Welcome to the Bob's universe of travel, photography, poetry, tragedy, comedy, religious insanity, provocative quotes, satire and biting commentary. The Bob-World emanates from Paris, France, where cynicism is not only appreciated but regularly practiced. The entries are written or reported right from the source -- whether fictitious, fabricated, or fact-less. Please feel free to comment in the Guestbook. (Photo credit above: R.W. Davis)
Features Not To Be Missed:
Sabbath Sermonettes (thoughts for your day of rest)
Jeudi rapidE/downtown SLAM/Poetic Busboys (open mic writings)
ReaLLife Satire (when life is a parody of itself)
Nefarious News/Ghastly Godliness (evil headlines)
Sui generis haikus (Japanese-inspired poetry)
Trysts and Travails (on life in Paris)
Bob-Davis
FEBRUARY 2016
JANUARY 2016
Map of the Entire Universe in One Image (photo credit: Pablo Carlos Budassi)
Thoughts for the Month
15
Sabbath Sermonette
The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it and join the dance.
Alan Watts
OCTOBER 2015
October absolutely ran away from me. I don't know where it went but it is now gone. The Bob-World shall resume in November (?), December (?), January (?).
SEPTEMBER 2015
Thought for the Month
"It is now highly feasible to take care of everybody on Earth at a higher standard of living than any have ever known. It no longr has to be you or me. Selfishness is unnecessary. War is obsolete. It is a matter of converting the high technology from weaponry to livingry."
R. Buckminster Fuller
AUGUST 2015
Thoughts for the Month
Hello, mother. I come bearing a gift. I'll give you a hint. It's in my diaper and it's not a toaster.
Am I to spend the entire day wallowing around in my own feces? A little service here!
You know, I rather like this God fellow. Very theatrical, you know. Pestilence here, a plague there. Omnipotence... gotta get me some of that.
Do these huggies make my ass look big?
21
Sabbath Sermonette
“Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.”
Winston S. Churchill
“The worst part of success is trying to find someone who is happy for you.”
Bette Midler
Fun Blast from the Past
Remember this photo? (Hint: Anita Bryant)
8
Sabbath Sermonette
“I am opposing a social order in which it is possible for one man who does absolutely nothing that is useful to amass a fortune of hundreds of millions of dollars, while millions of men and women who work all the days of their lives secure barely enough for a wretched existence.”
Eugene V. Debs
JULY 2015
Portrait of Benedict XVI entitled "Eggs Benedict" made entirely of colored condoms by artist Niki Johnson
Thoughts for the Month
“It’s the strangest thing about this church - it is obsessed with sex, absolutely obsessed. Now, they will say we, with our permissive society and rude jokes, are obsessed. No. We have a healthy attitude. We like it, it’s fun, it’s jolly; because it’s a primary impulse it can be dangerous and dark and difficult. It’s a bit like food in that respect, only even more exciting. The only people who are obsessed with food are anorexics and the morbidly obese, and that, in erotic terms, is the Catholic Church in a nutshell.”
Stephen Fry
“For, from the time that the Bishop of Rome had gotten to be acknowledged for bishop universal, by pretence of succession to St. Peter, their whole hierarchy, or kingdom of darkness, may be compared not unfitly to the kingdom of fairies; that is, to the old wives' fables in England concerning ghosts and spirits, and the feats they play in the night. And if a man consider the original of this great ecclesiastical dominion, he will easily perceive that the papacy is no other than the ghost of the deceased Roman Empire, sitting crowned upon the grave thereof: for so did the papacy start up on a sudden out of the ruins of that heathen power.”
Thomas Hobbes
31
Sabbath Sermonette
“Though I am often in the depths of misery, there is still calmness, pure harmony and music inside me.”
Vincent van Gogh
21
Poetic Busboys
I went to the open mic at Busboys and Poets for the third time. I read the story "B-Boy" from Radical Lines from a Lit City. I had read it the last time but, sadly, it took longer than my five-minute allotment and I didn't get to finish the story. So that night, I went home and edited the story to fit the time frame. I think the edited version is even funnier than the original! The vibe at B and P is much different from the Paris Lit Up one. The Paris open mic was an instant community. I imagine that had a lot to do with the fact that most of us were expats. In DC, it is a bit more "formal" in the sense that it is more like a spoken word stage show with a set format within a strict two-hour time limit. Similarly, the audience is very appreciative and supportive and the evening is regularly sold out (five dollar cover). You have to get a ticket online by noon on Tuesday. The poetry here is much angrier but in beautifully written verse. There was a featured poet tonight, Roscoe Burnems, who was not only very funny but wrote about his emotional turmoil with the brush of an artist. I think most of us know that great humor often evolves from great pain/sadness. He is also a member of the team that won the Beltway Poetry Slam. This open mic will be a good learning experience until I figure out how and when to return to my Lit City.
In Memoriam
“Writing is like driving at night in the fog. You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.”
“The difference between Socrates and Jesus is that no one had ever been put to death in Socrates' name. And that is because Socrates' ideas were never made law. Law, in whatever name, protects privilege.”
“Satire's nature is to be one-sided, contemptuous of ambiguity, and so unfairly selective as to find in the purity of ridicule an inarguable moral truth.”
E.L. Doctorow
1931 - 2015
17
Sabbath Sermonette
Waking up to who you are requires letting go of who you imagine yourself to be.
Alan Watts
11
Sabbath Sermonette
“The boys learn the Quran by heart, rocking back and forth as they recite. They learn that there is no such thing as science or literature, that dinosaurs never existed and man never went to the moon.”
Malala Yousafzai
“Note, to-day, an instructive, curious spectacle and conflict. Science, (twin, in its fields, of Democracy in its)—Science, testing absolutely all thoughts, all works, has already burst well upon the world—a sun, mounting, most illuminating, most glorious—surely never again to set. But against it, deeply entrench'd, holding possession, yet remains, (not only through the churches and schools, but by imaginative literature, and unregenerate poetry,) the fossil theology of the mythic-materialistic, superstitious, untaught and credulous, fable-loving, primitive ages of humanity.”
Walt Whitman
3
Sabbath Sermonette
“The illegality of cannabis is outrageous, an impediment to full utilization of a drug which helps produce the serenity and insight, sensitivity and fellowship so desperately needed in this increasingly mad and dangerous world.”
Carl Sagan
JUNE 2015
Thoughts for the Month
“In early June the world of leaf and blade and flowers explodes, and every sunset is different.”
John Steinbeck
“Green was the silence, wet was the light,
the month of June trembled like a butterfly.”
Pablo Neruda
“That day was the beginning of my friendship with Sebastian, and thus it came about, that morning in June, that I was lying beside him in the shade of the high elms watching the smoke from his lips drift up into the branches.”
Evelyn Waugh
26
A poem in celebration of this day...
NAUGHT IN VAIN
Billy
Danny
Jim
Scott
Michael
Alex
George
Marvin
Vince
Arnie
Laughing Boy
and all the others
Horror remembered
Kaposi’s sarcoma
Pneumocystis pneumonia
Toxoplasmosis
Unforgivable hatred
Jesse Helms
Ronald Reagan
Cardinal O’Connor
Amidst overwhelming sadness
Post traumatic distress
“Gays get what they deserve.”
We wept
We ran
We feared
We caregave
We grieved
We lost our spirit
We lost our souls
Devastation causes blindness
Anguish defies reason
Anger overwhelms
Anxiety skyrockets
Despair facilitates paralysis
We could barely grasp
the Incomprehensibility
the Desperation
the Shame
the Animosity
the Betrayal
But…
You changed the world
Allowing immense love to manifest
Parents
Family
Lovers
Friends
Disgust evolved into humanity
You gave us confidence
You gave us power
A corner turned
Unfathomable wretchedness
Morphed into motivation
Action In Dire Situations
We celebrate today
Because of you
We became human
Because of you
We love freely
Because of you
If only you were here
To see the results of
All your pain
There are no words
Except thank you
With much love.
No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice, and family. In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than once they were. As some of the petitioners in these cases demonstrate, marriage embodies a love that may endure even past death. It would misunderstand these men and women to say they disrespect the idea of marriage. Their plea is that they do respect it, respect it so deeply that they seek to find its fulfillment for themselves. Their hope is not to be condemned to live in loneliness, excluded from one of civilization’s oldest institutions. They ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law. The Constitution grants them that right. The judgment of the Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit is reversed. It is so ordered.
Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, June 26, 2015
13
Sabbath Sermonette
The way I see it, you should live everyday like it's your birthday.
Paris Hilton
6
Sabbath Sermonette
“It wasn't even about the eggs, really. Frankly, I like the yolks. I have no problem. There's always been a lot of tension between Lois and me. And it's not so much that I want to kill her, it's just, I want her not to be alive anymore. I sometimes wonder if all women are this difficult. And then I think to myself, 'My God wouldn't it be marvelous if i turned out to be a homosexual?’”
Stewie Griffin
MAY 2015
Thoughts for the Month
“Yes: I am a dreamer. For a dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world.”
Oscar Wilde
“Some people see things that are and ask, Why?
Some people dream of things that never were and ask, Why not?
Some people have to go to work and don't have time for all that.”
George Carlin
“Dreams, if they're any good, are always a little bit crazy. ”
Ray Charles
“I have discovered in life that there are ways of getting almost anywhere you want to go, if you really want to go.”
Langston Hughes
29
Sabbath Sermonette
“One good schoolmaster is of more use than a hundred priests.”
“All national institutions of churches, whether Jewish, Christian, or Turkish, appear to me no other than human inventions set up to terrify and enslave mankind, and monopolize power and profit.”
Thomas Paine, The Age of Reason
WEBSITE RENOVATION
I decided to make a change in my "premium services" for which I only paid more but was never clear on the benefits. The Bob-World is undergoing an aesthetic transformation for its upcoming second birthday which will include new and/or re-vamped features. Unfortunately, such a change entails a good deal of editing and re-formatting which I will complete as quickly as possible. The site will continue during the renovation. Hopefully, this will mark a new chapter in the unknown realms of the Bob-World. Stay tuned.
15
Sabbath Sermonette
“I'm tough, I'm ambitious, and I know exactly what I want. If that makes me a bitch, okay.”
“Sick and perverted always appeals to me."
Madonna
4
2
Sabbath Sermonette
“It is very expensive to give bad medical care to poor people in a rich country.”
Paul Farmer
APRIL 2015
Thoughts for the Month
“We need to make books cool again. If you go home with somebody and they don't have books, don't fuck them.”
“Catholics have more extreme sex lives because they're taught that pleasure is bad for you. Who thinks it's normal to kneel down to a naked man who's nailed to a cross? It's like a bad leather bar.”
“When they throw the water on the witch, she says, “Who would have thought a good little girl like you could destroy my beautiful wickedness”. That line inspired my life. I sometimes say it to myself before I go to sleep, like a prayer.”
John Waters
25
Sabbath Sermonette
“Being called a traitor by Dick Cheney is the highest honor you can give to an American.”
Edward Snowden
To my readers who have not abandonned me, I will be continuing The Bob-World on a regular basis starting on Sunday, May 3. I have decided to write on three days each week, Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays with the Sabbath Sermonette appearing each Friday. Between my physically exhausting (but pleasant) job at Trader Joe's and the seemingly endless editing on Radical Lines from a Lit City, The Bob-World has been suffering from extreme climate change. That will soon end and I'll be back to the wonderful world of cynicism. Please stay tuned!
18
Sabbath Sermonette
But the more significant factor is that one can easily remain free of even the most intense political oppression simply by placing one’s faith and trust in institutions of authority. People who get themselves to be satisfied with the behavior of their institutions of power, or who at least largely acquiesce to the Plegitimacy of prevailing authority, are almost never subjected to any oppression, even in the worst of tyrannies. Why would they be? Oppression is designed to compel obedience and submission to authority. Those who voluntarily put themselves in that state – by believing that their institutions of authority are just and good and should be followed rather than subverted – render oppression redundant, unnecessary.
Of course people who think and behave this way encounter no oppression. That’s their reward for good, submissive behavior. As Rosa Luxemburg put this: 'Those who do not move, do not notice their chains.' They are left alone by institutions of power because they comport with the desired behavior of complacency and obedience without further compulsion. But the fact that good, obedient citizens do not themselves perceive oppression does not mean that oppression does not exist. Whether a society is free is determined not by the treatment of its complacent, acquiescent citizens – such people are always unmolested by authority – but rather by the treatment of its dissidents and its marginalized minorities.”
Glenn Greenwald
15
Radical Lines from a Lit City is Finally Done!!!
Well, after six months working on this project, my book, Radical Lines from a Lit City, is done! It might have been completed a month earlier if not for my Trader Joe's exhaustion. There are two versions of the book -- one in full color and one in black and white. Both versions are also available as kindle books. I will never again edit my own work as the process has been tedious, frustrating, and far too long. I believe that it now virtually free of grammatical and stylistic error. However, any errors that I did not catch can be considered part of the book's charm. If the book is completely error-free, I may be accused of editorial perfection and all writers would hate me!
Radical Lines from a Lit City can be purchased on amazon.com. Please make sure the publication date is March 31 (or later) which is the final edited version. Prices for the book were determined by amazon. Please buy the book for all your relatives friends, business associates, and acquaintances. It will make a wonderful gift for birthdays, holidays, or no special occasion. Their is no obligation for recipients to read it. Multiple purchases are all that's required!
Once again, many thanks to all the Crowdfunders who supported this project. Books will be mailed to applicable Crowdfunders at the end of the month.
ENJOY THE BOOK!
MARCH 2015
Book Jacket for the hard copy of Radical Lines from a Lit City
Thought for the Month
“If you have any young friends who aspire to become writers, the second greatest favor you can do them is to present them with copies of The Elements of Style. The first greatest, of course, is to shoot them now, while they’re happy.”
Dorothy Parker
29
Sabbath Sermonette
“Writing is a socially acceptable form of schizophrenia.”
E. L. Doctorow
The hard copy of Radical Lines from a Lit City is finished. If I can ever finish editing the proofs, the book will soon be available on amazon.com. There will be a version of the book with full color photos, a version with black and white photos and an updated version of the ebook. Hopefully, this will all be done by the end of the week. I will never, ever write anything again without a professional editor - at any cost!
21
Sabbath Sermonette
“who knows if the moon's
a balloon,coming out of a keen city
in the sky--filled with pretty people?
( and if you and I should
get into it,if they
should take me and take you into their balloon,
why then
we'd go up higher with all the pretty people
than houses and steeples and clouds:
go sailing
away and away sailing into a keen
city which nobody's ever visited,where
always
it's
Spring)and everyone's
in love and flowers pick themselves”
e.e. cummings
Almost here...
Betwixt days of exhaustion from Trader Joe's labor, Radical Lines - the book - has been uploaded. More information shortly.
14
Sabbath Sermonette
“My father taught me to work; he did not teach me to love it.”
Abraham Lincoln
“The acquisition by dishonest means and cunning,' said Levin, feeling that he was incapable of clearly defining the borderline between honesty and dishonesty. 'Like the profits made by banks,' he went on. 'This is evil, I mean, the acquisition of enormous fortunes without work, as it used to be with the spirit monopolists. Only the form has changed. Le roi est mort, vive le roi! Hardly were the monopolies abolished before railways and banks appeared: just another way of making money without work.”
Leo Tolstoy
I can't remember when I last did any manual labor. My new job at Trader Joe's is very pleasant but very exhausting. We are busy the whole shift. The food flies off the shelves and must constantly be restocked. I am rather beat after each shift and I spend one of my days off sleeping. It has slowed down my life a bit and yet, it has allowed me to regain my financial footing. By the end of April I should have disposable income again. But I have to say that the people I work with are not only very friendly and personable but also quite intelligent and/or artistic in some field - far more than one might imagine in a grocery store! Generally, the customers are very nice and the store is packed almost every day. I have accepted the fact that everything happens in its time. (Since time is just an illusion, there is always enough to do as one needs.) Another benefit of this job is the exercise. I have lost several pounds and am now down to about 188 pounds - forty pounds less than three years ago! I still have to find a job that I can do while in Paris - something via the internet or computer that can be done anywhere in the world. If anyone has any ideas please let me know. My goal is to return to Paris by October. All for now.
8
The hard copy of my book, Radical Lines from a Lit City, will be uploaded for publication on or before Thursday the twelvth. Unfortunately, it has taken a month longer to prepare the book for publication than I planned. I have edited/rewritten some of the stories and I think the final product offers funnier and/or harsher satire. I have also been manipulating the photographs and I think you will be impressed with the results. I will post the publication date as soon as I receive it. The e-book will be updated so that it matches the hard copy. The hard copy will be priced between fourteen and fifteen dollars of which I will only make about two. Due the color photographs, the book is more expensive to publish than one without photos but it will be an accomplishment of which I am very proud. Thank you for your patience vis-a-vis The Bob-World during my literary endeavor.
6
Sabbath Sermonette
“Only those who attempt the absurd can achieve the impossible.”
Albert Einstein
FEBRUARY 2015
Thoughts for the Month
“The books that the world calls immoral are books that show the world its own shame.”
Oscar Wilde
"It was books that taught me that the things that tormented me most were the very things that connected me with all the people who were alive, or who had ever been alive.”
James Baldwin
“If you go home with somebody, and they don't have books, don't fuck 'em!”
John Waters
“I think we ought to read only the kind of books that wound and stab us.”
Franz Kafka
27
Sabbath Sermonette
“Just as there is no such thing as Christian physics or Muslim algebra, we will see tht there is no such thing as Christian or Muslim morality.”
Sam Harris
There comes a time when we must stop tolerating religions. At the moment, the muslims, not just the jihadists, but all muslims are vying for the title of most heinous religion. Certainly we cannot accept the absolute insanity of ISIS. If the muslims refuse to stop these crimes against humanity then they are also responsible for these acts. Anytime someone participates in evil in the name of some religion, all participants of that religion are just as responsible as the perpetrator for such actions if they refuse to stop the crime or punish the criminals. Religions are for those who absolutely refuse to think and it is a "sin" for the rest of us to sit back and allow the idiots to spew their lunacy. If we take no action then we are just as responsible for the continuation of religious foolishness.
20
Sabbath Sermonette
“What day is it?” “It's today," squeaked Piglet. “My favorite day," said Pooh.”
A.A. Milne
“Let everything happen to you, Beauty and terror, Just keep going, No feeling is final”
Rainer Maria Rilke
Okay, it's been another nutty week that went by so fast I could barely notice that my head was spinning. I started my job at Trader Joe's. The best part about this job is that everyone is so nice. I can't remember having a job where most of the people were nice. Plus, it's just a ten minute walk and I get a 10% discount! I am currently working evenings/nights but I hope to get a 3 to 11 shift which is perfect for me -- sleep late, stay up late. I do my best writing between midnight and 3 a.m. I am on my feet the whole time at work but this will allow me to skip leg exercises at the gym and, hence, a shorter workout. The job was supposed to be just two, maybe three, nights a week but it looks like I will be able to work at least 30 hours a week. In the meantime, I am searching for that internet job that will allow me to earn money anywhere in the world. So, the return-to-Paris fund will begin very soon (and, of course, any and all donations will be gratefully accepted!!!) I also sold my big 65" TV, which, surprisingly was much easier than I thought (the act of letting it go versus the actual selling of it; people are incredibly cheap and some of the offers were, at best, insulting). One of my friends offered to give me one of his older sets so I wouldn't have to do without! After a year of virtually no TV in Paris, I find that Netflix and YouTube are more than sufficient for my needs. I will, however, want to have a TV available for the next subletee. My tentative plan is to return to Paris by September/October or as soon as the goddess permits. I am already missing my Parisian life but I am enjoying sleeping in my own bed.
Last Sunday, I was terribly stressed out about finances, the job, finishing the editing of my book and dog knows what else. But I have found a simple, short guided meditation on YouTube that magically puts me at ease and brings me back to the present moment. There really is something to this living in the moment business. Of course, this idea has been around for eons but is easy to neglect, forget or ignore. Being "in the moment" is a crucial aspect of acting, separating true actors from make-believe actors. It took me ten years to understand the concept and I can pinpoint the moment it happened during a rehearsal of a play in San Francisco in 1990. When it hit me, I was surprised at how simple it actually was. Unfortunately, I was never told that this is the best way to live one's life -- on or off the stage. The more I focus on this, the easier things become. It is exhausting to spend a lot of time worrying about tomorrow. Also, thanks to my wonderful friends - Paul, George, Stephanie, Alexis, Phil, Michael, Joe, Elnur, and Adrienne - and family members, Billy, Jayne, and Joanne, my precarious transition back to DC has been made much easier.
Radical Lines from a Lit City, the hard copy, is just about done. I have become a bit anal, or perhaps paranoid, about the editing and search for errors and I am having too much fun tweaking my stories. After just a few more read-throughs, I will call it a day, upload it, and get it printed for posterity (which, in a spit of irony, has the same Latin root as posterior although I choose not to see any connection). I will announce the publication schedule as soon as possible. Then it's on to book number two with some details coming shortly.
That's all for now from Barack, Michelle and myself, in the nation's capital.
13
Sabbath Sermonette
“I love deadlines. I love the whooshing noise they make as they go by.”
Douglas Adams
“One day I will find the right words, and they will be simple.”
Jack Kerouac
“You never have to change anything you got up in the middle of the night to write.”
Saul Bellow
5
I learned an important self-publishing lesson: nEVAR ed it yor MANIsCRIP YasELF!!! Unless you have a publisher, you must get two or more people to do it (in its entirety, not just sections)! Like chocolate, one is never enough. Fortunately, an e-book can be edited as often as necessary. I am thrilled that I chose this option prior to creating the hard copy - once a book is printed, it is printed. Creating this book has been a great experience but, next time, I will happily give (not sell) my soul to a good editor. Rewriting is fun and satisfying. Editing is where smart-ass writers go after death.
The good news is that the physical copy of Radical Lines from a Lit City will soon be published on Amazon (hopefully, without any errors). Please tell all your friends, enemies, acquaintances and strangers to buy my book. They don't have to read it, just buy it.
A book jacket for the hard copy is posted below.
JANUARY 2015
Thoughts for the Month
“It has often been said
there’s so much to be read,
you never can cram
all those words in your head.
So the writer who breeds
more words than he needs
is making a chore
for the reader who reads.
That's why my belief is
the briefer the brief is,
the greater the sigh
of the reader's relief is.
And that's why your books
have such power and strength.
You publish with shorth!
(Shorth is better than length.)”
Dr. Seuss
30
Sabbath Sermonette
“I know you don't want to hear this but someone has to say it! You are out of control! I mean they're just shoes... let it go!”
Gregory Maguire (Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West)
29
I'm still in Boston but leaving tomorrow back to DC on the Peter Pan bus. I have been without WiFi for most of the last week and on a lot of couches. Having spent three nights with my cousin, Joanne, I then spent two nights each with my good friends, George and Paul. Then, I stayed with my brother, Billy, and his wife, Jayne, for three nights including the huge snowstorm that hit Foxboro and all of Massachusetts with up to three feet of snow. (Some have attributed the storm to my arrival but I am currently taking the Fifth as to any responsibility.) Tonight, I am back at Joanne's, just a few minutes from downtown Boston and my final public transport to the nation's capital. It has been a whirlwind tour of Boston and I am ready for my bed at Vernon Street. I have to say that I am a very lucky to have friends and family who take such good care of me and who worry about my well-being more than I.
The final e-book version of Radical Lines from a Lit City has been published on Amazon.com. I am finishing up the hard copy version of the book which should be published by the end of February. I was determined to finish the book manuscript before I left Paris and I am proud of my first literary work. I am finishing up the hard copy version of the book which should be published by the end of February. I intend to stay in DC to make enough money to return to Paris and the next sejour will be for at least a year. The last sixteen month have been my best so far. I found a place where I belong and I'm even starting one of those careers that so many of you have. I think I've finally realized that being present and taking one day at a time (or perhaps, one minute) really is a more satisfying way to navigate this bizarre game of life. After a somewhat chaotic two months, the Bob-World will return to its regularly scheduled postings.
Billy and Bobby Shoveling Snow
(A one-of-a-kind and rarely seen phenomenon)
23
Sabbath Sermonette
“You think too much and I bet it kills the magic," he says simply. "Some things are just instinct and if you try and replace that with thinking they die. You can read and think as much as you want before and after, but in the moment, man, you have to, like, let go.”
Blue GhostGhost, Art Criticism
“Every achievement is a servitude. It compels us to a higher achievement.”
Albert Camus
20
Another Detour
Left Paris on Sunday and currently in Boston. I landed in JFK on Sunday night, missed my bus connections and needed hotel but only had about $60. I called my cousin, Joanne, and she reserved a hotel for me and told me that I could stay with her for a few days. Rode Bolt bus on Monday morning to Boston South Station an then took commuter train to West Roxbury. Joanne met me at the train station. I stayed with her for three days and she treated me like a king! I was down to $20 by Tuesday having bought cigarette papers for the rolling tobacco. Joanne made some great vegetarian food and we went to a Lebanese restaurant on Tuesday night. The food at the restaurant was incredible. Book was published on amazon.com. (To be continued.)
16
Sabbath Sermonette
“Concentrate on what you want to say to yourself and your friends. Follow your inner moonlight; don't hide the madness. You say what you want to say when you don't care who's listening.”
Allen Ginsberg
13
"I’d rather die standing than live on my knees."
Stéphane Charbonnier
11
There was a huge rally/march today from the Place de la Republique to the Place de la Nation in memory of the 17 people killed last week. Various news sources are reporting that over one million people particpated in the event.
9
Sabbath Sermonette
“If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.”
George Orwell
“I may not agree with you, but I will defend to the death your right to make an ass of yourself.”
Oscar Wilde
7
"Religion, a mediaeval form of unreason, when combined with modern weaponry becomes a real threat to our freedoms. This religious totalitarianism has caused a deadly mutation in the heart of Islam and we see the tragic consequences in Paris today. I stand with Charlie Hebdo, as we all must, to defend the art of satire, which has always been a force for liberty and against tyranny, dishonesty and stupidity. ‘Respect for religion’ has become a code phrase meaning ‘fear of religion.’ Religions, like all other ideas, deserve criticism, satire, and, yes, our fearless disrespect."
Salman Rushdie January 7, 2015
A Horrific Day in Paris
12 people were killed today by muslim extremists with at least 4 others critically injured at the offices of "Charlie Hebdo," a popular satire magazine and a strongly anti-relgious publication. There is great mourning in the entire country and the incident is seen as an attack on all of France. Below are photos of a huge rally that is now being held at the Place de la Republique. Despite comments to the contrary, this is about religion. It is one more heinous acts by one of the three Abrahamic religions.
3
I found the following on Facebook - new year, same games.
1
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
New Year's Sermonette
"I shall stick to my resolution of writing always what I think no matter whom it offends."
Julia Ward Howe
"May the New Year bring you courage to break your resolutions early. My own plan is to swear off every kind of virtue, so that I triumph even when I fall."
Aleister Crowley
"I made no resolutions for the New Year. The habit of making plans, of criticizing, sanctioning and molding my life, is too much of a daily event for me."
Anaïs Nin
"The only way to spend New Year's Eve is either quietly with friends or in a brothel. Otherwise when the evening ends and people pair off, someone is bound to be left in tears."
W.H. Auden
"This year my New Year’s resolution was to stop saying ‘Seacrest out!’ after I ejaculate."
Zach Galifianakis
DECEMBER 2014
Side wall of Culture Rapide
Thoughts for the Month
"Our greatest glory is not in never falling,
but in rising every time we fall.”
Confucius
“A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation
with the bricks others have thrown at him.”
David Brinkley
"Life has knocked me down a few times. It has shown me things I never wanted to see. I have experienced sadness and failures. But one thing is for sure ….. I always get up!"
Anonymous
31
Bye 2014.
25
Mary, Mary Christmas!!!
Christmas Sermonette
“The Supreme Court has ruled that they cannot have a nativity scene in Washington, D.C. This wasn't for any religious reasons. They couldn't find three wise men and a virgin.”
Jay Leno
“CALVIN: This whole Santa Claus thing just doesn't make sense. Why all the secrecy? Why all the mystery? If the guy exists why doesn't he ever show himself and prove it? And if he doesn't exist what's the meaning of all this?
HOBBES: I dunno. Isn't this a religious holiday?
CALVIN: Yeah, but actually, I've got the same questions about God.”
Bill Watterson
“Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before! What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!”
Dr. Seuss
24
Every Christmas Eve before the interminable wait for Santa Claus, my father would read Clement Moore's story to my brother and me. It's a nice memory.
“Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
The children were nestled all snug in their beds;
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;
And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter's nap,
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow,
Gave a lustre of midday to objects below,
When what to my wondering eyes did appear,
But a miniature sleigh and eight tiny rein-deer,
With a little old driver so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment he must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name:
"Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! on, Cupid! on, Donder and Blixen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"
As leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky;
So up to the housetop the coursers they flew
With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too—
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a pedler just opening his pack.
His eyes—how they twinkled! his dimples, how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard on his chin was as white as the snow;
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke, it encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a broad face and a little round belly
That shook when he laughed, like a bowl full of jelly.
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight—
“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”
21
The Winter Solstice
For a season of goodwill: The Atheist's Ten Commandments
(As chosen by the Re-Think Project)
1. Be open-minded and be willing to alter your beliefs with new evidence.
2. Strive to understand what is most likely to be true, not to believe what you wish to be true.
3. The scientific method is the most reliable way of understanding the natural world.
4. Every person has the right to control over their body.
5. God is not necessary to be a good person or to live a full and meaningful life.
6. Be mindful of the consequences of all your actions and recognize that you must take responsibility for them.
7. Treat others as you would want them to treat you, and can reasonably expect them to want to be treated. Think about their perspective.
8. We have the responsibility to consider others, even future generations.
9. There is no one right way to live.
10. Leave the world a better place than you found it.
Nothing has changed...
The Pyramid of Capitalist System is a common name of a 1911 American cartoon caricature critical of capitalism, closely based on a Russian flyer of c. 1900. The graphic focus is on social stratification by social class and economic inequality. It was published in the 1911 edition of Industrial Worker (The International Publishing Co., Cleveland, Ohio), a newspaper of the Industrial Workers of the World, and attributed to "Nedeljkovich, Brashich, & Kuharich.” (Wikipedia)
19
Sabbath Sermonette
The third value of the holiday season: ENVY
“Nothing is as obnoxious as other people's luck.”
F. Scott Fitzgerald
“A narcissist is someone better looking than you are.”
Gore Vidal
“Since I became a novelist I have discovered that I am biased. Either I think a new novel is worse than mine and I don’t like it, or I suspect it is better than my novels and I don’t like it.”
Umberto Eco
“Envy of other people shows how they are unhappy. Their continual attention to others behavior shows how they are boring.”
Seneca
“I am Envy...I cannot read and therefore wish all books burned.”
Christopher Marlowe
18
Check out this new music video by some Paris friends. The song was written and performed by Peter Deaves (aka Fun King Nero) and the video was produced by Evan Laflamme.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmQxDquvk-w&feature=autoshare
12
Link for holiday video has been fixed!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dz7xF69VV4Y
Sabbath Sermonette
The second value of the holiday season: GREED
“Growth for the sake of growth is the ideology of the cancer cell.”
Edward Abbey
“The Master said, 'The gentleman understands what is right, whereas the petty man understands profit.' ”
Confucius
“The best client is a scared millionaire.”
H. L. Mencken
“I am surrounded by priests who repeat incessantly that their kingdom is not of this world, and yet they lay hands on everything they can get.”
Napoleon
“I did NOT have three thousand pairs of shoes, I had one thousand and sixty.”
Imelda Marcos
10
Montmartre Dionysia Anti-Commercial
PARIS, PARIS (to the tune of "New York, New York")
Start spreading the brie, I’m kneading the dough
I want to baste a part of it, Paris, Paris
My copper saucepans, can’t wait to flambe'
Right to the Cordon Bleu of it, Paris, Paris.
I wanna bake it, in the city that doesn’t deep - FRY
And find I’m king of the grill, a prime cut of beef, 3 michelin stars!
These little town jams, so fruity and gay
I’ll make a brand new tart of it in old Paris.
If I can bake it there, I’ll bake it anywhere.
It’s up to you, Paris, Paris.
9
Check out this new holiday video on YouTube
and share it!!!
"EVERYTHING SNOWS"
(to the tune of "Anything Goes")
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dz7xF69VV4Y
8
On Saturday night, December 6, once again the Bob acted in "Yellow Sable Coat," a comedy (with a slight touch of drama) written and directed by Gina Cargas, a young woman from San Francisco. The play was well-received by a very appreciative audience. This third edition of the Montmartre Dionysia, a festival of one-act plays in English, was held on the boat, the Alternat, which was docked in the Seine by the Quai Saint-Bernard. All the plays were videotaped and will be posted on YouTube within the next two weeks. At that time, I will post the links in the Bob-Word.
Additionally, I did an anti-commercial. These faux commercials were presented between the first and second plays and between the third and fourth plays. These will also be posted on YouTube.
5
Sabbath Sermonette
In honor of the holiday season, the next three weekly sermonettes will highlight the most important values of Christmastide (and generally, the remainder of the year): Money, Greed, and Envy. During this season of giving, share these values with friends and family alike!
The first value of the holiday season: MONEY
"Of all the icy blasts that blow on love, a request for money is the most chilling.”
Gustave Flaubert
“People who sell bolts and nuts and locomotives and frozen orange juice make billions, while the people who struggle to bring a little beauty into the world, give life a little meaning, they starve."
Kurt Vonnegut
"It is better to lose health like a spendthrift than to waste it like a miser."
Robert Louis Stevenson
“If you want to know what God thinks of money, just look at the people he gave it to.”
Dorothy Parker
“Anyone who lives within their means suffers from a lack of imagination.”
Oscar Wilde
4
One more example of religious hate...
2
Montmartre Dionysia III
Tonight, the Bob performed in a one-act play entitled "Yellow Sable Coat" at the Petit Theatre de Bonheur in the section of Paris called Montmartre. It's a very small theater - seats 25 - but it went very well and we had an appreciative audience! In a stroke of good luck, we are the "gay play" with three lesbians and me. On Saturday, we will be performing it as part of the play competition on the boat, Alternat, which will be docked on the Seine. I was told that I am the only actor who has performed in all three play competitions. Tonight's performance will be posted on YouTube sometime in the next few days. The link to it will be in the Bob-World at that time. Now if I can only get paid and/or discovered!!!
1
THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
The crowd funding campaign for my book project, "Radical Lines from a Lit City," has come to an end. My deepest gratitude goes out to all the friends and family who contributed to the project. I cannot express my appreciation for your generosity, your kindness, and your confidence in me. No work of literature, art, or music is ever accomplished in a vacuum. I promise to create a work of which we can all be proud.
Again, thank you so much!
Love, Bob
NOVEMBER 2014
Another Round of Lights
Thoughts for the Month
"Nothing will ever be attempted,
if all possible objections must be first overcome."
Samuel Johnson
“The greatest risk to man is not that he aims too high and misses,
but that he aims too low and hits.”
Michelangelo
"If no one ever took risks,
Michelangelo would have painted the Sistine floor."
Neil Simon
"Leap and the net will appear."
Zen Saying
30
!!! TODAY IS THE FINAL DAY OF INDIEGOGO BOOK PROJECT CAMPAIGN !!!
Campaign ends on November 30 at Midnight P.S.T.
Trysts and Travails
Last night, one the American poets living in Paris held a Thanksgiving/Poetry party. The party was a lot of fun, a big success! In addition to serving up a great turkey meal, he requested that people bring a poem or commentary on the theme "Thanks or No Thanks." Following is my contribution.
Thanks or No Thanks
Giving thanks can be such a nebulous thing
Many give thanks to some non-existent god
when in reality they are just talking to themselves
as they speak of gratitude for all their blessings.
But many have reason not to be grateful
Michael Brown’s family is not giving thanks this year
or are the parents of two murdered children
The long-term unemployed are not particularly grateful
as they can only survive from day to day
and whose holidays will be quite meager
Those who are incarcerated may not feel it
as one day blends into the next like a blur
Bill Cosby is probably not feeling it right now
or his victims
and there are countless others who will not be
feeling particularly thankful
Gratitude is often forced on us as a necessity
losing all sincerity
and yet it is a very subjective process
Sometimes, we just need to say “No thanks”
without guilt or recrimination
28
Sabbath Sermonette
“Writing is a socially acceptable form of schizophrenia.”
E. L. Doctorow
“How vain it is to sit down to write when you have not stood up to live.”
Henry David Thoreau
Jeudi rapidE/Trysts and Travails
Last night was Thursday open mic at Culture Rapide. Some of the young people, and most of them are very young, love hearing the sound of their own voice. Paris Lit Up, the group that sponsors the open mic, needs to put a time limit on readers. I think 6 or 7 minutes would be fair and each person could get a 30 or 60 second warning. At least 3 youths tonight seemed to go on as long as the featured speaker who gets about 15 - 20 minutes divided into two sections. For the others, 10 or more minutes is just too long. At least 3 more speakers could have participated last night in the same time frame. If the quality is good, leave the audience wanting more; if the quality is not good, give the audience a break. Coincidentally, there is a planning meeting next Wednesday about ideas for Paris Lit Up for the 2015. I plan to attend and I will bring up time limits. End of bitch session (for now).
27
Happy Thanksgiving!
JUST THREE DAYS LEFT!!!
RADICAL LINES FROM A LIT CITY
BOOK PROJECT
Contributions of any size are greatly appreciated. The campaign ends in three days on Sunday, November 30.
www.indiegogo.com/projects/a-view-from-paris-radical-lines-from-a-lit-city/x/8716344
******
"Bonding' May Be The New Trend for 2015!
A new theory suggests that homosexuality came about to help humans bond. (It's a much more plausible reason than that old genetic mutation stuff!)
26
U.S.A. 2014
A young man dies
Anger erupts
Cumulative
Simmering
Soulful
Legal
Moral
Spiritual
Impoverished
Consequential
Daily
Heartfelt
Desperate
Grief-stricken
Spontaneous
Anger erupts
And the hateful say
But they broke the law
24
The Ten Top Reasons to Support "Radical Lines from a Lit City"
The #1 Reason
We must be grateful, in this season of Thanks, for all the people who still believe in the MGM tagline, “Art for Art’s Sake” (“ars gratia artis.”). Otherwise, our cultural legacy would consist of “Dogs Playing Poker,” “Who let the Dogs Out,” “Air Bud,” and “Going Rogue” by Sarah Palin.
JUST ONE WEEK LEFT!!!
Contributions of any size are greatly appreciated. The campaign ends on Sunday, November 30.
www.indiegogo.com/projects/a-view-from-paris-radical-lines-from-a-lit-city/x/8716344
23
Good News: The Bob will performing in Paris over the next two weeks! First, I am involved in the creation of a YouTube video. This holiday season extravaganza of song and dance is entitled, “Everything Snows!” (to the tune of the Cole Porter hit, “Anything Goes”). I will post a link to the video as soon as it is available.
Second, I will be participating in the third Montmartre Dionysia (https://www.montmartredionysia.com) festival of original one-act plays to be held during the first week in December. I will be acting in a play entitled, "Yellow Sable Coat," by Gina Cargas, an American playwright from San Francisco. Now if I can only get discovered!
21
Sabbath Sermonette
When I was young, it seemed that life was so wonderful, a miracle, oh it was beautiful, magical. But then they sent me away to teach me how to be sensible, logical, responsible, practical. And they showed me a world where I could be so dependable, clinical, intellectual, cynical. Won't you please, please tell me what we've learned.
Supertramp, The Logical Song (Breakfast In America album)
MAGICAL MIRACLES
Back in August I introduced the Warwich Rowers to the Bob-World. The British rowing team creates a hot annual calendar and donates the proceeds to Sport Allies, a group that works to combat bullying and homophobia. Check out the University of Nottingham naked hockey team who are working toward the same goals. A video of these hot guys has just come out. The video link is below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edb0_mdlNk0
20
Ten Reasons to Support "Radical Lines from a Lit City"
#2
There was a young man named Bob
Whose head had started to throb
With words and spelling and punctuation
Not always loved in this generation
But might still be good for a job!
Contributions of any size are greatly appreciated. My funding campaign ends on November 30.
www.indiegogo.com/projects/a-view-from-paris-radical-lines-from-a-lit-city/x/8716344
17
Ten Reasons to Support "Radical Lines from a Lit City"
#2 Satire can turn the absurdities of life into comedy with nothing more than a modest proposal!
Contributions of any size are greatly appreciated. My funding campaign ends on November 30.
www.indiegogo.com/projects/a-view-from-paris-radical-lines-from-a-lit-city/x/8716344
14
Sabbath Sermonette
“They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself.” “Being the right thing in the wrong place and the wrong thing in the right place is worth it because something interesting always happens.”
Andy Warhol
Jeudi rapidE
Culture Rapide was packed last night. I read an older poem entitled "Transitory Essentials." Since it dealt with difficult emotions, I was more in tune with the other readers. Last night there was an anonymous group of Italians who have formed a group called the Movement for the Emancipation of Poetry. They wheat-paste poem to city walls in an attempt to bring poetry to larger audiences and bring a new relevance to the art form. During the break, one wall of the CR building was decorated with current literary works. A little provocation can work wonders.
I must say that so many of the young habitués of the Paris Lit Up open mic write extremely well. I am confident that some famous faces will emerge from this weekly Parisian literary fest.
[N.B. I have edited my story, "A Hallowed Eve's Carol" that is posted under October 30. I think you'll find it even more amusing than the original!]
11
Ten Reasons to Support "Radical Lines from a Lit City"
#4 Dreams don't stop in middle-age.
Contributions of any size are greatly appreciated. My funding campaign ends on November 30.
www.indiegogo.com/projects/a-view-from-paris-radical-lines-from-a-lit-city/x/8716344
************
Postings of new poetry and satire will not appear in the Bob-World until the middle of December while I focus on my book project, "Radical Lines from a Lit City."
************
10
Top Ten Reasons to Support "Radical Lines from a Lit City"
#5 Poets have a responsibility to effect world change and not merely speak of idle emotions.
www.indiegogo.com/projects/a-view-from-paris-radical-lines-from-a-lit-city/x/8716344
7
Sabbath Sermonette
“If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast.”
Ernest Hemingway, A Moveable Feast
Home Sweet Home
Some of me and some of Culture Rapide
Jeudi rapidE
Back home in Paris and it feels good! I went to the open mic at Culture Rapide last night and life is back to normal. Read my piece, "A Hallowed Eve's Carol" and learned that it's always good to do a public reading to determine what works and what doesn't. So I will be editing the piece to make it tighter and funnier. I am still suffering from jet-lag so more on my Paris adventures to follow.
5
Well, I'm off to Paris once more to figure out how to stay. Hopefully, my book project will somehow aid that goal. It would be nice to meet one or two people who could actually help me in an artistic career. Was in DC for over five weeks due to subletting hell. But actually, it allowed to spend a little more time with friends and see some I may have missed during a shorter stay. I spent the last few nights with friends Phil and Michael who graciously spoiled me for three days and made for a pleasant ending to my DC sojourn. Sitting at Aer Lingus in JFK Airport (due to a silly mistake) at the moment and ready to take off at 2020! Maybe I'll sit next to a publisher who will be overwhelmed by my charm! Or not. Adieu US and bonjour Paris!
4
Top Ten Reasons to Support "Radical Lines from a Lit City"
#6 In French, the words Bob, Robert, and antidisestablishmentarianism are spelled the same as in English. The cultural similarities are uncanny! (OK, one or two of those words may not exist at all in French but let's not quibble.)
ONLY 3 WEEKS LEFT!!!
www.indiegogo.com/projects/a-view-from-paris-radical-lines-from-a-lit-city/x/8716344
2
OCTOBER 2014
From one Monument to Another
Thought for the Month
"The city must be beautiful, due advantage being taken of the hilly nature of the spot for grand or lovely prospects."
Pierre Charles L'Enfant
August 27, 1791
Observations Explanatory of the Plan [of Washington, DC]
31
Happy Halloween (the Homosexual High Holyday!)
Top Ten Reasons to Support "Radical Lines from a Lit City"
#8 In my own defense, a law degree prepares one for the crime of punny and biting satire, on a case by case basis, with many precedents!
JUST 4 WEEKS LEFT!
Sabbath Sermonette
"You look at Cheney, Rumsfeld, Karl Rove, and Bush - if you saw them on Halloween, they wouldn't need a costume. You'd give them a treat and compliment them on what great-looking demons they were. They are demons. There's no doubt about it."
Tommy Chong
30
Top Ten Reasons to Support "Radical Lines from a Lit City"
#9 I won't be funny forever (or is that bitchy - it's such a fine line!)
www.indiegogo.com/projects/a-view-from-paris-radical-lines-from-a-lit-city/x/8716344
27
Top Ten Reasons to Support "Radical Lines from a Lit City"
#10 It's important to have a career before retirement.
www.indiegogo.com/projects/a-view-from-paris-radical-lines-from-a-lit-city/x/8716344
24
Sabbath Sermonette
“When they throw the water on the witch, she says, “Who would have thought a good little girl like you could destroy my beautiful wickedness”. That line inspired my life. I sometimes say it to myself before I go to sleep, like a prayer.”
John Waters
23
Green Dreams
I just watched a movie called “The Green Journey” with Angela Lansbury and Denholm Elliott. Made in 1990, it is a story about a Minnesota catholic school teacher who has a years-long pen pal relationship with a man in Dublin. They fall in love with each other during the course of the correspondence and she gets the opportunity to go to Dublin and meet him. I will stop the plot description there so as not to impart any spoilers.
This movie portrays the potential that love can happen at any age and when least expected. I found this theme to be surprisingly optimistic for me personally. When one takes risks in life, anything becomes possible. I hate the common analogy of being on a “path” in life. If indeed there were a path, it is strewn with rocks and potholes! I much prefer the idea of creating one’s life. Ever since I decided to create a book and make the process real, I suddenly felt that what I hoped for, namely, a satisfying occupation, was not only possible but coming true. Not to be too sappy but if a relationship is also something that I truly want, there really are no obstacles save those I create for myself.
Many of the scenes in the movie take place in Ireland. I visited there once back in 1986. Ever since my mother died in 1992, I have felt a need to return. Her grandparents came to America sometime after the infamous potato famine. My mother used to say that so-and-so looked Irish. I never quite understood what she meant until I visited Dublin. There, everyone looks like they come from Boston! Coincidentally, I am flying back to Paris on Aer Lingus with a stopover in Dublin. I thought it would be nice to go to Dublin early and spend a few days in Ireland. I called Aer Lingus and was told that it was possible to do so. The woman called it a “broken ticket” and said it was included in the fare. So for now, I get to create a sojourn in the emerald isle. Perhaps it is truly possible to create one’s life and if done with care, magic can happen. This is certainly both a comforting and a powerful realization. Éirinn go Brách!
22
The Lowest Species
Two days ago I learned about the death of a young woman in San Francisco. This woman, Ceci Lam was a close friend of several of my friends in SF. Although I hadn’t met Ceci, I have seen many photos of her on Facebook during activities with my friends. Ceci was shot in the head and killed by an ex-boyfriend. Fortunately for the city of San Francisco, he committed suicide shortly after the murder.
This brutal murder once again demonstrates how evil human beings can be. Certainly, the media is thrilled to report the most heinous acts committed by our species. And year by year, the crimes get worse. Some have suggested that violence in movies and on television contribute to “copycat” actions of crimes of murder, assault, kidnapping, and sexual crimes. It has also been shown that often a crime is committed by family member or friends/acquaintance of the victims.
Are we to remain a violent species or is there any hope of redemption?
21
A replay of a fun poem
by DesigN
Poets.use.different.devices.
To / sHarE / tHEir / ArT
The Manifestation of Inspiration
like c.
or perhaps 2 amuse e.e.
Iambic Pentameter of a Sonnet’s Verse
S i L l Y c H a R a C t E r S
Few words for big ideas
Run-on sentences as a rebellion against proper grammar forced upon us by men who lived long ago and who needed to control the speech of the elites and maintain a prohibition against educating the hoi polloi who were the majority of the population.
Rhymes resounding like chimes
As a couplet in the prime of times
>Exactitude of Form
S*o*m*e*t*i*m*e*s Quite Fanciful
An alliterative allusion about Atlas
acting as an apt allegory affecting
an amoral and avenging adversary.
Tempestuous seduction of metaphor
Onomatopoeia that oozes with sizzle
Rhapsodic similes like classical arias
The oxymoron of an ironic paradox
OR
the succinct haiku
an abstraction of a thought
composed on paper
>Precision of Wording
W ' '
' 'A ''
' ' T
' ' E'
' R ' '
' ' F ''
A ' '
'L '
' ' L ' S ' '
OR \S
\L S
\O P |
\P _E |
\E T |
\S & S |
I once knew a poet named Rick
Who was funny and punny and quick
But he needed to rhyme
To anyone, anytime
Til Nick beat him up with a stick
>Specificity of Layout
G E O M E T R I C
L ^ Q
L ^ ^ U
I ^ ^ ^ A
P ^ ^ ^ ^ L
S ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ I
O ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ Z
I ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ E
< D I A M E T E R S >
dniM
niarB
thgiR
A fO
noitalupinaM
drawkcaB
THA VOYS OF A REBLE,
of ANGUSH, DISPEAR, FURRY
Criticism, Satire, Farce, Hyperbole
Or the admiration of an Ode with
Gratitude, Generosity & Grace
Or maybe just plain print and original thought
20
Update on return to Paris: I have sublet my apartment for three months and will be returning to Paris on November 5. Also, my book campaign has begun and will continue until November 26. The book is tentatively titled "Radical Lines from a Lit City." Any and all support will be greatly appreciated. The link for contributions is:
Book on Paris based on my blog The Bob-World.
17
Sabbath Sermonette
“Lying is done with words, and also with silence.”
Adrienne Rich
Mindless Mendacity
It has been a hellish week. On Tuesday night I had dinner with friends and stayed overnight to give the kids subletting my apartment a little break from the third roommate. When I returned home on Wednesday morning, they were both gone -- and so was all their stuff! It took me a couple hours to become aware of this as I was busy packing and cleaning since I was to leave for Paris on Thursday. I then noticed one set of keys on top of a chest. When I looked in the closet they were using it was completely empty of their clothes. Fortunately, nothing of mine had been taken. I immediately texted one of them and asked why they had left and he had the audacity to say that the other one had taken his clothes to the laundry and dry cleaners. He then asked me if he could use the apartment between 5:30 and 8:30 p.m. to interview someone regarding a web development business he was starting. I said that was fine because I wanted to see him and get my other set of keys back. He must have thought I was a complete idiot to think that they would take every stitch of clothing to the laundry! I waited for him to return and when he did, I demanded my keys. He gave no excuse and quickly left.
Now prior to their sneaking out like thieves, they had assured me that they would give me a check for $2000 toward the three months rent with the remainder to be paid one month later. I had sent my landlady in Paris money for one and a half months so my own funds were limited and I had no reason to believe I would not receive the check on Wednesday. Suffice it to say that I was a bit upset. I am sure that the kiddies were unable to afford the rent and incapable of being honest enough to notify me in advance. I proceeded to change my flight to Paris to November 5th and I made the appropriate changes to my bus and shuttle to JFK airport since I had foolishly booked a flight leaving from New York. All these changes came with a significant price. I quickly posted an ad on craigslist to sublet the apartment for November 1st and re-worked my meager finances to adjust to this unexpected delay. I don't think I will have any difficulty subletting the apartment and in a spirit of optimism, I am sincerely hoping that my new plans will succeed. I have finally learned to never again be nice or accommodating with anything to do with money. The next tenant will pay the three months of rent in advance such that he or she will be bound to a contract. Sadly, I have had to learn many of life's lessons the hard way. I have no choice but to believe that all will work out for the best. (I hate to be Candide!) More this weekend on life in the nation's capital.
12
DC Redux
Well, I’ve been back in DC since September 29 with a sojourn to Boston for my nephew's wedding, and I am ready to go back to Paris on October 16. It is so strange to be back in DC feeling that I no longer live here. I only want to keep my apartment so I have a place to live if necessary. Since living in Paris I have written numerous poems and stories in addition to commentaries about life in Paris. Currently, I am working on a book about Paris based on my experiences. I have also acted in a couple of one-act plays and performed my writings at open mics in both French and English. Artistically, it has been a very productive period for me.
During my two and one-half weeks in DC, I have felt like an observer watching people in suits rushing around in circles doing whatever it is that they do here — greasing the wheels of government, I guess. I don’t know that I ever fit in over the twenty years I have spent here since the 1980s. It feels right to move on and Paris now feels like home. There are currently two young guys from North Carolina living in my apartment. They are starting their adult lives and their careers with that enthusiasm that only young people possess. They are just starting to have new life adventures, meeting new people and beginning their personal life journeys. Lucky for me, I feel the same way about Paris. Although I have experienced the excitement of moving to a new city right after college and venturing into a new life, I am fortunate enough to get to have a recurrence of new adventures in an exciting new city — hopefully, without the pitfalls of youth and with a smidgeon of understanding about this adult world in which we all struggle. I also get to re-live the joy of discovery that is so often limited to the young. This time I don’t have to deal with coming out as a gay man or with the myriad of questions associated with finding a career or with the difficulties of learning how to navigate a new city.
Today, I get to begin new adventures without having to say, “If I knew then what I know today…” I get to start a new life with a modicum of knowledge and, dare I say it, wisdom, that has already facilitated my new life in France. Dreams can be manifested in middle-age and years of living on the precipice can make risky ventures seem much easier. Although I often misunderstood my personal journey up to this point, I now realize that I made far fewer mistakes than originally thought. I’ll be back in Paris on Thursday. Stay tuned!
N.B. Yesterday, October 11, was the anniversary of the 1987 March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights. That day was profound for me in my acceptance and understanding of my life as a gay man. It occurred during the height of the AIDS pandemic prior to any pharmacological discoveries. Sadly, so many friends are no longer here to see the strides that we queer people have made over the last quarter-century. Yet, those early years of struggle and tragedy, have given to us survivors a unique strength and purpose to make sure all those horrible deaths were not in vain and to take risks that at one time would have seemed impossible. There will never be enough good to justify that heinous era of history but at least we have the memories to push us forward with both a sense of urgency and an obligation of gratitude.
10
Sabbath Sermonette
“The greatest deception men suffer is from their own opinions.”
Leonardo da Vinci
8
Fortunately, the years can be less heavy!
Before (2006) After (2014)
4
Today is the wedding of my nephew and godchild, Brian Davis and his very-soon-to-be-wife, Kyra. I wrote them a poem which I have posted below. (It is also an acrostic.)
For Brian and Kyra
The bells will chime
On the fourth of October
Baby’s breath drifts from above
Reviving a rocky Maine coast
Instilling buoyant hearts
As an aura of love
Nurtures the day
Awaiting a bride
Nervous young groom
Decor and decorum
Keep tradition alive
Yearnings are sated
Reality transformed
An exchange of rings
Oaths affirmed
Newlyweds emerge
Together sparkling
Heralding this metamorphosis
Exuberance explodes
Idioms of good wishes
Resonate in the air
With celestial charm
Enhancing the twilight
Dining, decanting, dancing
Delicate delirium
Ignites unabated revelry
Nocturnal glow grows dim
Gathering the dawn
Daybreak arrives
A future begins
Yesterday is no more
3
Sabbath Sermonette
"My favorite poem is the one that starts 'Thirty days hath September' because it actually tells you something."
Groucho Marx
On Tuesday, September 30, my friend, Stephanie D'Angelo, organized a happy hour to welcome me home. It was great to see a lot of friends and it was a lot of fun as evidenced below.
1
Reflections on Paris
I really can no longer reflect on Paris for I realized it is a state of being that can neither be caught nor conclusively defined. At best, I can only attempt a description its intangibility.
Bended Light Thrown Back
Paris is a Prism
a Disco Ball
the fairy-dusted palm of a
prestidigitator
thirty-three point six square miles
particles of light
bouncing random sequences
teardrop to teardrop
the vortex inhales you on the RER B
spits you out at the Gare du Nord
a carnival of vaporizing essences
a wake of parallel universes
right brain stimulation
palettes of acrylic color
fanciful graffiti
dance belts
Mont Blancs
quatrains
mixed metaphors
luminous cirques
bended light thrown back
reflective rainbows
ruminations on transmogrification
shifting recognition