Vote on November 7th

You count. Make your vote count!

 

 

Yes, vote on November 7th in person or by absentee ballot but make your vote count.

 

 

Generate your button here.

 

 

Technorati Tags : vote, election, decisions

 

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Happy Halloween

 

Some quick work with the sharp knife and a pumpkin is now a Jack'o Lantern.

 

With both girls away this year at college, I get to have first crack at the pumpkin seeds.

 

Wishing a safe and fun Halloween to all with plenty of treats and no tricks.

 

Enjoy!

 

 

Technorati Tags : halloween, jack-o-lantern, candy, family, trick-or-treat

 

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MA - Absentee Ballot Info

Following the good idea from the Elderblogger PhonCon that I missed last week, here is the link to instructions on how to obtain and cast your absentee ballot for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Your vote counts!

Cast it so it will count!


Technorati Tags : ballot, absentee, vote

Blogger issues

I have noticed a few times in the past week or so that I could not do what I needed to. But I have only a couple of hours a day to do this so I may have been lucky to miss most of what has been happening.

I wish that Blogger would actually create their status blog on another service.

No, that is not heresy.

It is a practical matter of communication to your customers. If your main service is down, you can't very well communicate via the normal channels.

So create a WordPress or other "free" blog and replicate the status there. Actually, it would be better to create one on every competitors platform. Since it is free, it should be easy to do. This is called building redundacy into the communication channels.

Not heresy, smart!

Then with the communications firestorm addressed, Blogger can address their stability issues.


Technorati Tags : Blogger, stability, service, alternative+plan, redudancy

Go Revs!

P1010160
Originally uploaded by shersteve.

Yes, the New England Revolution came from down two goals to tie and then win on penalty kicks to advance to the conference final. Matt Reis in goal was not really challenged during the game (credit to the defenders in front of him; Heaps, Parkhurst, and John) but stopped two penalty kicks and scored one himself to help the cause.

Now, they await the outcome of the DC-NY game to determine their opponent for the final next week.

Go Revs!

Updated: DC beat NY so the Revs will travel to DC to play for the Conference Championship on Saturday.

Technorati Tags : MLS, NE+Revolution, soccer, championship

Aine Minogue

Brian O'Donovan has Aine Minogue on this afternoon's Celtic Sojourn on 89.7 FM. The show is available via the web site to listen anytime.

Aine Minogue
In what has become a tradition for A Celtic Sojourn, Aine Minogue returns at this magical time of the year to talk about Celtic fire festivals, traditions around all souls night, the origins of Halloween, and a variety of other intriguing aspects of the season. This is the time of the year when the veil between the worlds was at its thinest according to the ancient Celts.

Wonderful music... Aine discusses a wonderful image of old Irish thought walking between worlds.

 

And here I sit, notebook on my lap, headset tapped into the radio (Dolores doesn't like distractions when she works on her school stuff) while I am reading about participatory culture and realize I am between worlds too!

 

So much to learn.

 

 

 

Technorati Tags : celtic, seasonal, spirits, between+worlds

 

 

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Ze vs Rocketboom

The one day I miss watching either Rocketboom or Ze Frank (Monday) something happens.

Oh, you missed it? Where have you been?

Ze dissed Rocketboom indirectly in his daily show and the furor has taken off. I won't replay the story. Google it if you need to find something. Chris Brogan has been giving it a good cover with a good perspective.

I said it yesterday and I’ll re-say it today.

It's completely and utterly the WRONG time to start fighting each other.

Go Chris!

Internecine fighting is not a valuable long term traffic generator.


Updated

Ze responds with:

Rocketboom might very well have more eyeballs than Ask A Ninja, Amanda Across America, or any of the currently popular video shows. But it's important to question not only what those numbers are and where they're coming from, but also whether the eyeballs these shows claim to have are even open.

This is the interesting part of the conversation and I hope the web dialogue continues in the direction of answers and solutions. Producers cannot make intelligent creative or business decisions about their work without meaningful measurements. In the absence of sane metrics, we're already repeating the mistakes that turned television into what it is today.

Read his full "nerd fight" response


Technorati Tags : Ze+Frank, Rocketboom, video+blog, insanity, distraction

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Family Photo

Family Photo
Originally uploaded by shersteve.

This was our Duck Tour photo as we boarded and for a family shot, I did not blink so it seemed to be a keeper!

Wonderful day Sunday

Yes, it was. Allison had gone to Boston to meet her sister and stay over Saturday night. The girls also met with their cousin who is a senior this year at Harvard. We drove in late Sunday morning to rendezvous with them at Carolyn's room.

Took a Duck Tour. The driver/guide was funny. Captain Cook did a good job.

We had dinner at the Cheesecake Factory and surprised Dolores with tickets to the Paul Simon concert later that night at BU's Agganis Arena. The concert was great. It was very good for all four of us to go. The girls were raised on Simon and Garfunkel and then Graceland, so to hear the songs live was precious.

It was a long day but a wonderful one. More details to follow.


Happy Birthday Dolores!

Technorati Tags : Duck+Tour, Paul+Simon, family, birthday

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Dodge Poetry Festival 2002

Dodge Poetry Festival 2002
Originally uploaded by shersteve.

My first Festival was in 2002. The year of this poster and famous Rumi quote.

"Out beyond ideas
of wrongdoing and rightdoing
there is a field. I'll meet you there."

In 2008, when Dodge comes around again, I will meet you there!

Sunrise - Day 3

Sunrise - Day 3
Originally uploaded by shersteve.

The rain was clearing from Waterloo Village as the sun rose for the 3rd day of the Dodge Poetry Festival. It was going to be a good day!

The Dodge Tour

 

Borders, Main Stage

Gazebo, Food Court

Carriage Barn, Farmstead

Braw Pond, White Barn

Library, Stagecoach Inn

Gristmill, Sawmill

Apothecary, Church

Meeting House, Borders

Dodge circle of words

 

 

Technorati Tags : poetry, Waterloo+Village, Dodge+Poetry

 

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Waterloo sherku

 

days of purification

blooming flour of life

overgrown inclined plane

 

 

Technorati Tags : poetry, sherku

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The Wandering Poet

The Wandering Poet
Originally uploaded by shersteve.

I saw Edmund for the first time on Thursday at the Dodge Poetry Festival. He was near the entrance and was welcoming folks as they walked along the path from the parking area towards the entrance of Waterloo Village. He extended a greeting and bowed. I returned the greeting.

I saw him later near the gazebo with a pack of high school kids around him busy in conversation.

I saw him still later with another (or maybe the same group) pack of high school kids around him in another area of the Village.

On Friday, I was leaving the main stage tent and he offered his greeting. I returned it and hurried along to my next reading. But now I was intreaged. Who was this guy?

Heading back to the main stage tent for the Poetry Sampler on Friday, he was there again. This time I had some time and so stopped to chat. He offered to read a poem. He pulled up his leather cover book holster, opened to a page and gave a poem about hands. I don't recall much other than it was about hands as he then asked me to share one.

Me, could I think of one quickly enough. Fortunately, the Orange numbers poem came to mind as it was about rolling an orange round in your hands. I did share it and needed to start again to get the numbers in the right order. We continued talking about poetry, connections to life, etc.

Edmund Baranowski, the Wandering Poet.

Look for him at an outdoor event. Share a poem with him.

Note Pads

Note Pads
Originally uploaded by shersteve.

What do you do at a poetry festival?

Besides listening and meeting new folks, you take notes.

I had just turned the page when I thought to look around me and I saw I was not the only one. This was the least intrusive picture.

Then what do you do with the notes?

Re-live being at the Festival, of course.

One of the reasons why it is taking me so long to complete the write up. Oh, I do have other things to do of course, but just reviewing the notes takes me back to the tent, or the carriage barn, to the walks around Waterloo Village.

I could spend a good deal of time in this review and then I remember what I need to do!

Technorati Tags : Dodge+Poetry, poetry, poems, review

Sekou Sundiata & Band

Sekou Sundiata & Band
Originally uploaded by shersteve.

As they performed to close out the Friday evening session on the Main Stage at the Dodge Poetry Festival.

Technorati Tags : Dodge+Poetry, poetry, poems, review

The Blessing

This blessing does not require that you close your eyes or bow your heads.
I ask that you keep your eyes open, your head up.
Listen.
The finest blessing a meal can have is great companionship.
Look around this room. Take notice of those who sit with you.
Look around you. Look at these men and women.
Consider who they are, what they have done, and what they stand for.
Consider that you are not alone on your Way in the world.
Consider that you have the honor to break bread with such as these.
Look.
And know that this meal and each of us is abundantly blessed.

Amen.

From Robert Fulghum's blog where you can read the full posting about the blessing before this meal in Switzerland.

 

Technorati Tags : Robert+Fulghum, blessing, companionship

 

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Just words

I could take this in a few directions but this video snapshop by Steve Garfield of Deval Patrick's "Just Words" speech is well worth viewing (a little over 2 minutes).

1 - for the technique that "captures the moment"

2 - for the effectiveness of "just words"

and

because that's all we write, all we talk, all we live for isn't it?

Just words!



Technorati Tags : Steve+Garfield, Deval+Patrick, just+words, love, life, honor, freedom, dreams

The Coat 1971 - Picture 2

TheCoat_1971_2
Originally uploaded by shersteve.

This is Dolores from some time well before we met!

Yes, that is the coat.

No, that is not her car.

Yes, those are her legs!

The Coat 1971 - Picture 1

TheCoat_1971_1
Originally uploaded by shersteve.

Going way back into the archives. Not mine this time. This a photo of Dolores and her cousin Darlene visting England in 1971.

Why?

Dolores, her sisters, and some cousins just spent the Columbus Day weekend in NYC. A sort of Proulx/Ricci "girls gone wild" weekend during which they happened to catch the Sunday matinee of Rent.

One of the characters was wearing a coat that Gail (another cousin) recognized that Dolores had once upon a time.

Yes, she did. This is that coat. Same style apparently as the one in Rent just slightly different coloring.

Gail found the photo and had to share with the group. Well, I had to share as well. This is too good a story to pass up.

Wait until you see picture number two!

Read the Deval Patrick Statement

The campaign for Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts provides a clear choice this time around. For those who have caught the headlines and sound bites of TV, radio, especially on the radio talk shows, read the full statement issued yesterday by the Deval Patrick campaign.

 

To save a click though, I have reprinted it here in full. You can find the same thing on the campaign website.

 

BOSTON—Friday, October 13, 2006—The following is a statement from Deval Patrick.

“For nineteen months now, I have answered every one of your questions. Today I just need to speak my mind.

Thirteen years ago, while living in San Diego, California, my sister Rhonda was the victim of a sexual assault. I have not made her experience a subject of this campaign, because I believe it serves no victim to have to relive such a thing in the public eye. But the media today has tried to take that option from me.

The assailant was her husband Bernie. He plead guilty to the charge and served a short time in jail in California.

In 1995, about a year after my sister moved to Milton, she and her husband reconciled. They took a personal crisis and rebuilt a life. They have raised two wonderful children. They are deacons in their church and live a deeply religious faith. They celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary this past summer with a recommitment ceremony. They now counsel troubled couples.

Their lives are about redemption, forgiveness and grace. I am proud of their turnaround and I love them both.

I got into this race with no illusions. In a world where negative campaigns are commonplace, I expected to have my own accomplishments trivialized, my own judgments questioned, my life choices challenged. I haven't always liked it, but I knew it was a price I would have to pay to be an agent of change -- not just in our policies, but in our politics.

And I took the time to prepare my family for what I thought would be coming.

My sister and her husband went through a difficult time, and through hard work and prayer, they repaired their relationship and their lives. Now they and their children -- who knew nothing of this -- have had their family history laid out on the pages of a newspaper. Why? For no other reason than that they had the bad luck to have a relative who is running for governor. It's pathetic and its wrong. By no rules of common decency should their private struggles become a public issue. But this is the politics of Kerry Healey. It disgusts me. And it must be stopped.

Kerry Healey has never offered a single reason why she should be governor that doesn't depend on tearing me down. She has no vision, no plan, no positive agenda, and no leadership experience. Her record on jobs and the economy, on health care, on higher education, on crime has been one of shortcuts, gimmicks and failure. And so rather than deal with that, she has done everything she can to change the subject.

Well, my message to the Healey campaign is that I will not let you run from your record any longer. You can try all you want to change the subject and shift the blame, but we are going to expose for all just how your failed policies and your failed politics are the reason so many people are stuck and struggling and losing hope. The garbage peddlers who shopped this story around town are part of that failed politics, too.

We are going to ask the people to choose whether the politics of fear, division and personal destruction is what they want or whether we're better than that and are ready to finally throw out those who dump this trash in the public square.

We need a change. Gimmicks, slogans and dirty politics is no substitute for progress. The politics of fear is no acceptable alternative to the politics of hope. That's the change we need. And if anybody in the Healey campaign or in the public thinks I am unwilling to fight for that, you have badly underestimated me.” View the video on DevalPatrick.tv

Why reprint this now? I have long avoided political statements but I like the line where Deval says:

We are going to ask the people to choose whether the politics of fear, division and personal destruction is what they want or whether we're better than that and are ready to finally throw out those who dump this trash in the public square.

I frankly have had enough of the politics of fear and am ready for a change.

 

Technorati Tags : Deval+Patrick, politics, fear, issues

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PodCamp video made it to ze frank

All the sports racers got to see the output of the Steve Garfield PodCamp session when it was used as the second clip to start the ze frank show on Friday.

 

You got to see it here first!

 

Oh, yea, you might recognize the crazy guy in the white shirt, back left, as part of the wings!

 

 

 

Technorati Tags : ze+frank, PodCamp, video, fire+eagle+danger+day

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Fire Circle Story

I posted the Fire Circle story almost a year ago but I find myself coming back to it so I felt it should be recorded and now it is. Enjoy!

Original text can be found here

Time 00:07:39


MP3 File

Orange Numbers

An original poem recorded

For text, check here


Time 00:01:49


MP3 File

Dodge Poetry Festival - Poetry Sampler

The Poetry Sampler session on Friday afternoon was a wonderful snapshot of the A-list poets. They each had about five minutes to do one long poems or a couple of short ones. The proceeded in alphabetical order. The photo order is changed slightly due to the presence of the translator poets for both Taha Mohammed Ali (Peter Cole) and Ko Un (Richard Silberg). The listing of what they read will be posted separately. ... See my Tabblo;

The 19 poets read in the following order:

Ekiwah Adler-Belendez

Taha Muhammed Ali (with Peter Cole)

Lucille Clifton

Billy Collins

Toi Derricotte

Mark Doty

Jorie Graham

Linda Gregg

Tony Hoagland

Linda Hogan

Ko Un (with Peter Sillberg)

Kurtis Lamkin

Andrew Motion

Taslima Nasreen

Linda Pastan

Gerald Stern

Sekou Sundiata

Brian Turner

Anne Waldman

The listing of poems that each read during this session can be found here.

Technorati Tags : Dodge+Poetry, poetry, poems

Ekiwah & Friends

DodgePoetry_Day1 Ekiwah&Friends
Originally uploaded by shersteve.

An magical collaboration

Lori Cotler & Glen Velez

DodgePoetry_Day1 Velez_Cotler
Originally uploaded by shersteve.

They provided some music to set up for the readings on Thursday evening and provided a musical interlude at the break.

My poetry

sherku: on my knees

sherku: surprise 2
sherku: surprise

sherku: spontaneous hitchhikers 2
sherku: spontaneous hitchhikers

sherku instructions

sherku: Tenth Circle (Jodi Picoult)

sherku: two conversations
sherku: Weikert scrabble
sherku: Baslock's garter
sherku: Hand Cranked Ice Cream
sherku: entry mat
sherku: Weikert Breakfast
sherku: Tenth Circle
sherku: Halley's Comet
sherku: Promised Land
sherku: For Dolores
sherku: wordsmithing
sherku: Amanda Beard
sherku: Route 84 Traffic

sherku: LJ's Shameless Lion

sherku: The Sundering (Jacqueline Carey)

sherku: What is GEL? audio
sherku: Franklin override audio

Advent VII (for my mother)


The scorecard (for Gerald Sherlock) audio


Waterloo sherku (for Edmund) audio


Waterloo sherku (for LJCohen) audio


Waterloo sherku (for Cotler/Velez) audio


Waterloo sherku audio


Waterloo sherku (for Candace) audio


What was said to the rose audio


What is (for Dolores) audio

At home audio

Orange numbers

Technorati Tags : poetry, poems, writing

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Thursday evening

Lori Cotler and Glen Velez opened the evening with some music. Ekiwah Adler-Belindez was so taken by the music he asked if they would accompany his reading. They were open to it and what followed was a special unscripted happening. Linda Hogan followed Ekiwah, and then Brian Turner took the stage to tell us about Iraq before another musical interlude. After the music, Toi Derricote and Gerald Stern took their turn at the podium before the night finally came to an end. ... See my Tabblo;

In another posting, I provide more from my notes on each reading. Where possible, the names of each of the poems that they read. Where possible because sometimes they did not say, or if they did, I did not capture it.

Technorati Tags : Dodge+Poetry, poem, poetry, Lori+Cotler, Glen+Velez

Andrew Motion in the news

Hey, I must admit, I probably would have passed by this article if I had not been up close to Andrew at the recent Dodge Poetry Festival. But this BBC article adds another view to the person and the role Andrew currently plays for England.

 

Pretty serious stuff, this poetry! Westminster Abbey, is not your average corner place.

... he is a committed ambassador for poetry - and in particular says he wants to defend the type of literary writing that isn't immediately easy to understand.

"Elitist is one of those words that has been terribly corrupted,"  he says. And he says that defending more complex, challenging writing is as much a necessity as the business of broadening poetry's appeal.

To help broaden poetry's appeal, he has helped to launch the Poetry Archive. In his talk, "Poets on Poetry" at Dodge, I heard him mention this work and how he is hopeful of a major announcement soon that would reveal the addition of some key American poets to be added to the site. This will be good but there is plenty to spend some time with now.

 

Take a peak over at the Poetry Archive. Have a poet read you their poem!

 

 

 

PS - in case you missed it, Andrew Motion is the current poet laureate for England.

 

 

Technorati Tags : Andrew+Motion, Dodge+Poetry, poet+laureate, poetry, Poetry+Archive

 

 

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Waterloo sherku

 

giving rhythm voice

bright mums awakening

kindred spirits ta da le in

 

 

For Lori Cotler and Glen Velez

 

 

Technorati Tags : Dodge+Poetry, poem, poetry, Lori+Cotler, Glen+Velez

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What was said to the rose?

 

What was said to the rose that made it open?

I am jealous of the chrysanthemums lining the stage

no wonder they are increasing in bloom and color

 

 

 

Technorati Tags : Dodge+Poetry, poetry, poem, writing

 

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Waterloo sherku

 

 

haiku lowku

what was said to the rose

along Waterloo Road

 

 

Technorati Tags : Dodge+Poetry, poem, poetry, Waterloo+Village

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Poetry Bus Tour 2006

While I was away at the Dodge Poetry Festival, the Poetry Bus came through the area. It stopped in Northampton, Amerest, Boston, and then Providence, RI before heading to NYC.

 

It still has dates left on it tour. It winds through North Carolina and then south to New Orleans, West to Los Angeles and up to Seattle, WA where it all started.

 

Check out the dates here.

 

If you are in the area for the remaining schedule, check it out.

 

 

Technorati Tags : Poetry+Bus, poetry, bus, traveling

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Early Morning Rumi

One of the highlights of the each of the Dodge Poetry Festivals that I have attended has been the early morning Rumi session jointly done by Coleman Barks, Robert Bly and backed by some musicians. In this case; David Dahling (cello) Steve Gorn (flutes) (behind Barks) and Glen Velez (percussion).

On a Sunday morning, starting at 8:00 AM. Rumi's ecstatic poetry backed by some wonderful accompaniment is indeed a religious experience.

The first session was mostly Rumi. The second session got into some stories of their trip to Iran in 2005 mixed in with more Rumi, Haffez, and some of their own poems. It closed with Robert singing Haffez, and Coleman singing Dickenson to a shapenote hymn.

... See my Tabblo>

Technorati Tags : Dodge+Poetry, poetry

Eventuality cannot be denied

Eventuality cannot be denied is the subtitle for the posting David Rothacker contributed today at the Joyful Jubilant Learning Network.

 

Go check it out. Do not stop to collect anything on the way.

 

Be sure to visit the comments. The discussion continues there.

 

This is fun stuff! This is about learning!

 

 

Technorati Tags : Joyful+Jubilant+Learning, content+network, community

 

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October News

Two major events occured on October 2, 2006.

• The Supreme Court opened for business as usual on the first Monday of October.
• The Joyful Jubilant Learning Network also opened to explore learning on this first Monday of October.

I just made my first entry with both a text and audio version of a posting to welcome folks to the new learning network.

This is a site you might want to add to your RSS Reader of choice.


Technorati Tags: Chris Brogan, PodCamp Boston, content network, learning, podcast, unconference

I am back but behind

I am back but behind the work and will need to push hard to keep all commitments. Work and home (i.e. family life for one who has been away for four days) do require attention.

 

I think you know me by now. Enjoy the pictures. The words will follow.

 

There is so much to tall about what happened at the wonderful inspiring Dodge Poetry Festival.

 

There is so much to talk about with the closing of one door, and opening of another.

 

Stay tuned!

 

 

Technorati Tags : Dodge+Poetry, poetry, sherku, joyful+jubilant+learning+2006, synergy, Talking+Story

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Waterloo sherku

 

Waterloo watershed

internet trail connected

once in a Blue Muse

 

 

for LJCohen

 

 

 

Technorati Tags : Dodge+Poetry, poetry

 

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Waterloo sherku

 

sandaled wanderer

coupling poetry with voice

giving creates a tension

 

 

for Edmund

 

 

 

Technorati Tags : Dodge+Poetry, poetry

 

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Waterloo sherku

 

Candace dances

Musconetcong flows

didn't eat for days

 

 

for Candace

 

 

 

Technorati Tags : Dodge+Poetry, poetry

 

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