights from Saturday's Feature I Couldn't Record
Me to Tim via Text:Wondering if the guy in back of us is on a QAnon board.
Tim via text: Yes.
Sadly, the guy left before I could sneak a picture.
Can Never Have Too Many Reminders
Got to pick up my copy of the Boston Compass newspaper this month.
My Monday Morning Music
This week I'm focusing on music "B-Sides," songs that were on the opposite side of single releases via records and cassettes from musical artists (it took a while before I got a CD player). Often cast aside, forgotten songs. Specifically, I'm focusing on B-Sides I used to hear on the jukebox at Papa Gino's where I worked during high school. Two whole years and I don't think the jukebox ever removed or added any music. The one selection you would hear at my job over and over every night was "Love Shack" by The B52's. I much preferred their B-side "Channel Z," which did get play on MTV but never took off the same way. I always appreciated it whenever anyone chose it over "Love Shack."
Sunday, January 12, 2025
You Also Have Until Wednesday for This
You Have Until Wednesday
Molecule is accepting submissions for its twelfth issue until the end of January 15. Click here for guidelines.
Happy Birthday, Sarah Vickery
Glad I snapped a picture yesterday. Thanks for having me feature at your open mic.
Your Weekly Dose of God
Haven't photographed this in a while. A shot of the First Church Unitarian Universalist in Jamaica Plain. Planing to use this picture for a Substack piece.
Saturday, January 11, 2025
Happening Today
In a few hours I'll have my feature at ZUMI'S Espresso & Ice Cream in Topsfield, Massachusetts.
I'll be down there hopefully well before 3:00. Thanks to Sarah Vickery for the opportunity.
Thanks to anyone who's braving the snow outside to come.
Addendum to my Last Post
Yes, I got two good things in the mail yesterday, but that's a once every two years event at best.
In My Hands
Got my contributor's copy of Ibbetson Street #56 in yesterdays. Thanks to Doug Holder and Harris Gardner for including my work in the last issue of 2024. Can't to read everyone's work.
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